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Summer is here! Time to let down your hair, slip on your flip-flops, and pop open the rosé. Rosé is the ultimate summer wine, enjoyed by savvy Europeans vacationing on the beaches of St. Tropez and other sunny destinations for decades. As the warmest months descend upon the Northern Hemisphere, great waves of rosé (called “rosado” in Spain and “rosato” in Italy) wash over the shores of Europe and fill the impatient glasses of the thirsty population.

Why rosé? Why not? Rosé is pink in color and beautiful to the eye, floral and perfumed to the nose, and fruity but dry on the palate. Its refreshing acidity is bracing and cleanses the mouth between bites of food. Rosé is made from red wine grapes and takes its color from the skins. Depending on which variety of grapes is used and how long the grape skins are left in contact with the juice, the resulting wine can range from a pale, onionskin color to a deep, almost red hue. The finished color has nothing to do with the quality or intensity of the wine.

As all wines are different, so are all rosés. They can range from light to full-bodied, fruity and tangy to crisp and bone-dry, zippy and light to lush and smooth. The differences are part of the fun and an excellent reason to try many different rosés all year long. Rosé is meant to be enjoyed young. Buy it and drink it, don’t save it for a rainy day or stick it indefinitely in your cellar. A rosé wine should be no more than 2-3 years old. Sparkling rosé is the only exception to the rule and has the ability to age in a temperature-controlled cellar.

Rosé pairs perfectly with just about everything but truly shines when paired with classic picnic foods such as cheese and charcuterie, sandwiches and quiche. Casual bistro food is a perfect fit with rosé. It is a delightful accompaniment to savory fried calamari, briny oysters, crispy French fries, and juicy hamburgers. While we think of rosé as a summer wine, served lightly chilled at the shore, it can easily be enjoyed throughout the year with heavier seasonal fare like stuffed pork tenderloin and roasted salmon.

The United States showed up late to the rosé party. In fact, the USA was a little tardy to the wine party altogether. Unlike Europe, which has a history of wine consumption going back thousands of years, the USA was not a wine drinking nation until the 1970s. Rather than wine, Americans favored cocktails a la “Madmen,” and beer, of course.

When the wines of California began gaining international acclaim, Americans wondered what the fuss was all about. We ventured cautiously into the new and exciting world of dry table wines. Vineyards in Napa went on to become world famous and USA production of wine soared. Today, wine is produced in every state in the union, ranging from classic European varieties to sweet ice wines to fabulous, fruit wines from states like Idaho and Hawaii.

So how did rosé make its way into our vocabulary? Slowly but surely. We started drinking sparkling pink wine back in the 1940s with sweet wines like Mateus and Lancers. But these were not “serious” wines. They were created specifically for the American market, rather like Coca-cola for the older crowd. Dry wines were not favored and wine pairing with food was unheard of at the time.

Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel blasted onto the scene in 1975 after a fortuitous winemaking error and the sugary pink wine went on to define rosé for most Americans. The success of white zinfandel made many Americans assume that all pink wines were sweet. Rosé as a class of wines became gauche and discerning wine sippers avoided it. Fortunately, Americans went on to greater wine sophistication and learned the joys of dry rosé. Today the United States is the greatest wine-consuming nation in the world and at last, rosé wines have gained their rightful place in the hearts of Americans.

Rosé is such a favorite now that most restaurants serve it by the glass and offer a few different bottles on their wine lists. Some historic French rosés to seek out include Tavel, from the Southern Rhone Valley and Bandol from sunny Provence. An all-time favorite produced right here in California is Bonny Doon’s Vin Gris.

The warm weather is upon us. Better stock up now. Cheers!

Q. I have two tomato plants growing in large pots. They’re doing real well, in fact you can almost watch them grow. But, I’m a bit concerned because they are so very bushy. Should I strip some of the growth off or just let them continue on?

