Last week was National Poison Prevention Week and the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) is reminding pet owners to keep their pets out of harm’s way. According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), its Animal Poison Control Center answers more than 200,000 calls for help annually.

From the moment chocolate was discovered it was considered a valuable, divine and decadent treat. The first chocolate candies were invented in the 1860s by Cadbury, who was also the first to market them in a heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day that same decade.

From raisins to onions to acetaminophen, the typical Ahwatukee home is filled with items that can be toxic to pets.

I am a registered Republican and I vote in every election. I own a swimming pool maintenance company, and have had a 47-year career, to date, in the residential pool industry: new construction, maintenance and repair, mostly right here in the Valley of the Sun. I am a Phoenix native.

Developed primarily for seniors, but useful for any driver taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, Roadwise RX was developed to help motorists understand how medications may impact their ability to drive safely.

Did you know that every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer? Do you think breast cancer affects women only? Think again. Men are not exempt from breast cancer. Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue. Although there are numerous reasons why women predominantly experience estrogen dominance (use of birth control, menopause and pregnancy), both men and women are increasingly affected by estrogen dominance.

Ever meandered through the pharmacy aisles of Whole Foods, Sprouts, or even Trader Joe’s and wished you knew more about the various supplements and which ones could possibly benefit you? Herbal/dietary supplements (also called botanicals) are plants used for their therapeutic properties, and the roots of herbalism go back to the beginning of humanity. The following list contains some of the more popular herbs that are generally accepted to have psychoactive and/or medicinal properties with positive effects in humans:

Mental health problems like depression and anxiety can affect anyone’s life at any age. If you think you have a mental health condition, Medicare may be able to help. The symptoms of mental health issues include feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness; a lack of energy; and difficulty concentrating or sleeping. You might find yourself losing interest in activities you used to enjoy, or even having thoughts of ending your life.

This is in response to the “Practical Advice” column published in the March 23 AFN, “Those with negative opinions regarding antidepressants have never been seriously depressed.”

‘It was not really alarming at first, since the change was subtle, but I did notice that my surroundings took on a different tone at certain times: the shadows of nightfall seemed more somber, my mornings were less buoyant, walks in the woods became less zestful, and there was a moment during my working hours in the late afternoon when a kind of panic and anxiety overtook me…” said William Styron in the book, “Darkness Visible,” where he clearly paints a picture of depression. If he would have encapsulated what many depressed people feel, he would have stated that he felt alone, misunderstood and hopeless, or that every fiber of his being had been sucked out of him. Depressed people struggle to find joy in anything they do and they have no desire to do anything.

Paul Kokoski, in his AFN letter of Feb. 24 (“President Obama is drunk with power”), praises the Catholic Bishops of America and then condemns President Obama’s “war on religious freedom and conscience rights ... and his decision to force religiously affiliated organizations like hospitals and churches, to include coverage of sterilization, contraception … in their employee health insurance plans…” He goes on to state that this, “represents an act of treason…”

One in four American women are on prescription drugs for stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

One in four American women are on prescription drugs for stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

You already know the physical importance of eating healthy and limiting fast-food intake, but if weight gain is your primary reason for reaching for an apple instead of a cookie, would you believe that what you eat has a direct effect on everything from your mood to your ability to learn and retain information?

You already know the physical importance of eating healthy and limiting fast-food intake, but if weight gain is your primary reason for reaching for an apple instead of a cookie, would you believe that what you eat has a direct effect on everything from your mood to your ability to learn and retain information?

Editor's note: This is the conclusion of a two-part series of submitted columns on holistic approaches to breast cancer and lower estrogen dominance. All views are those of the author. The first column appeared in the Oct. 15 AFN.

Editor's note: This is the conclusion of a two-part series of submitted columns on holistic approaches to breast cancer and lower estrogen dominance. All views are those of the author. The first column appeared in the Oct. 15 AFN.

Editor's note: This is the conclusion of a two-part series of submitted columns on holistic approaches to breast cancer and lower estrogen dominance. All views are those of the author. The first column appeared in the Oct. 15 AFN.

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series of submitted columns on holistic approaches to breast cancer and lower estrogen dominance. All views are those of the author.

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series of submitted columns on holistic approaches to breast cancer and lower estrogen dominance. All views are those of the author.

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series of submitted columns on holistic approaches to breast cancer and lower estrogen dominance. All views are those of the author.

Recently, I had my biannual date with my periodontist, which usually involves a nice hygienist cleaning my teeth and then poking around with a little pointy thingy and calling out numbers and sometimes she says "Uh oh," and then gets the nice doctor who sometimes has to do things to my mouth that make me long for ground glass to chew on, if I have any teeth left.

Recently, I had my biannual date with my periodontist, which usually involves a nice hygienist cleaning my teeth and then poking around with a little pointy thingy and calling out numbers and sometimes she says "Uh oh," and then gets the nice doctor who sometimes has to do things to my mouth that make me long for ground glass to chew on, if I have any teeth left.