Lifestyle

Prairie Doc® Perspective: The key to boosting immunity

Prairie Doc® Perspective: The key to boosting immunity

Prairie Doc® Perspective: The key to boosting immunity

News Staff
Thursday, October 30, 2025
It’s hard to look at your television or social media and not see a headline about some “superfood,” supplement, or other product promising to “boost immunity.” And who doesn’t want to boost immunity, especially in a year in which measles outbreaks are becoming routine? Genuinely, there is one entity available to us that, more than any other fad, will help our immunity and protect us against infection: vaccines.
Prairie Doc Perspective: Midnight muscle cramps? Here’s what your body is telling you

Prairie Doc Perspective: Midnight muscle cramps? Here’s what your body is telling you

Prairie Doc Perspective: Midnight muscle cramps? Here’s what your body is telling you

Patti Berg-poppe
Friday, October 24, 2025
You’re asleep when suddenly your calf tightens into a painful knot. You swing your legs over the side of the bed and stand up, trying to stretch the muscle and waiting for the cramp to release. It passes after a minute or two, but the soreness often lingers. These types of nighttime leg cramps are common and often harmless, but disruptive.
Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.

Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.

Prairie Fare: This breast cancer quiz could save your life

News Staff
Friday, October 24, 2025
Every time I have a medical test, I feel some anxiety. “What if?” goes through my head until I can access the results in a letter or email.
Dakota Gardener: Creatures of the night

Dakota Gardener: Creatures of the night

Dakota Gardener: Creatures of the night

News Staff
Friday, October 24, 2025
I don’t usually get the typical creepy-crawly feeling when it comes to wildlife, excluding snakes and very large spiders. However, a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a creature I had not encountered in person. This small, furry creature was close to making me turn tail and run away…it was a bat.
Developed by North Dakota State University, the Spring Welcome magnolia tree is beautiful and has proven to be winter-hardy for the Dakotas. (NDSU photo)

Developed by North Dakota State University, the Spring Welcome magnolia tree is beautiful and has proven to be winter-hardy for the Dakotas. (NDSU photo)

Dakota Gardener: The steel magnolia for the Dakotas

Tom Kalb, Horticulturist, Ndsu Extension
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Magnolia trees are cherished for their showy, fragrant blossoms in early spring. Common in southern landscapes, magnolias are rarely grown in the Dakotas because their blossoms are sensitive to spring frosts.
Prairie Doc® Perspective: The what if’s

Prairie Doc® Perspective: The what if’s

Prairie Doc® Perspective: The what if’s

The What If’s By Debra Johnston, Md
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Let’s call her Sarah, although that wasn’t her name. I’d had the privilege of delivering her, and the fun of watching her grow into a precocious toddler, with an impish smile and a joyous laugh. Then I had the responsibility of explaining her autopsy report to her devastated parents.
Yellowjackets have smooth bodies with few hairs compared to bees. (Photo by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)

Yellowjackets have smooth bodies with few hairs compared to bees. (Photo by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)

Dakota Gardener: Not all yellow-striped insects are created equal

Esther E. Mcginnis, Horticulturist, Ndsu Extension
Thursday, October 2, 2025
As I ate my sandwich outdoors, a persistent yellow and black insect kept circling me. Getting closer and closer, it landed on my paper plate. I carefully shooed it away, hoping not to anger it. I have an innate fear of this insect, having been painfully stung years ago. This aggressive insect is a yellowjacket.
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