 A. It is important for tomatoes to be bushy with lots of leaves. The foliage protects the ripening tomatoes from sunburn so the leaves act as a type of sunblock. Sunburn is a tan/beige spot that forms on the south and southwest side of the fruits. But, you can have too much of a good thing, so I’d be thinning the growth throughout the season. Plants will become very crowded and dense as they mature, especially when you’re using a tomato cage. Thinning lets in more light and increases air circulation throughout the plant, keeping the inside foliage from turning brown. Also, the dense foliage is a perfect hiding plant for the Tomato Hornworm. Hornworms on tomatoes are a problem June through September. The Hornworm is the larva stage of a moth. The adult moth lays its eggs near the center of the plant. Its only purpose is to eat—which it does twenty/four seven until it gets very large and drops to the soil where it goes through another stage of the metamorphosis and emerges as an adult moth. Signs of Hornworms are holes in the leaves and black droppings on the ground. You control them with BT or Captain Jack Dead Bug Brew. Both of these insecticides are safe to use on edibles.

Q. I have removed the spent flowers on my roses, but, I’m concerned because there are absolutely no leaves on the branches. Looking at them, one would think it’s the middle of winter. What has happened and will the foliage return?

A. The rainy periods in March and April is the cause of your problem. Roses are susceptible to rust, Black Spot and mildew. Black Spot causes the leaves to have yellow spots with black blotches, and as the disease progresses, the foliage drops off. Rust gives you orange spots on the back of the leaves, and mildew forms a white film on the foliage, stems and buds. These are air-borne diseases that attack when moisture remains on the foliage after the sun has gone down. There are plenty of products available to control these diseases but they don’t eradicate the problem. The best solution is Bayer Advanced All in One Rose Care. It’s a systemic control applied to the roots before the diseases show up, so, it’s ideal to use in early March when the new growth is about an inch long. It gives six weeks of protection against rust, Black Spot and mildew, and this should keep the foliage pristine through the end of the rain season. A fourth disease called Downey Mildew can also be troublesome when cool, damp conditions are present for an extended period. Downy Mildew is usually limited to the coastal areas where there is a strong marine influence, but there can be years where it’s widespread. This disease is often confused with Black Spot because of the similar yellow spots with black leaf blotches. The most distinguishing characteristic of Downey Mildew is the plant’s extreme and rapid (overnight) defoliation. But from your question, Black Spot is more than likely your problem and not Downey Mildew. Your biggest concern right now should be températures over ninety degrees for those plants in the afternoon sun. Without any leaves, sunburn is a big concern for the stems. You protect these plants by draping shade cloth over them until the new growth returns. The new growth should return in four to six weeks.

Q. Why is my Clematis growing poorly? The lower leaves have turned brown and a few of the ends are shriveling up. Generally speaking, most of the leaves on one plant look very poor. The Clematis next to it is thriving and getting ready to bloom. I’d like its neighbor to do the same. What should I be doing?

A. In solving this mystery, I’d investigate the planting depth. I’d remove some of the soil to locate the top of the first root. Clematis, and plants in general, are buried too deep if the top of the first root is more than a half inch below the soil surface. It is very common to plant in a bowl shape hole.  Unfortunately, the sides collapse quickly inward, burying the plant. Instead, the root ball should be at or above the soil surface after planting. You correct this by digging the plant up and raising the top of the root ball to the soil surface using a shovel and filling in the void under the plant with soil to prevent it from re-sinking. Mulch is added later to insulate the roots and conserve moisture. I believe the number one non-pest reason for erratic plant behavior, stagnate growth, and then plants dying, is clay soil and plants being planted too

I’m a native Californian.  I live in a “nice” area of California.  I have only experienced a race riot on television.  I will admit to not truly understanding being a minority. I did live in Louisiana for a very short time in 1967; still no riots, just a surreal feeling. I didn’t understand it then and I don’t understand it now. I do have friends who are African-American and I love them dearly.

Hidden Figures is a slice of history.  Virginia in the early 60s.  NASA. A slice of history from a different perspective; racism is front and center, yet all are working hard to contribute to their country, in spite of the barriers of race and gender.

John F. Kennedy was President and we were in a race for dominance in space. NASA was newly formed and didn’t even know what they didn’t know. Hidden Figures is based on the true story of three African-American women. All three had brilliant minds and ended up being critical in the quest for space travel.  It wasn’t easy in 1961. 

