Merely because something is hereditary doesn’t mean it has to be inherited unless it’s a defined, overt physical characteristic, such as eye color or hairline. Disease or propensity for disease does not have to telegraph itself through gene expression. In the belief that genetic activity can be turned on and off, more than a handful of scientists are convinced that arthritis, in this case, does not have to pass from seed to seed along the family tree.

Being a kid doesn’t necessarily mean having a carefree life, yet that’s how most adults view childhood. Because kids don’t have jobs, bills to pay, and children to raise what could they possibly have to worry about? More than we realize. Even the very young among us have stressors, slight though they may be. Stress is a function of the demands we face and our ability to handle them.

When you’re in a good mood, it’s almost amazing what you can accomplish. This has little to do with emotions and even less with temperament. The former are short-lived and specific, and may be turned on by a single stimulus. The latter are characteristics that are seemingly innate rather than learned. Moods may be disarrayed, as in depression and bipolar disorder, and are subjective, although they may be inferred by conduct or body language.

Talk about linking sugar to cancer can be confusing. The “facts” are often presented in a misleading manner that can cause anxiety in those who have the disease. Yet, learning about the science behind the connection can help us make educated decisions about nutrition choices for better health. Sugar, or rather glucose, feeds every cell in the body. We need it to produce energy.

When you put your hand into your pants pocket and shake it around, you can hear the jingling of loose change. No change, no jingle. You have identified a deficit. It’s not that easy with some nutrient deficits. Zinc is one of them. Although zinc levels are low in some disorders, the most reliable method for diagnosing zinc deficiency is a positive response to zinc supplementation.

For their size, the kidneys do an awful lot of work. Besides filtering the blood of potentially harmful substances, they secrete hormones that influence the manufacture of red blood cells and the absorption and metabolism of calcium. Another job is to monitor blood pressure and to take corrective action if it drops.

The large intestine is seldom the topic of conversation, with the possible exception of surgeons and gastroenterologists. Most “civilians” don’t pay attention to it until it isn’t working right. The inability to move material out of it is one reason. Unusual egesta might be another.

The last mineral topic we covered dealt with sodium and potassium. Important stuff, this mineral balance. Recall that the amounts of minerals needed by the body are not an indication of their importance, and that we probably can’t get all that we need from our foods because of untrustworthy practices from seed to table. Remember, too, that kids, especially, need to eat the plants to get the minerals.

Got teeth? Wanna keep ‘em? Brush the ones you want to keep. The others? Might as well brush them while you’re at it. How come? Because we said so? We can do better than that. Since prevention is truly worth more than the cure, give it a go to keep periodontal disease, like gingivitis, at bay.