by Ricki McWilliams | May 18, 2015
Beware of Hidden Dangers
We all know that taking safety measures, such as using car seats correctly or basic childproofing, for our children is important. But what about “hidden dangers?” One major hidden danger can be the family vehicle. As summertime approaches and the heat is upon us, the dangers of leaving a child in a vehicle can be just as deadly as being involved in a traffic accident.
What’s the Danger?
While abduction may be the first concern that comes to mind when a child is left unattended in a vehicle, another concern is temperature. Outside temperatures ranging from 80 – 90 degrees can translate to temperatures of 120-140 degrees inside a vehicle (even with a window cracked). At such increased temperatures, children are at risk for heat stroke, high fever, dehydration, seizures, stroke, and even death. Even on a milder day (70 degrees), the inside of your car can reach temperatures over 100 degrees. While there may be several reasons a child is left in the vehicle unattended, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports these as the top three:
- Infants and toddlers are simply forgotten in their car seat
- Toddlers or preschoolers sneak into the car to play and can’t get out
- Kids get trapped in the trunk
Heat Isn’t the Only Issue
The dangers of being left alone aren’t limited to a child overheating. Ever think about leaving the car running with the air conditioner on? Even if just for a few minutes, a child can be abducted, engage the transmission and drive off, get stuck in a power window, or press the power locks without knowing how to unlock the doors when you return. When wondering if it’s okay to leave you child in the car ~ just don’t do it.
Safety Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe:
- Don’t leave them in a car, which can quickly heat up, especially on a hot, sunny day
- Always lock your car and secure the keys so your kids can’t get to them
- Warn your kids about playing in the car by themselves without adult supervision
- Install a trunk release mechanism so they can’t get trapped in the trunk
- Get your kids out of the car first, and then worry about getting the groceries, etc., out of the car when you get home
- Make sure child care providers and day care workers have a plan to ensure kids aren’t left in the day care provider’s car or van
Deaths of children in hot cars*
- 2015: 2 (as of May 12, 2015)
- 2014: 30
- 2013: 43
- 2012: 34
- 2011: 33
- 2010: 49
Looking for a Child Passenger Safety Technician to complete a car seat check? Contact Ricki McWilliams, rickim@ufl.edu to find a technician in your area.
For more information on protecting children from other unintentional injuries click here.
Enjoy your summer and enjoy it safely!
*Source: Details are available at http://noheatstroke.org
by Ricki McWilliams | Apr 14, 2015
Spring has Sprung
Still trying to get past those winter blues? Get outside, enjoy the Spring weather, and do something active! Regardless of age or fitness level it is important to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine.
Some people might say they cannot be active due to lack of time however, fitting in physical activity can be simple and easy. As little as 10 minutes of activity at a time can provide healthful benefits. Being physically active can limit conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and risk of stroke (Physical Activity, 2015). There are many types of physical activity; aerobic, muscle strengthening, bone strengthening, and balance and stretching.
To make exercise easy, fun and beneficial just mix and match:
- take a 10 minute walk at lunch time
- walk the dog
- garden
- lift weights
- join an exercise group
- practice yoga
- jump rope
- swim
Make being active a family affair. Strengthen family bonds and improve quality of life through a variety of outdoor activities that provide exercise and entertainment. Outdoor family fun activities include but are not limited to: walking, hiking, swimming, running, bicycling, kayaking, canoeing, and tree climbing. The body is able to convert sunshine into vitamins and when physically active the body releases good endorphins improving mood/outlook. Good for the mind and body, outdoor activities can also increase awareness of the environment, as well as, be easy on the budget.
Click here for more tips on how to increase physical activity at home, work and play. Make being active a part of your daily routine.
Still feeling like there are barriers keeping you from being active? Read more here on overcoming common barriers to physical activity.
Resource:
Physical Activity. (2015). http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/why.html
by Heidi Copeland | Mar 24, 2015
On March 4, 2015 the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) unveiled a new Safer Choice label/logo, which makes it easier to find household cleaners and other home products that are safer, more environmentally friendly—and still get the job done!
Finding cleaning and other products that are safer for you, your family, and the environment should be easy. Products with the Safer Choice label help consumers and commercial buyers identify and select products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance.
Safer Choice labels can be found on laundry products, all-purpose cleaners, car care products, dishwashing products, tub and tile products as well as floor care products. Some of these products will also carry a “Fragrance-free” notation.
The Safer Choice standard, formerly known as DfE’s – Standard for Safer Products (or the “DfE Standard”) identifies that the products and their ingredients met the Safer Choice label/logo requirement.
