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“Here comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin' down the bunny trail Hippity hoppin', Easter's on its way”. That little “song” is running through my mind now, as I remember that most “children” young and old, are looking forward to the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. You remember how that goes don’t you? You dye all those eggs, and then hide them outside in the grass, bushes, behind trees and who knows where else. After the hunt is over you then eat the eggs you found, right? NO! WRONG! No Way! NADA! Zilch! Please Don’t Eat those eggs!!! Eggs like most other...
April is “Move More Month,” and the American Heart Association encourages all Americans to commit to being more active on a regular basis. One of the most important things you can do to improve your health is be physically active. Research shows being active can help boost your mood, improve your sleep, lower your risk of heart disease and some cancers, and help keep diabetes and high blood pressure under control. Focus on moving more in April by following these tips: How Much Activity In order to stay healthy, adults need a mix of aerobic and...
On your mark! Get set! Ready! -GO! The race is on! It’s countdown time … to TAX DAY!! However, what are you planning to do with your BIG REFUND? Here are some great suggestions from AmericaSaves that will help you get debt relief: PAY DOWN YOUR DEBT. Use your refund for some much needed debt relief. Pay off your credit card balance. If you have an outstanding balance on more than one credit card, try to pay off the smaller, high-interest rate balances first. That will free up more funds to put toward larger balances. Alternatively, you can appl...
Ah-choo! Although you may not be able to fully prevent a cold or flu this season, a healthy immune system is one way to give your body extra protection. Focusing on nutrient-rich foods and healthy lifestyle behaviors can help you and your family stay a step ahead of germs this season. Help protect yourself against infection and boost your immunity by including these nutrients by eating a variety of foods in your eating plan: Immune-Boosting Nutrients Beta Carotene is found in plant foods, such as sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, mango,...
This week, March 17th – 23rd is recognized as National Poison Prevention Week. It is the perfect time to raise awareness among families to reduce unintentional poisonings, and promote poison prevention in our corner of the world. We believe poisonings can be prevented 24/7, 365 days a year. Shockingly, 90% of all poisonings occur in the home, which is the one environment you'd think people had the most control over. Please, be sure to keep all products in their original, labeled containers, and read those labels prior to use. The main goal t...
Days are warmer! Birds are chirping! Flowers are blooming, and bees are buzzing! Spring is in the air – it’s the perfect time to - go green! No not green as in earth friendly (though that’s important too) but green as in adding more green fruits and vegetables to your diet – green grapes, green apples, honeydew melon, green peas, avocado, spinach, and asparagus. You get the picture! What can Green do for you? Green fruits and vegetables are full are loaded with important vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and folate,...
Spring is in the air and in celebration of the new season that’s coming here are some quick recipe ideas that include most of the food groups (fruit, vegetables, dairy, protein and grain). The foods you eat can make a big difference in your health and energy level. HAVE IT YOUR WAY PARFAIT You’re tired, there’s no one else to fix dinner for tonight and all you feel like doing is pouring a bowl of cereal. But, wait! Take an extra 5 minutes and prepare this luscious parfait, full of foods from three of the five food groups. No need to get out y...
Alabama ranks in the bottom three in the United States for breastfeeding initiation and continuation. Breastfeeding allows many health benefits for both a child and mother. To encourage more breastfeeding families, Alabama Extension’s Human Sciences unit has partnered with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Partnership for Children and also the Alabama Breastfeeding Committee to launch the Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Certification. Alabama Extension will lead the implementation of this initiative, which is available to a...
Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in America? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an American has a heart attack every 40 seconds. Fortunately, many risk factors are things we have control over — such as our food and lifestyle choices. Making nutritious food choices and working in physical activity throughout the day are two excellent ways to help keep your family's heart beating strong. Heart Healthy Foods Fiber is great for heart health because it can bind with bad cholesterol and r...
Next time you are off for an early morning jog or you need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, grab a handful of nuts on your way out the door. These tiny edible seeds have more nutritional value than you think. Nuts are very underrated as a food and provide many nutritional benefits. They are rich in protein, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and omega-3’s. Research shows that people who eat nuts tend to be leaner and may have a lower risk of many diseases compared to those who don’t eat nuts. However, nuts are high in calories and fat, but don...
February is often considered the month of love, with couples and family members sending heart emojis, heart-themed cards and heart-shaped chocolates. But what's a better gift to your loved ones than taking care of your heart? February is American Heart Health Month. And while you might first think of it as routine campaign — it’s becoming more important than ever. Cardiovascular or heart disease is the leading cause of death in women and men, with obesity and diabetes, which increase a persons' risk of heart attack and stroke, on the rise. Whi...
Who doesn’t enjoy drinking a warm cup of hot cocoa on a chilly day or night? Marie Heaton, a diabetic, likes to enjoy it as a late night snack before going to bed. When Marie, could no longer find her favorite instant cocoa mix in the grocery store, she got into the “detective mode”! She traveled to other grocery stores, did research, made phone calls and even tested recipes to try to find that particular delicious “taste” she had grown to love. Then she remembered that Peggy Bracken, former County Extension Agent for Home Economics, hosted a...
Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest day of the year for food consumption. Super Bowl parties feature food, fun, and more food – lots of finger foods, dips, beverages casseroles, and other snacks. Food-borne illnesses, better known as food poisoning affects one is six Americans each year. According to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 128, 000 Americans are hospitalized and 3,000 deaths occur each year from food-borne illnesses, so this year, kick off you Game Day party the food-safe way. When planning those finger foods, dips, and cas...
