Winter Health and Safety

With temperatures getting dangerously low this winter, staying safe and healthy is very important. Staying indoors does not necessarily guarantee safety. Prepare your home and cars for power outages or emergencies with these tips.  Remember to also stay safe while participating in outdoor activities.

Prepare your home:

One of the most important things to do is to check your heating systems. Although many of us live in apartments and complexes maintained by a land lord, we should take initiative for our safety.

      ·          Check your Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector for working batteries. This detector

                will alert you when the deadly, odorless, colorless gas is present.

         o   Symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, nausea and disorientation.

·         Check or ask when the last time your heating system was checked. You want to make sure it is clean, working properly, and ventilating to the outside.

·         Check your smoke detector. Batteries should be tested monthly.

·         Have a safe alternate heating source and fuels available.

Be prepared to check on family and neighbors that may be at risk from cold weather hazards. Examples are young children, older adults, and the chronically ill. Bring your pets indoors if you can’t ensure they have a warm outdoor shelter and drinking water that won’t freeze. Although pets grow a winter coat, it may not be sufficient during severe weather conditions to keep them warm.

Prepare your car:

Make sure you have the right tools in case of an emergency; whether you are traveling far or just a short distance from home, being prepared can make a world of a difference.

      ·         Service your car regularly. Make sure you check your radiator, maintain antifreeze
              levels, check tire tread and replace tires if needed with all-weather/snow tires.
      ·         Keep your gas tank full to avoid ice in the fuel lines and tank.
      ·         Use the wintertime windshield washer formula.
      ·         Organize a winter emergency kit to keep in your trunk at all times in case you
               become stranded. Include:

         o   Blankets
         o   Food and Water
         o   Booster cables, flares, tire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter
                             (for traction)
         o   Compass and maps
         o   Flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries
         o   First-aid kit
         o   Plastic bags (for sanitation)

If you are planning on traveling by car, be sure to check the weather forecast and road conditions throughout your trip.

•   Avoid traveling during weather advisories.
•   Inform friends and family of the route you are planning to take and your expected time of arrival.
•  If you become stranded:

        o   Stay in your car unless safety is less than 100yards away
                           (the length of a swimming pool) but continue to move your arms and legs.

o   Put a bright cloth on your antenna to stay visible to other travelers.

§  You can also turn on the overhead light (when the engine is running) and raise the hood of the car once the snow has stopped falling.

o   Run the engine and heat for just 10minutes at a time every hour.

o   Open a downwind window slightly open.

o   Make sure the tailpipe is not blocked.

 

Power Outages and Weather-related emergencies

Just because you are indoors doesn’t guarantee you are safe. Prepare for long stretches of power outages by doing the following:

·        Stock up on food that does not need to be cooked or refrigerated.

·        Store water in clean containers.

·        Keep your emergency kit up to date with:

o   Battery operated devices (flashlight, weather radio, and lamps)

o   Extra batteries

o   First-aid kit and extra medicine

o   Baby items

o   Cat litter or sand for icy sidewalks.

Outdoor Activities:

Spending some time outdoors during the winter months is refreshing and fun. If you are spending time doing work, traveling, or participating in sports outdoors, prepare for possible exposure to safety hazards.

      ·         Wear layers of light, warm clothing (mittens, hats, scarves, and waterproof boots)

·         Sprinkle cat litter or sand on ice patches.

·         Be aware of the wind chill factor.

·         Work slowly when doing outdoor chores.

·         Take a buddy and an emergency kit when joining in outdoor recreation.

Carry a cell phone

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/WinterWeather/index.html  

 

 

Healthy Lunches- They will help you cut costs and improve your health.

Are most of your days spent on campus or at work? Do you choose the easy route and buy something at the food court or swing by the closest fast food joint spending as much as $10 for your meal? If the above apply to you than most likely you struggle with something most college students do, preparing unique and healthy lunches.

First of all, you want to make sure your lunch includes the basics, some lean or low-fat protein along with complex carbohydrates this will help sustain your energy until dinner. Connie Diekman, RD, president of the American Dietetic Association says "The combination of protein and fiber from whole grains, beans, nuts, vegetables and/or fruit will give you the most satisfying and nutritious combination of foods that will keep you feeling full until dinner."

 If you tend to have sandwiches often, have a variety of whole wheat or multi-grain products on hand like bread, pitas, and wraps. For your protein source choose things like sliced eggs, tuna fish, reduced-fat cheese or lean meats, all of which are pretty reasonably priced. Then top off your sandwich with lots of vegetables! Include assorted greens, fresh basil, sprouts, sliced cucumbers, onions, and/or tomatoes. In addition to your sandwich, always try to include a fruit like an apple, banana, or an orange which are easy to grab and go.

