Health Notes

EARTH DAY EVENT . . . The Peninsula Conservation Center will host "Health Food to Hogwash, the Future of Organic Food Labeling," on Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. The event will be at the PCC, 3921 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto. For more information, call the Bay Area Environmental Forum at 968-7243.

HEALTH TALKS . . . The Stanford Health Improvement Program will host two talks in honor of Earth Day: "Chemicals that Interfere with Hormones: Implications for the Future," will be April 16 from noon to 1 p.m., at 730 Welch Road in room 214. Cost is $10; on April 21, from noon to 1 p.m. there will be a talk on "Bicycle Commuting," for a $5 fee in the Tressider Cypress Room.

MASTERING THE MOLD . . . Winter rains can bring the perfect moist environment for molds to grow. Anything that has been water-damaged, such as carpets, should be removed and cleaned. Other water-damaged surfaces can be cleaned with a solution of one cup bleach to 5 gallons of water. Palo Alto Medical Foundation Dr. Gary Fujimoto warns that when using bleach, never mix it with other cleaning solutions such as ammonia. Use gloves and eye protection and always ventilate the area you're cleaning.

BABY TALK . . . Three Palo Alto Medical Clinic doctors are on the advisory board for BabyCenter, a Web site for expectant and new parents (at www.babycenter.com). Drs. Richard Greene, Harry Dennis and Christie Coleman helped come up with the information for the site, which features a reference library of information on baby care, nutrition, parenting, and infant development. The site also has a baby name finder, the latest news, and an online baby store.

IF THE SHOE FITS . . . It's spring, and time to get outdoors for some exercise. If you are in the market for some new running shoes, take this advice. According to Gordon Matheson, chief of the division of sports medicine at Stanford University Medical Center, shoes come in two categories: one for people with high or normal arches, and one for those whose feet roll inward. A good athletic shoe salesperson can usually tell whether you're a high-arch person or a pronator. To find out for yourself, Matheson says, step on some sand or put your bare feet in water and make an imprint on a flat surface. Pronators will leave a nearly complete flat imprint. A high arch foot will leave an imprint on the heel and forefoot, leaving out the middle of the foot. A high-arched running shoe will be curved, somewhat like a banana. Pronators need a rigid bottom, or a shoe made on a straight board with a rigid, durable heel counter.

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