Now, take a look at items on your holiday to-do list that are not marked with a star, and schedule them in. Do you have a free evening next week in which you can write out your cards? Schedule it on your calendar! Do you have a free Saturday to get your shopping done? Schedule it on your calendar!

Step 3 - Make Dreaded Tasks Easier Take a look at all those tasks you marked with a star. These are tasks that you hate to do for one reason or another. Take a moment to look at each one, and figure out how to make that task a little easier or more bearable. If you hate writing cards because it's a tedious and boring task, you can make it easier on yourself by inviting a friend over to chat, catch up, and write out cards with you. Hate decorating? Perhaps you can buy a new CD you've been wanting and allow yourself to crank it up while you put up holiday decorations.

Investing just a small amount of time in planning can save you from undue stress and overwhelm during this holiday season.

A study in Archives of Disease in Children this month, shows that there is a difference in formation of "baby teeth" when a baby breast feeds or uses their thumb to suck or is given a pacifier during first 3 months of their life. The study took place in Italy with 1000 children aged 3-5 years old. It found that 1/3 of all children who used pacifiers or sucked their thumb had malocclussion, where teeth did not line up properly. 89% of  had an open bite, where front teeth do not meet. Whereas only 11% of those with an open bite were breast fed.

This study took place when children were 3-5 years old and based on information about how they were fed and use of pacifiers or thumbs. It also is based on 1st set of teeth - baby teeth. It is felt by researchers that pattern for teeth is set by how 1st set is treated.

Dr Bob's Take: although this may have quite a bit of significance for our children's future and their biting and chewing abilities I don't see many of us changing what we are doing or what we have done. But, you know orthodontists will continue to flourish.

Prescription Tablet Splitting

Some of you may have remembered articles in papers about 3 years ago when it was suggested by some health plans that members cut their tablets in half with some medications. Well in Florida a pharmacist has noted that with cholesterol lowering medication a savings of about $850 could be saved per year by splitting tablet. He goes on to say that this is one way to fight some of escalation in prices for medications. It was found that with patients of Veterans Affairs Dept there was a savings of $46 million when eligible patients split their Zocor.

Dr Bob's Take:  before you go and do this you first need to check with your doctor. Bring in a sample of medication so he/she can judge whether or not it would be wise to split tablet.

Grape Juice and Cholesterol

Yes, studies are in, grape juice does have a positive effect on raising HDL part of cholesterol. Dr Jane Freedman, associate professor of Pharmacology  at Boston University studied a group of 17 men and 3 women with a grant from Welch's. The participants were 63 years old on average and were 2 weeks on juice, off for 2 weeks than given a placebo (non-juice) for another 2 weeks.

The outcome showed that grape juice drinkers elevated their HDL on average from 45 to 50mg, about a 10% rise. This group also lowered a chemical in their system that shows presence of inflammation in blood vessels. It is felt that yes grape juice can work like red wine in humans. And for those who don't drink red wine there is an alternative.

With that good news I will close for this year and talk with you again next year.

Happy New Year everyone!