Safer Choice used the technical expertise of its workgroup (EPA scientists, formulators and even environmentalists to identify ingredients with the lowest hazard profile). While many of us take cleaning products for granted most are a highly scientific formula of ingredients, each with its distinct functional properties. Take dish washing liquid for example. Many of these products contain surfactants that aid in cleaning by reducing surface tension, solvents that dissolve or suspend materials, and chelating agents that reduce water hardness. Without the use of these ingredients we would probably complain about the effectiveness of the product.
A Safer Choice product contains the safest possible ingredients. Each ingredient has been screened for negative synergies (dangerous chemical combinations), potential human health effects, and environmental effects– based on the best available data. Safer Choice products will use ingredients with the lowest hazard in their functional class while still be high-performing.
Only products who have become Safer Choice partners can earn the right to display the Safer Choice product label/logo. Products using the Safer Choice label/logo have invested heavily in research, development and reformulation to ensure that their ingredients and finished product align at the green end of the health and environmental spectrum, while maintaining product performance.
Please note, the use of the Safer Choice label/logo does not constitute endorsement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It does however, recognize the company using the Safer Choice label/logo has gone through rigorous screening and uses ingredients with more positive human health and environmental characteristics than conventional products of the same type.
For more information see:
http://www2.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-standard
Heidi Copeland
Extension Agent II
Have a question? Contact the University of Florida IFAS – Leon County Extension office at 606-5203, weekdays 8 a.m. to noon or 1 to 5 p.m.
University of Florida IFAS – Leon County Extension is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, gender, disability or national origin.
by Heidi Copeland | Mar 24, 2015
Spring cleaning of one’s home is a tradition dating back centuries that is tied to the vernal equinox – the first day of spring. At the spring equinox, days are approximately 12 hours long with day length increasing as the season progresses. In many cultures this longer, lighter, warmer day is often a cause for celebration! And who could even think about celebrating a longer, lovelier day without a clean home?
The kitchen is a great place to start! You can protect yourself by preventing the spread of germs where food is prepared. However, the terms clean, sanitize and disinfect are often used interchangeably which can cause confusion. Best practices based upon current research state that cleaning and sanitizing is multi-step process. And even though surfaces look visibly clean, they may still be contaminated with microorganisms (infectious fungi, bacteria and viruses).
Cleaning is the removal of dirt from food preparation surfaces. These can be counters, cutting boards, dishes knives, utensils pots and pans – even your refrigerator.
- Wash surface with soap and warm water
- Rinse with clean water
- Air dry or dry with a clean disposable towel
Sanitizing reduces germs on inanimate – nonliving surfaces.
- Wash surface with soap and warm water using appropriate cleaning agents and equipment. Detergents can penetrate soil quickly whereas solvent, acid or abrasive cleaners may be needed for deep cleaning. The friction of cleaning — often with soap and water — removes most surface germs, which is adequate for most household surfaces.
- Rinse with clean water
- Air dry or dry with a clean disposable towel
Disinfecting destroys or inactivates most germs on inanimate surfaces.
- Wash surface with soap and warm water
- Rinse with clean water
- Disinfecting is not appropriate in all cases. However, it’s a good idea to get in the routine of disinfecting countertops, door and cabinet handles, and sink and sink faucets as these places are used frequently- think where dirt and guck can collect!
- Air dry or dry with a clean disposable towel
Also remember to disinfect dishcloths – often. Launder dishcloths frequently using the hot water cycle of the washing machine. Be sure to dry cloths thoroughly. These items can harbor bacteria and when wet, promote bacterial growth. Also, consider using disposable towels to clean up surfaces.
And don’t forget your kitchen sink drain and disposal. Once or twice a week clean, sanitize and disinfect.
Bathroom surfaces can be of critical concern. Surfaces closest to the toilet bowl – seat, cistern and nearby walls and shelving are most affected. When cleaning and disinfecting bathroom surfaces it is important to understand fecal matter is especially a huge matter of concern!
Then there are our general housekeeping surfaces, floors, walls, and furniture, which are low–touch surfaces that require low-level of disinfections. Cleaning these surfaces frequently with a bit of detergent or a low-level disinfectant designed for general housekeeping can decrease the level of contamination. General procedures should be followed. Remove dirt form surfaces (dust, vacuum or sweep) sanitize or disinfect, allow surfaces to air dry.
Thorough cleaning of all surfaces is important to reduce the spread of pathogens. High-touch surfaces, surfaces that are handled frequently, throughout the day, by numerous people, need cleaning and disinfecting. These surfaces can include doorknobs, light switches, phones, keyboards etc. that can become contaminated by objects such an inadequately cleaned rag, sponges or even improperly washed hands.
