Fermented foods better for gut microbiome

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the monthly letters column. We are well into the third month of the new year, and for some of us – the data say it’s probably most of us – the resolutions we made on Jan. 1 have already fallen by the wayside.

Man realizes fear of deep water on vacation

DEAR HARRIETTE: I love beaches and sandy vacations, but somehow I also have a wild fear of deep waters. I don’t think I had ever come to that realization before – probably because I’m never too far from shore and I’m tall – which also makes me feel embarrassed about the whole thing.

3D mammograms offer different angles

ASK THE DOCTORSDear Doctors: I am a 65-year-old woman in remission from breast cancer. I had a single mastectomy and now have an annual mammogram on my remaining breast. I recently learned about 3D mammograms. Is there any advantage of this type over the standard kind?

Friend loses touch while consumed by grief

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my good friends has retreated completely.Last year her best friend passed away, and I think that loss is taking a major toll on her. At first, she was holding up all right, but now she doesn’t really respond to me or any other friends.

DO JUST ONE THING

• When you’re shopping for flowers to make an arrangement, it’s always best to buy locally grown. But if you live in an area where there aren’t abundant flower farms, do the next best thing: Choose California-grown. Eighty percent of the flowers grown in the U.S.

City dweller exposed to drug usage

DEAR HARRIETTE: Today I saw and smelled someone smoking crack on a subway platform near to where I was standing. I was stunned. I know it happens all around my city – in theory – but I’ve never truly witnessed it in real time, only the aftereffects of it.

Calf pain could be indicator of artery disease

ASK THE DOCTORSDear Doctors: I get a cramp in my left calf when I run for more than 20 minutes. When I slow down, it goes away. I told my doctor about it, and she wants to do something called an ankle brachial index. What will it entail? I think it’s a heart test.

DO JUST ONE THING

• Save money when you fly, and help save the environment, too. Opting for economy seating on an airplane is far more eco-friendly than flying in business or first class. More passengers can fit in economy, so the overall emissions per passenger are lower.

New diabetes diagnosis can cause denial

Dear Doctors: My fiance, who is 24 years old, was just diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Isn’t that something that gets discovered when you’re a child? I can tell he’s not paying close attention to blood sugar control. It’s almost like he’s in denial.

Customer wants to break up with hairstylist

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve been going to the same hairstylist for years, and while she’s always been kind and reliable, I’ve started to feel like her work just isn’t what I want anymore.