Feb. 8, 2013 Rabbi Berel Wein: Lofty ideals must be followed with grounded applications Clifford D. May: Letter from the West Bank Steve Rothaus: Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate Gloria Goodale: States consider drone bans: Overreaction or crucial for privacy rights? Environmental Nutrition Editors: Don't buy the aloe vera juice hype Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Harvard Experts: Regular exercise pumps up memory, too Erik Lacitis: Vanity plates: Some take too much license The Kosher Gourmet by Susie Middleton: Broccoflower, Carrot and Leek Ragout with Thyme, Orange and Tapenade is a delightful and satisfying melange of veggies, herbs and aromatics Feb. 6, 2013 Nara Schoenberg: The other in-law problem Frank J. Gaffney Jr. : A see-no-jihadist for the CIA Kristen Chick: Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran Roger Simon: Ed Koch's lucky corner Heron Marquez Estrada: Robot-building sports on a roll Patrick G. Dean, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: How to restore body's ability to secrete insulin Sharon Palmer, R.D.: 3 prostate-protecting diet tips The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen 7 principles for to help you make the best soup ever in a slow cooker Feb. 4, 2013 Jonathan Tobin: Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel? David Wren: Findings of government study, released 3 days before Newtown shooting, at odds with gun-control crusaders Kristen Chick: Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon: US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble David G. Savage: Supreme Court to hear case on arrests, DNA Harvard Health Letters: Neck and shoulder pain? Know what it means and what to do Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.: Eat your way to preventing age-related muscle loss The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Baked Pears in Red Wine and Port Wine Glaze: A festive winter dessert Feb. 1, 2013 Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: Redemption Clifford D. May Home, bloody, home Christa Case Bryant andNicholas Blanford Why despite Syria's allies warning of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, the threats are likely hollow Rick Armon, Ed Meyer and Phil Trexler Ex-police captain cleared by DNA test is freed after nearly 15 years Harvard Health Letters: Could it by your thyroid? Sharon Palmer, R.D.: When 'healthy food' isn't Sue Zeidler: Coke ad racist? Arab-American groups want to yank Super Bowl ad (INCLUDES VIDEO) The Kosher Gourmet by Nealey Dozier The secret of this soup is the garnish January 30, 2013 Allan Chernoff: Celebrating 'Back from the Dead Day' America isn't a religious country? Don't tell Superbowl fans! Mark Clayton Cybercrime takedown! Germany remembers Hitler rise to power Israel salutes U. N. --- with the one finger salute Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Get cookin' with heart-healthy fats Ballot riles Guinness World Records The Kosher Gourmet by Elizabeth Passarella Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin January 28, 2013 Nancy Youssef: And Democracy for all? Two years on, Egypt remains in state of chaos Fred Weir: Putin: West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback' Meredith Cohn: Implantable pain disk may help those with cancer Michael Craig Miller, M.D. : Ask the Harvard Experts: Are there drugs to help control binge eating? David Ovalle Use of controversial 'brain mapping' technology stymied Jane Stancill: Professor's logic class has 180,000 friends David Clark Scott Lego Racism? The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali The celebrated chef introduces us to PANZEROTTI PUGLIESI, cheese-stuffed pastry from Italy's south

Jewish World Review Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Awake at night? Here's one cause you may not have thought of By Michael Hogan, M.D. Info to confront your doctor with about disturbed sleep JewishWorldReview.com | DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was recently put on medication for high blood pressure. Does it matter what time I take it? I thought I was supposed to take it before I go to bed. But when I do, I'm up all night using the bathroom. Also, is this medication something I will have to take for life? ANSWER: It usually is not necessary to take your blood pressure medication at night, unless your doctor has told you to do so. Whether or not you have to take the medication for the rest of your life depends on a variety of factors. FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". In addition to INSPIRING stories, HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists regularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here. In some cases, lifestyle changes can lower or eliminate the need for blood pressure medication. What you eat and how much you exercise can help control blood pressure. Lowering the amount of salt in your diet and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains and low-fat dairy foods, can have a positive effect. Regular physical activity can also help lower blood pressure and keep your weight at a healthy level. Weight is a big factor in high blood pressure. Research has shown that, in people who are overweight, lowering one's weight by just 10 percent can lower blood pressure. Regarding the timing of when you take your medication, in the past many doctors did recommend taking blood pressure medication at night. That was based on the fact that heart attacks happen most often in the early morning. In theory, bringing blood pressure down during the night lowers the risk for a heart attack in the morning. The reality does not match up with that theory for several reasons. First, blood pressure naturally tends to drop during the night in people who do not have high blood pressure, as well as in most people who do. That means there's typically not a critical need for medication to lower blood pressure during the overnight hours. Second, today's blood pressure medications last quite a while. In many cases, they only need to be taken once every 24 hours. When you take the medications during those 24 hours should not matter, as long as you take them at the same time every day. Experiencing disturbed sleep when taking blood pressure medications before bedtime is a common issue. Diuretics are the most frequently prescribed blood pressure medications. They work by helping your kidneys get rid of extra salt and water. They are often quite effective in lowering blood pressure. But they can make you go to the bathroom more often, especially in the hours right after you take them. To avoid this problem, you may want to start taking your blood pressure medication in the morning. How long you will need to take blood pressure medication is hard to predict. Once they start taking medication to lower blood pressure, some people do continue to take it for the rest of their lives. However, there are steps you can take that may reduce your need for blood pressure medication. In addition to the diet and exercise changes mentioned above, if you choose to drink alcohol, limit the amount you drink. Women and anyone older than 65 should not have more than one alcoholic drink a day. Men younger than 65 should have no more than two drinks per day. Also, try to manage stress in healthy ways. Although stress by itself does not cause high blood pressure, having a lot of daily stress does make it more difficult to treat the condition. These self-care steps may help bring your blood pressure down. If that happens, you may be able to take less of your medications or eventually stop taking blood pressure medication completely. Talk to your doctor about making lifestyle changes that can help. Do not make any changes in your blood pressure medication until you talk to your doctor. -- Michael Hogan, M.D., Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz. Interested in a private Judaic studies instructor — for free? Let us know by clicking here. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. To comment, please click here. © 2013 MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.