Cleaning regularly prevents the build-up of materials that can carry pathogens and support their growth. Some pathogens, viruses especially, can have a long shelf life and can stay on surfaces if they are not properly cleaned, sanitized or disinfected.
Take a look at The University of Florida IFAS EDIS publication explaining the use of common household products to use effectively as sanitizers. Also remember, it is critical to read and follow the safety instructions on any product you use.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY128000.pdf
http://www2.epa.gov/saferchoice
Heidi Copeland Extension Agent II Family and Consumer Sciences
615 Paul Russell Road Tallahassee, FL 32301-7060 850/606-5203
by Angela Hinkle | Mar 13, 2015
UFOs in Your Freezer
Does your kitchen freezer resemble an archaeological dig in an iceberg? Do you ever see what you think is what you’re looking for in the very back? As you reach for it, half of everything else falls out onto your kitchen floor? UFOs (Unidentified Frozen Objects) end up everywhere. Your reaction may be something like, “*#@&!”
This may be a sign that it’s time to organize your freezer. “Are you kidding me? Who has time for that?,”’ you may ask. You might even roll your eyes.
Here are a few tips that may help:
- Clean it out and when in doubt, throw it out.
Start with the hardest part first – trust me, it gets much easier after you’ve completed this step. Go through all the contents of your freezer and throw out what is freezer-burned or otherwise unusable. If you really have no idea if it’s animal, mineral, or vegetable, or how long it’s been in your freezer, it’s time to toss.
If you’ll take a quick moment to label and date the food before you put it in the freezer, you’ll save your sanity later by avoiding guess work. (A friend told me she pulled the plastic tub of fundraiser cookie dough out of the freezer as a treat for her kids. What a surprise to be treated instead to vegetable stew.) Label using wax crayons, pencil, or marker pens on stickers or tape that can stay put in freezing temperatures. And yes, if you are so inclined, there are apps for labeling. By the way, the sniff test is usually useless, since most frozen foods won’t have much of an aroma.
- Freeze in useable portions.
Congratulations! You saved money buying the chicken in that family-sized pack. Keep food safe and manageable by individually wrapping pieces, then freezing in a large, labeled, plastic zip-type bag. Then you only take out the amount you want. You may lose more money than the original savings if you have to thaw out and possibly throw out a gigantic clump of chicken because you only wanted enough for two. Smaller packages also freeze and thaw faster, which saves you time.
Pancakes, berries, broths, meats, nuts, chilies and stews, flour, shrimp, and fish are good choices for freezing. These foods are structurally sound enough to survive the freezer. On the other hand, you’ll want to avoid freezing high-moisture fruits and vegetables like lettuce and watermelon, yogurt, and fried foods. Their textures and appearance tend to turn to, well, yuck.
- Choose the best containers.
We need air to breath, not to circulate around our frozen foods. Air circulating around frozen food can lead to freezer burn – which often makes the food dry and tough. Find containers close to the size of the food you want to freeze. Also, freezing food flat in plastic zipper bags makes them easy to stack.
Remembering to use these tips should help de-stress your life … at least a little. So the next time you’re asked, “What’s for dinner?,” your reply won’t have to be, “We’re having the UFO that fell on my foot.”
For more information on freezing foods, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office at http://directory.ifas.ufl.edu/Dir/searchdir?pageID=3&pl=05 and check out these UF/IFAS publications on freezing fruits, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY72000.pdf, and freezing vegetables, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY71900.pdf
by Marjorie Moore | Feb 11, 2015
Photo taken by: Marjorie Moore
February is heart month, a time to consider including foods in your diet that will benefit your heart. Much has been in the media during the last few years about the positive heart health benefits of blueberries, red wine and dark chocolate. According to research, the compounds responsible for the positive effects are called flavonoids, which occur naturally in food.
Flavonoids that promote heart health fall into six major categories. One category is flavonols and those are found in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables. This is another good reason to consume these foods. An example of a good food source for flavonols is one cup of kale, which contains 62 milligrams of flavonols.
Another category, anthocyanindins, gives fruits and vegetables their red, blue or purple color and protects the body from free radicals. To get the most benefit from anthocyanindins, it is best to consume fruits and vegetables in their raw or fresh state. One cup of fresh cranberries contain 101 milligrams of anthocyanindins. Cranberry sauce has a much lower amount of anthocyanindins.
To learn more about flavonols and anthocyanindins and the remaining four flavonoids, click on this link http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS24400.pdf
Source: Facts about Flavonoids, EDIS Publication FSHN14-04
