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My good friend Julia’s granddaughter is a self-proclaimed vegetarian. Julia like many of you is helping to raise a vegetarian grade “schooler” or teen-ager. She is worried that her grandchild may not be getting the necessary nutrients in her diet. What should she do to ensure that her child gets the necessary nutrients? If you have a similar problem with your children or grands read the following article written by Shanta Retelny, who is a RDN, LDN with EatRight Organization. An organization made up of qualified Registered Dieticians Nutri...
Can You Pass This Food Safety Quiz? It’s Spring time! The weather is getting warmer and people have gotten more concerned about food safety issues. We have received several phone calls at the Extension office about safe food practices. There were some pretty good questions asked too! We are going to share the questions and answers with you. Answers are at the end. However, don’t skip ahead! 1. How long will food stored constantly at 0 degrees F remain safe? a) 1-2 years b) 5 years c) Indefinitely 2. What temperature is recommended for your ref...
Carbohydrates: Good or Bad for You? Are you sad that you can never eat bread, pasta or sugar again? If so, you are like most Americans who have read the recent warnings that carbohydrates cause weight gain and contribute to diabetes and heart disease. Low carb diets and cutting out carbs completely are widely thought of as ways to lose weight. But are carbs really all bad? Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates provide major health benefits and should be incorporated into your diet in moderation. While some carbohydrate-heavy foods like...
Are you a picky eater? Many children and even some adult fall into this category. Getting kids to eat new foods sounds simple enough ("just take one bite"). But parents and caretakers know that for many children, new foods — with their new appearances, smells, tastes, textures, temperatures and names — can be scary. How can you develop positive relationships with food instead of mealtime battles? Try these eight fun tips to lay a foundation for stress-free, adventurous eating habits before the first bite. Leverage Story Time Teach your kid...
Easter is right around the corner! Most “children” young and old alike 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! Please Don’t Eat those eggs!!! Eggs, like most other foods, especially animal products, should be handled carefully to avoid bacterial contamination. It’s really important to always wa...
Planning Some Spring Cleaning? A Check List for a Food-Safe Pantry and Refrigerator Spring has finally arrived! Yea! Now we feel like throwing back the cupboards, blankets, opening windows and letting some fresh air come in. It’s also a great time to plan a little spring cleaning in the kitchen area – around the pantry and the refrigerator (It can get pretty messy in there). The refrigerator and pantry are where most people store their food. But these storage areas may also be one of the less frequently cleaned places in your home, which cou...
If one of your goals this spring and summer is to eat healthier, then cutting down on the following foods is a great place to start. Processed foods, sauces, condiments and salad dressings can contain extra sodium/salt, sugar and fat. Snack foods like cookies, chips and other munchies are often high in calories and fat, and provide little nutritional value. To fuel your body with good nutrition, add these foods to your diet: Fresh fruits and veggies. Take advantage of the fresh produce this season has to offer and add more of these...
Wednesday, February 21st was the perfect day for celebrating FitFest’s 25th Silver Anniversary held recently at the Brewton Area YMCA. It was awesome and all of you who attended helped to make it a BIG SUCCESS! D. W. McMillan Memorial Hospital’s Home Health staff, the technicians from the Hospital’s Lab and Medical Equipment, Escambia County Extension System and Gamma Theta Chapter volunteers worked quickly and efficiently to register and provide health screenings for our guests in a timely manner. It was simply delightful to have Medic...
In today’s fast-paced society, stress is a common factor in a person’s daily life. Whether triggered internally or externally, stress can mentally and physically affect our bodies. Most people struggle finding ways to reduce stress in their lives. The simplest answer is exercise. Benefits of Exercise Exercise increases endorphins, feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain which increases a person’s overall mood while decreasing their stress. Stress is a response that urges the body into fight or flight mode, which causes a higher release of stre...
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...
It’s time! Time for FitFest 2018! You have saved the date, and it’s finally here! This year marks our 25th annual FitFest, our Silver Anniversary, and we are so EXCITED ABOUT IT! FitFest is a FREE health and fitness program for senior adults. The primary purpose of FitFest is to encourage individuals in the community and surrounding areas to become fully informed and pro-active about their health and to improve their lifestyles. Invite your sweetie, family members, good friends, church members and/or your coworkers to come with you! It wil...
Go red for women In association with the American Heart Association, we will celebrate National “Go Red for Women”. This is one way to support women’s heart health and fund life-saving cardiovascular research and education on Friday, February 2, 2018. See your Healthcare provider at least once a year and learn your numbers. They may save your life. Those numbers include: cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar and keep track of your weight. Knowing your numbers is one way to monitor your health and get yours...
Are you anxious to lose weight in a friendly competitive way? Well join us at our Scaleback Alabama Weigh-In site! The Escambia County Extension Office is a Scale Back Alabama Weigh-In Site once again! The Scale Back Alabama program officially kicks off on January 22nd and the Escambia County Extension office at 175 Ag Science Drive (right behind Southern Pine Electric Co-op) is an official weigh-in site again this year. Participants are welcome to stop by the Extension Office during weigh-in week, January 22nd-28th, anytime during business...
It’s January 2018, and that means many Americans are already several days into their New Year’s resolutions. However, it’s never too late to make changes toward a more productive year. Make Money Matter Save for the Holidays Why Now? As of January 1, there are 357 shopping days left until Christmas 2018. Teach kids about money Why now? Children as young as 9 or 10 can list the back-to-school items they want to buy and ther prices. Compare the total to what you are willing to spend. Establish a budget for the season and tell kids they can spend...
Each January, millions of Americans make resolutions to eat more healthfully and lose weight, but many lose steam along the way. If you have trouble keeping your resolutions or meeting your goals, make this the year, you create a solid plan that sets you up for success! Start by Assessing Your Food Choices and Lifestyle Keep track of what you eat and drink and how much physical activity you get so you can identify behaviors you would like to change. One Large Goal can Seem Overwhelming Break big goals into smaller, more specific goals, and...
During these cold winter days, nothing is more satisfying than a warm bowl of homemade soup. Try these two quick soup recipes that are sure to keep you warm and cozy this winter. The recipes are also Heart Healthy too! They are called: Quick Potato Soup • 3 cups skim milk • 1 cup instant potato flakes • 2 tablespoons corn-oil margarine • 1 tablespoon instant onion flakes • ¼ teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon celery seed • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper or to taste Directions Pour milk in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat. DO NOT BOIL. When mil...
We at the Escambia County Office of the Alabama Extension System hope you are having a beautiful, safe and happy Holiday Season. We hope to see you sometime soon in 2018! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates about 90 billion pounds of edible food goes uneaten each year in homes and away-from home eating-places. This is equal to 123 times the weight of the Empire State Building and costs consumers about $370 per person each year. WOW! That’s amazing! Here’s the breakdown from USDA on how much food is wasted from each food gro...