You don’t have to limit yourself to different sandwiches. This could also be a good time to focus on what you are making for dinner and make enough to have leftovers to take for lunch the next day. Cooking in bulk and making 2-3 different lunch options like chili, or rice and beans and freezing them in ready to go containers for the whole week will help you have options to choose from throughout the week and help you avoid eating fast food. Don’t forget to keep your water bottle filled and drink throughout the day. This will help you curb your appetite and stay hydrated.

Here are some suggestions for Healthy and cheap lunches:

10 Easy Lunch Ideas

American Dietetic Association spokesperson Angela Ginn-Meadow, RD, says planning ahead is essential for quick lunch assembly. "A planned menu with all the ingredients in the kitchen will make it easy to put together tomorrow's lunch after dinner," she says.

She compiled this grocery list for a week's worth of lunches costing $5 or less a day (assuming you already have salad dressings on hand):

• Whole wheat pita bread
• Romaine lettuce
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 bag baby carrots
• 1 bag of apples & oranges
• 1 can of light tuna in water
• 1 can of salmon (split for two meals)
• 1 prepared grilled chicken
• 3 cans of low-sodium, broth-based soup

With this list of foods, you can prepare: 

1.   1 pita with lettuce and grilled chicken with light Caesar dressing; baby carrots; and an apple.

 

2.   Salmon lettuce wraps with light sesame Asian dressing; 1 can of broth-based soup; and an orange.

 

3.   Tomato & cucumber salad with olive oil and vinegar; tuna salad on pita; baby carrots; and an apple.

4.   1 can of soup; and grilled chicken on a bed of romaine with sliced apple and light vinaigrette.

5.   Garden salad with salmon, tomato, cucumber, and baby carrots; an orange; and 1 can of soup.

 

Diekman offers 5 more cheap lunch options that are also simple to prepare:

6.   Whole-wheat tortilla wrap of hummus, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese and black olives; plus a carton of fat-free vanilla yogurt, and berries.

7.   Whole wheat pita stuffed with vegetarian re-fried beans, salsa, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese; and apple slices with peanut butter.

8.   A green salad loaded with canned chunk light tuna, carrot strips, pepper slices, tomato wedges, red beans, and dried cranberries topped with balsamic vinaigrette; with a cup of low fat chocolate milk.

9.    A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread; a piece of fresh fruit; and low fat yogurt.

10.   Whole-wheat tortilla roll with sliced turkey, sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese, red pepper strips, and lettuce leaf (chill and slice into bite size pieces); with fruit salad and a glass of skim milk.

 
sources:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/cheap-and-healthy-brown-bag-lunch-ideas-for-grownups

Is This the Year For the New You?

          At every New Year’s start 62% of Americans sit down and reflect on how far we have come in the past year, our accomplishments, our failures, and our dreams. Take a moment to reflect on your past New Year’s resolutions. Did you meet them? One of them? Or none? Of those that set goals 49% have infrequent success and 24% never succeed and fail each year. Why even bother making resolutions? Well it’s been shown that people who make explicit resolutions are 10 times more likely to reach their goal(s) by the end of the year!  

6 Components can help you write an attainable goal:

1.     Let’s be real: Write your goal based on your interests, abilities, needs, and desires. If you make a goal that is not in your areas of interest or you have no desire to accomplish, it’s probably not going to happen. Don’t make wishy washy goals; make them realistic.

2.     Believable & Possible: A dream is just a goal with a plan to get in motion. Believe that you can reach your goals and set a date you want to accomplish them by. Post them in an area you will see them daily!

3.     Measurable: You should be able to measure your goals progress. Make a time line of how much progress you would like to see by specific dates. This makes it easier to determine when you’ve reached your goal.

4.     Be Flexible: Goals are hard to accomplish especially if it is changing a specific behavior or creating a new habit. You will have conflicts at some point in your plan for reaching your goal. Allow some flexibility, it’s not the end of the world if you miss a day or two at the gym; there’s still another 5 days to have success. If more problems arise, reassess your plan so that you can feel confident in reaching your goal.

5.     Stay in Control: Set goals that you can determine yourself. For example, when, where, and how long you want them to last. They can be short term or long term. This is your opportunity to make yourself happier and healthier. No one should be setting your goals for you!

6.     Keep it Ethical: All of your goals and plans to reach them should in no way cause harm to others, take advantage of others, or compromise your values.

Now go out and make your life better. You can achieve your dreams!

Common Resolutions:

·        Lose Weight

·        Volunteer to Help Others

·        Get a Better Education

·        Get a Better Job

·        Save Money

·        Get Fit

·        Eat Healthy Food

·        Manage Stress

·        Manage Debt

 

·        Take a Trip

 

·        Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

 

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New-Years-Resolutions.shtml

http://web.ccsu.edu/fye/teachingresources/pdfs/goal%20setting.pdf

http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/