Okay I will admit that the author is a good friend, but I highly recommend that anyone interested in learning more about the food they eat become acquainted with Louisa Kasdon’s Lets Talk About Food movement. Louisa, an accomplished writer, journalist and former food critic regularly posts information and recipes that are engaging, amusing and informative. While many of the posts will be most pertinent to those who reside in the Boston area, I have continued to follow and learn from her postings since moving to San Diego (https://www.facebook.com/LTAFood).

I only wish I could attend the screening of Fed Up, the documentary by Katie Couric and Laurie David (An Inconvenient Truth) at Kendall Square Cinema later on April 24th. If you do miss the screening it will be opening in theater’s on May 9th. The more you become informed, the more you will realize how important diet is to your current and future health. You will also learn that it can be fun, if not easy, to change old habits. Hat’s off to a job well done. As is the case with politics, this may be why we need more women in the food industry -- Rip Kinkel, MD

We have talked about devices that assist people with foot drop, but what do you do when your leg becomes so weak in the hip flexor or knee flexor muscles that you can not lift the leg well enough to bring it forward while walking or going up and down steps? Or if you fatigue so rapidly that you can not walk for more than a short distance?  One possible solution is the Hip Flexion Assist Device (HFAD) shown in this picture.

Essentially this is a strong weight lifting belt with two attached elastic bungee cords that attach to your shoe. Make sure you order the type with a horizontal connecting strap that goes behind the knee. The mechanical principle of the device is simple; extending the leg at the hip loads the bungee cord so that when you attempt to bring the leg forward, the cord contracts and helps lift the leg at the hip.

Now it may not be the most attractive contraption but it does work and is relatively cost effective. You will need a prescription from your doctor and some training on the use of the device by your physical therapist. If you are interested in learning more, go to the following site for information: http://www.beckerortho.com/AffiliatedCompanies/BTMRehab/Btmhfad.html