These ladies worked in the West Computing Group, an all “colored” group of ladies known as Computers—as in, “they compute.”  Computers (machines) were just starting to be introduced into the workplace. Educated to as high a level as they were allowed, these ladies got dressed up and went to work, all using not just separate bathrooms and lunch rooms, but in fact, working in an entirely different building form their white co-workers. When their computing skills were needed, a white woman entered their building with an assignment. 

Al Harrison, NASA Director, was played by the one and only, Kevin Costner. I don’t know him, only saw him once, but he seems like someone I’d invite to a backyard BBQ.  I loved him in this movie. He has scenes that make you want to jump up from your seat and cheer! When on assignment, the ladies of the West Computing Group had to return to their own building a half mile away to use the Colored Ladies facility. My favorite Harrison quote is, “Here at NASA we all pee the same color.”

The casting is excellent.  Along with Costner we have Oscar winning, Octavia Spencer playing Dorothy Vaughn, as well as Taraji P. Henson as Katherine G. Johnson, and Janelle Mona’e as Mary Jackson.

Kirsten Dunst does well as Vivian Mitchell, the woman in charge of the “Computers.”  Toward the end of the movie she tells Dorothy, “Despite what you may believe, I have nothing against y’all.”  Dorothy simply answers, “I know that, I know you think that.” Somewhere in that statement is the truth about racism.

I love true stories, even if they are only ‘based’ on the truth. This film certainly did not disappoint.  The story line is both insightful and redeeming and with this talented cast it is a home run. 

The music is inspiring and upbeat.  There are actually lyrics to the songs that fit perfectly with the story. It certainly adds one more dimension to the film and scored (pun intended) it a Golden Globe nomination!

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone. Three Oscar nominations as well as other accolades were well deserved. Hidden Figures is fun and you actually get a history lesson. This trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big!

As usual, I would love to hear your thoughts at chastings@rockcliff.com.

I recently conducted a running clinic for a group of athletes who had approached me asking a number questions such as, “How do I stay injury free?” “How do I get faster?” “How should I run hills?” How often should I train?” “How often should I run fast?”, etc. These are all valid questions with very different answers, rooted in the same basic principles.

The focal point of the answers to all of these questions is rooted in a two basic concepts: Fitness and biomechanics—these are not mutually exclusive. It’s important to understand that when we talk about fitness we are talking about two types of fitness: aerobic and neuromuscular. When we talk about biomechanics, we need to understand these are rooted in neuromuscular fitness and adaptation. By practicing proper movement and mechanics we can gain neuromuscular fitness, just as by repeating poor movement patterns engrains poor mechanics which leads to a poor level of neuromuscular fitness.

Neuromuscular fitness is a process that has four stages or parts: activation, mobility, stabilization, and load. In order to create proper movement patterns (good mechanics) and long-term sustainability a muscle/group and/or kinetic chain must be properly activated. It’s only then that it can be properly mobilized and become stable, at which point it is in a position to receive and move “load.” The body is an amazingly adaptive mechanism that will usually find a way to complete the task at hand. As an example, if we are asking our body to bench press a large amount of weight (resistance), or to run a given distance at an elevated pace we are not trained for, the above process doesn’t necessarily have to be engaged and operational for the body to find a way to get it done. However, without the four step process (above) being properly developed we will often see a result in the form of injury, or very poor neuromuscular adaptation that leads to problems down the line. Further, many sports injuries are compensatory and are the result of the host trying to “muscle through” said task, causing an injury in a part of the body that one would think is not even related to the initial problem or mechanical breakdown.

Many runners continue to run through injury and nagging aches and can get away with it, provided their mechanics are sound and have not been compromised. If they have, it’s only a matter of time before the tail starts wagging the dog and something is going to give. This is the injury train that plagues so many athletes who insist on “muscling through” workouts for the instant reward of “getting their sweat on” or the need to feel accomplished at the risk of sacrificing the big picture.

A good portion of my work revolves around damage control and working with athletes to remain injury free, and if injury does occur, to return from injury safely and in a healthy manner keeping the bigger picture in mind. Often times, this means sacrificing short term objectives for long-term goals. It’s a trade off I encourage. Most people begin their quest for fitness because they want to be “healthy.” But, when it comes down to it, they are sacrificing their long-term health for a short-term reward without even realizing it.