January is National Oatmeal Month. Oatmeal is a whole grain that can be a delicious, warm way to add whole grains to your eating patterns during the cold winter months. Oats are full of important nutrients like vitamins B and E, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. They contain beta-glucan, a special kind of fiber, found to be especially effective in lowering cholesterol and insoluble dietary fiber, which has anticancer properties and keeps our bowel clean. Best of all, oats, like most other whole grains, can help us maintain a healthy weight once...
Ring in a healthy new year by teaching kids the importance of food, nutrition and eating skills: food to fuel busy, successful lives; nutrition to nourish strong bodies and smart brains; and eating skills to enjoy the social aspect of meals with family and friends. As with any part of raising children, no one does a perfect job with nutrition. As a parent, grandparent or adult caregiver, you can help to raise healthy eaters during these critical years by doing your best to: Serve regular, balanced meals and snacks with a variety of...
Happy New Year! Do you usually make a New Year’s resolution? Millions of Americans make resolutions every January hoping to improve their health by losing weight, getting fit or eating healthy. Achieve your nutrition goals this year by making small changes to what you eat and drink. Find your healthy eating style! Everything you eat and drink over time matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and in the future. It is important to start with small changes to make healthier choices you can enjoy and maintain for a lifetime. In o...
Many of us received new and exciting “tech devices” for gifts during the Holiday Season. How very nice! Imagine a dinner table surrounded by a family of five in the 1950’s, 60’s or even the 90’s. It includes every family member sharing stories, life lessons and laughter. Now, think about a dinner table in this decade. Families now are spread out, less interested, and some if not all members are participating in activities through a media outlet. Things have really changed since I was a child. Media has changed our culture in significa...
‘Tis the season to be scammed! Fa la la la lalala la. Follow your money if you can-an. Fa la la la lalala la. Recently, an older friend of mine was almost scammed by the “nice voice” on the phone trying to gain her confidence in sending money to them! However, with the quick wit of some of her close friends she did not fall victim to their scheme. Thank goodness! Senior citizens grew up in an era when trusting and being trustworthy were normal behavior, and generally that trust was reciprocated. Unfortunately, because of this mind-set today, th...
When the holiday season is over you may find yourself saying: “Why did I spend all of that money? Why did I wait until the last minute to shop? I don’t even want to think about how long it will take to pay off the credit cards. I hope I didn’t take too much money out of the ATM. “Did I buy my mom the same gift twice?” “I should have had a plan” By following a few simple steps, you can end this post-holiday. Recognize Your Seasonal Stressors Does it seem like the holidays come earlier and earlier each year? How early does the holiday season star...
Let the Holiday Spirit Move You! The holiday season is almost here. Trying to balance holiday parties, shopping, baking, cleaning, entertaining and work may lead to some stressful times. What about eating healthy or physical activity? Finding time for fitness over the holidays may be hard because of the cooler weather and busy schedules. Including physical activity during the holiday season can help you prevent weight gain and release stress. Here are three tips to help you fit in fitness over the holiday season. SCHEDULE ACTIVITY INTO YOUR DAI...
It is officially that time of year where many of your friends and loved ones go missing for several hours at a time. There is nothing wrong; they are just sitting in the woods waiting to bring home the best buck (venison) of the year. Venison is known to have more protein than any other red meat, which means that it satisfies the appetite really well. Three ounces of lean beef contain, 247 calories and 15 grams of total fat. Three ounces of venison contain 134 calories and only 3 grams of total fat. It is rich in iron, which helps to prevent an...
It’s that time of the year! The holidays are upon us. A time when our thoughts turn to family, friends, celebrations, holiday feasts, and yes…leftovers! Holiday meal leftovers can be just as delectable as the original feast. The challenge is after dinner, guarding against “left-out leftovers”. It requires special attention to safe food handling. Even if you have followed all the food safety recommendation, the potential for food-borne illness can still exist. Bacteria that causes foodborne illnesses grow rapidly at room temperature and above....
The typical American may eat 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day with 3,000 calories consumed at the Thanksgiving meal alone. That’s more than two times the average recommended calorie load for a day! So many times, at Thanksgiving we see lists of tips on how to lighten up Thanksgiving foods. But, part of what many of us are thankful for is that traditional turkey and gravy, those homemade mashed potatoes, the stuffing and of course ... the pie! But ... with a little planning, you don’t have to feel guilty about that piece of pumpkin or pec...
What is the first food you think about eating when you go on a diet? Many people think about eating a salad because it is a low-calorie meal. Salads are usually a great high-nutrient, low-calorie meal to eat but adding some foods can make it a high-calorie meal. Keep Your Salads Healthy: Follow these tips to help keep your salads healthy and low calorie. Use darker greens, such as spinach, romaine, leaf lettuce and arugula, because they have a small amount of calories and a lot of nutrients. Use a light or fat free salad dressing and stay withi...
This time of year, people often ask me if there is a way to preserve their beautiful carved jack-o-lanterns, especially after putting in all their hard work. It’s true that jack-o-lanterns have a seemingly short life span. However, Dani Carroll, Alabama Extension home grounds agent in Calhoun County suggests a few things you can do to preserve your jack-o-lantern for a longer period of time. First, start with picking the correct pumpkin. Next, pick a pumpkin without any bacteria or mold that may be growing around the handle and has no soft s...