As most old people do, I spend an inordinate amount of time with doctors. You name it, I got it. While watching these amazing people doing wonderful work keeping us oldies alive, I thought about the wonderful doctors we saw in the movies, heard on radio and viewed on television. Let’s see if we remember these fictitious sawbones.

1. “Dr. Kildare was a popular movie series of the late 40s. Who played Dr. Jimmy Kildare

2. A prestigious Oscar is presented each year with his name attached, but we knew him as kindly Dr. Christian on our weekly radio. Who was the distinguished actor who played Dr. Christian?

3. Richard Chamberlain played Dr. Kildare on TV. What veteran actor played his mentor, Dr. Gillespie?

4. One of the most famous fictional doctors was Frankenstein. Dozens of movies have been made about him, but still the most famous is the original made in 1931. Who played Dr. Victor Frankenstein in that film?

5. What cartoon character always addressed people by asking “What’s Up Doc?”

6. Vince Edwards was a short term hit in the TV medical series”Ben Casey.” Who played his mentor, Dr. Zorba?

Summertime is a time to refresh your skin care and revamp your make-up for a lighter and more natural, “glowy,” bronzy-sunny skin look. Go natural yet seaside. Smooth your skin with an organic masque, finish with a beautiful self-tanner for that gorgeous, bronzed summer glow. I have always believed that true beauty and happiness comes from nourishing the body and the soul, therefore, whatever products touch your body, they also need to touch your soul. With all the great new finds this year you will be ready for summer in minutes, while looking bronzy, healthy and fabulous!

Amp up your glow with an Ultimate Cellular Repair Serum. Serums with peptides help to hydrate dry skin and repair skin cells, making it look smoother and more youthful.  It will smooth the skin instantly giving it that fresh, velvety summertime glow. 

Salty skies and sunny days just got even more exciting with our new beachside self-tanners—and they are more luxurious than ever! With the realistic color of a true tan you can go through summer looking fabulously sun-drenched and healthy without ruining your skin.   

You Glow-Girl! Organic facial masques are the way to go this year in skin care and with all the new smarts in technologies your skin will love them. Try a sun-warmed Marine Peel for that seaside smoothing effect, or our precious Sea Kelp masque for healing and smoothing.   

Master new techniques for summer with a new fusion bronzer; fusion bronzers allow the skin to breathe, all while looking perfectly bronzed, naturally. Add a little to cheeks, chin, and forehead, for that all-over, smooth-skin bronze sheen.

Try a new EYE-DEA! Update your eyes with a new peach or nude shadow on the lid followed by a gray purple in the crease. Line the eyes with a trendy army-green pencil to achieve depth and lift, (the more depth around the eye area the more youthful the eyes will look), then add a light khaki color under the eye to open eyes and define them. It will look fresh for summer. If your eyes tend to look red, apply a nude waterline pencil on the inner line of the eyes to take out the red and look refreshed. It will leave your eyes looking bright and not so tired looking. Great for vacations and traveling!

Summer Lip Forecast: Soft pinks, neutrals and light peach tones are the new seaside craze this summer. Glosses with natural ingredients and pigments keeps the lips hydrated and look great beachside.  New lip stains have it all, with the ease and convenience of a lip color, the full coverage of a lipstick, and staying power that lasts all day!  The new lip stains have a new, non-drying formula to deliver fullness and a plumper full lip look that is of-the-moment-modern.

We’re so excited that you are getting to know us! Come in to The Rouge Cosmetics to try all the new finds and discover your beachside bronzer and lip color, just in time for the salty skies and sunny days ahead. 

The condition known as Sciatica is one of the most common conditions that we treat at Align Healing Center.  Some of the typical symptoms of Sciatica are sharp pain in the low back and/or buttocks accompanied by numbness, tingling, aching or burning down the back of the leg. In severe circumstances, weakness in the leg may also be seen.

The Sciatic Nerve is large and travels down the back of the leg to the foot. The nerve is buried deep within the muscles of the buttock and leg making it difficult to treat with common physical therapy methods. The Sciatic Nerve is composed of several smaller nerves and originates from the low back. It passes under the piriformis muscle (underneath the main buttock muscles) on its way down the leg. Irritation of the Sciatic Nerve at any point along its path is commonly known as Sciatica.

Understanding Sciatica

Let’s talk about nerves for a moment. Nerves are the electrical wiring of the human body. They carry the signals that allow us to move, feel, digest, detoxify, respond to our environment, and so much more. Plain and simple, if the nerves do not work the body will not work. That being said, it is important to understand that unlike other tissues, the primary blood supply to nerve tissue is actually located WITHIN the nerve itself.  So, if a nerve becomes impinged or compromised, so does the blood supply to the nerve. Without proper blood supply, the nerve does not receive the energy and nutrition that are needed for the nerve to heal itself. Over time neural impingement leads to a painful chronic condition called Neuropathy. The definition of neuropathy is a disease or injury affecting nerve cells. The common symptoms of Neuropathy include sharp pain, burning, muscular weakness, numbness or tingling either at the site of the nerve injury or wherever the nerve travels. The condition known as Sciatica is a form of Neuropathy that specifically affects the Sciatic Nerve.

What can I do to relieve my Sciatica without drugs or surgery?

Since 1999 Align Healing Center has been offering many different modalities to heal Sciatica.  We have found that a combination of Class IV laser therapy and spinal decompression offer outstanding results in healing stubborn Sciatica.  Class IV Laser Therapy allows the practitioner to stimulate healing within the damaged tissue by delivering the necessary energy directly to the injured area. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces pain and inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms and stiffness.  In addition to laser therapy we implement spinal decompression to restore spinal disc health. Decompression works by gently stretching the spine, creating a vacuum effect which can restore disc height and even reduce the severity of bulging disc conditions associated with chronic pain and neurological symptoms.

We have found laser and decompression therapy to be most beneficial for patients with pinched nerves, arthritis, herniated discs, and degenerative disc disease. This unique combination of non-invasive therapy offers a chance for realizing a permanent cure. The treatment is finite and typically lasts for about a month. This eliminates the long-term care commitment forced upon patients by other symptomatic sciatica treatments.  With proper care and rehabilitation of your spine and nervous system you can be back to your healthy self quickly!

Dr. Niele Maimone, DC of Align Healing Center in Danville, CA has been active in natural health & wellness since 1999. For more information or to set up a consult call 925.362.8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com.

The medical industry wants you sick.  There is no profit in healthy people.  Time after time, in my holistic practice, I see so many patients that are having their symptoms treated with medications, many times with side effects that have created or enhanced the symptoms that brought them to my office in the first place.  To make matters worse, the cost of this treatment can be into the thousands of dollars, sometimes doing damage that cannot be reversed.

One factor that qualifies me to help these patients as well as to write this article is that I have been through this malpractice myself, not just by the medical profession, but by my own malpractice of poor diet and reliance on the medical profession to correct my self abuse.  

In my first book, WHY? The Question that Could Save Your Life, I emphasize the importance of being proactive in your healthcare, studying how to achieve optimal health on your own.  Never take a prescription without checking it out online.  Is there an alternative? Could I change my diet and lifestyle to correct this condition?

I did just that and it changed my life to such an incredible extent that I will never go back.  No more arthritis, psoriasis, indigestion, headaches or allergies—and I experience the energy I had as a kid! 

Let’s take a look at the cause of the gradual breakdown of our bodies as we age and even when we were young.  God created a wonderful creature in the human animal, capable of defending itself against diseases that now destroy us, so we invent drugs which further pollute our bodies.

The natural immune system is phenomenal but very delicate. Our cells are like a city. They require delivery of food, energy, water, bacteria and communication as well as a disposal system that takes away all pollution.  Our internal ecosystem is not designed to be overloaded with pollution that did not exist during the millions of years of our evolution.  That system also requires nutrients that are no longer in our food, especially processed and fast food.  To add insult to injury, we add stress which produces fight or flight hormones that further mess up digestion and elimination processes.

We all think that modern conveniences are so wonderful, and some of them are.  Every step we take away from our evolution has its problems.  Refrigeration prevents the fermentation of veggies which previously kept us supplied with our flora and many nutrients that contribute to our health.  One of these nutrients is SOD (super oxide dismutase), an antioxidant that is 3500 times stronger than Vitamin C, as well as being an anti-inflammatory and an anti-aging agent.

I find there are endless lessons to learn from antiquity.  Chapter IV of my next book is entitled Learning from Antiquity. There is so much knowledge to be found from ancient history that is being overlooked, and in the process we are losing this valuable resource.   

For more information or comments, please contact me:  www.aodtc.com

Regenerative medicine is a new medical buzz term and is a very useful and exciting option in pain management therapy. Two of the most common regenerative treatments are Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections and Stem Cell (SC) injections. Essentially, these injections harness the body’s ability to heal itself, in a very condensed form, by directing the blood’s healing factors towards injured and arthritic tissues. The procedures involve drawing a patient’s blood (or bone marrow) and then using a centrifuge machine to isolate and concentrate the healing elements (PRP and SC) that can be then reinjected into the target areas of the body that are painful.

Regenerative medicine therapy is successful for many types of pain including muscle tears and strains, partial ligament and tendon tears (shoulder rotator cuff injuries especially), osteoarthritis of the knees and hips, sacroiliac and spinal facet arthritis, as well as most other joints. Oftentimes, chronic pain is the result of reduced blood flow to the area of injury such that the crucial elements in the blood for healing are not able to access the area to repair the injury.

The Platelet Rich Plasma or Stem cell product that is re-injected has both an anti-inflammatory effect and a healing and tissue renewal effect. Whole blood, or blood with all of its components, contains plasma (55%), red blood cells (45%) and white blood cells and platelets (1%). Plasma contains clotting factors, antibodies, protein, glucose and vitamins and minerals and is the main fluid that the other components are suspended in. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the tissues and organs. White blood cells destroy bacteria and produce antibodies against viruses and bacteria. Platelets are responsible for blood clotting by sticking together along with the clotting factors in the plasma to form a “patch” along the blood vessel. When injury and bleeding occur, platelets also release growth factors into the injured areas to help facilitate the repair process and tissue regeneration.

There are over 40 kinds of growth factors that are released by the platelets, activated depending on what type of tissue needs to be healed. Growth factors can stimulate injured tissues in the body to grow and repair themselves, including bone, cartilage, connective tissue, muscle, and blood vessels.
Stem cells can grow and mature into any type of tissue that the body might need to repair an injury. When platelets release their growth factors, the stem cells are “called” in from the bone marrow like a rescue brigade to start regenerating and replacing the damaged bone, muscle, cartilage, etc. Stem cells are located in the bone marrow and are readily accessible. They can be harvested from large bones, such as the iliac crest (hip bone), with a minimally invasive procedure. When concentrated stem cells are injected into an area of damage, the effect is similar to having a transplant because they grow into new tissue altogether.

The effects of both PRP and SC injections on pain relief and tissue regeneration take about three to four weeks to complete. Generally, people see a gradual improvement in pain and function starting at one week that progresses over a month. The injections can be repeated for maximum effect at 4 or 5 week intervals for persistent pain. A maximum of three injections is used as the endpoint of therapy after which further improvement is not likely.

Prior to the having the injections, all medications that block platelet activity need to be discontinued for one to two weeks. These include aspirin and aspirin-containing products, and anti-inflammatories such as prednisone, ibuprofen, naproxen and the like. There are other medications that can be substituted for those if needed for pain relief in the interim that will not interfere with the platelet activity. Platelets and stem cells will remain viable and active for up to four weeks after injected so it is important not to take medication that will block their activity during the healing phase as well.

Regenerative medicine is quickly gaining acceptance as a valuable and highly effective treatment in Pain Management. I have been performing PRP and SC injections in my office for the past two years and the success rates have been exceptional. The risk of the treatment itself is minimal and because PRP and SC are autologous products (from your own body) they are completely safe and free from potential drug reaction side effects unlike other kinds of injections.