June

• 1 - 30 National Safety Month
• 1 - 30 National Dairy Month
• 1 - 30 Home Safety Month

When to Save and When to Throw Out

Can I use food that’s been in the refrigerator if the power goes? Can I refreeze food if the power was off? Here is a guide as to what you can keep and what to toss. Click here!

Medicare Part D

If you are eligible for Medicare, you qualify to enroll in Medicare Part D, the new prescription drug plan. For a person who has no drug coverage, Part D will typically save 50% off drug costs. The price of the monthly premium is dependent on what medications one currently takes. Even if participants do not take many medications now, the plan acts as insurance by protecting against potentially very high drug costs in the future.

Almost one third of all people with Medicare qualify for extra help to pay 85-100% of prescription drug costs. Their annual enrollment period is November 15 to December 31. Two Palm Beach County Extension Agents have been trained to help educate individuals about their Medicare Part D plan selection options. Please contact us (561) 233-1742 if you need help determining your options.

Source: www.medicare.gov

How to Stop Solicitors

Nearly three years ago, the Federal Government created the “Do Not Call Registry” to prevent unwanted telemarketing sales calls. You can register your home phone and cell phone numbers at http://donotcall.gov/ or call toll free 1-888-382-1222. Registration is free and is effective for a five year period.

Solicitors affected by the legislation are now required to stop the calls within 31 days of registration.  Businesses that violate the rule are subject to a fine of up to $11,000 per violation. Unfortunately, registration won't stop all telemarketer calls. Banks, phone companies, airlines, insurance companies, nonprofit charitable organizations, and politicians are not under the jurisdiction of the FTC, and won't be impacted by the registry. 

It is also possible to stop mailed solicitations for pre-approved offers of credit and insurance. Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com for details.

Source: www.ftc.gov & University of Missouri OFS Tip of the week 4/14/06

Preventing Accidents in the home

June is National Home Safety Month. Preventing accidents in the home is the job of every family member. Special care needs to be taken if young children are a part of the household. Here are some tips to help keep your family safe.

• Conduct routine safety checks in the home to prevent accidents e.g. make sure throw rugs are secure.
• Install child safety locks on cabinets if there are young children living in the home or visiting regularly.
• Keep medicines and potentially dangerous products out of reach of young children. Use child resistant caps, and never refer to medicine as candy.
• Keep all household products and cleaners in their original containers. If the labels become hard to read, re-label containers. Do not store cleaners in cups, soda bottles or any other containers which children associate with food.
• Pay attention to children while you’re using electrical appliances, sharp objects, power tools, or chemicals.
• Never leave young children unsupervised near or in a bathtub, swimming pool, hot tub, or any other container with water.
• Clean up spills as soon as they occur.
• Turn pot handles away from the outside edge of a stove and never leave sharp items e.g. knives where children can reach them.
• Keep the Poison Control Center number handy, 1-800-222-1222
• Be aware of cleaners and potentially poisonous substances that look like food e.g. pine sol and apple juice.

Staying Safe in the Sun

Starting late spring and during summer, many people like to spend time outside in the sun working or just having fun. Overexposure to the sun can cause problems so here are some precautions to take while you work and have fun in the sun.

• Always wear sunscreen with a Sun Protective Factor (SPF) of at least 15. Make sure the sunscreen is not outdated and that children are properly protected.
• Wear long-sleeved, light colored, loose fitting clothing except when working around machinery.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your head, face, and neck and sunglasses to protect your eyes.
• Seek shade whenever possible.
• Limit sun exposure during the hours of 10am and 4pm when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Rule of thumb: If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun is at its highest intensity. The American Academy of Dermatology has established the Shadow Rule: No Shadow – SEEK SHADE.

Sales Tax Holiday for Hurricane Preparedness is May 21 - June 1

The Florida State Legislature recently passed a bill to enact the second annual sales tax holiday to promote hurricane preparedness. Between May 21 and June 1 no sales tax will be charged on certain hurricane supplies. This year there are more items eligible for sales tax exemption, such as more expensive generators, carbon monoxide detectors, but plywood is not included on the list. According to House Bill 47 on www.flsenate.gov the items eligible for sales tax exemption are:

• flashlights selling for $20 or less
• portable self-powered radio, two-way radio, or weather band radio selling for $50 or less
• tarps or other flexible waterproof sheeting selling for $50 or less
• ground anchor system or tie-down kit selling for $50 or less
• gas or diesel fuel tank selling for $25 or less
• package of AAA-cell, AA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries, selling for $30 or less
• cell phone battery selling for $60 or less and any cell phone charger selling for $40 or less
• non-electric food storage cooler selling for $30 or less
• portable generator used to provide light or communications or preserve food in the event of a power outage selling for $1,000 or less
• storm shutter device, or materials and products manufactured, rated, and marketed specifically for the purpose of preventing window damage from storms, selling for $200 or less
• carbon monoxide detector selling for $75 or less
• blue ice selling for $10 or less

Hurricane season starts June 1. Being prepared for the storm will help us protect homes, reduce recovery efforts, and save lives. In addition to shopping for the hurricane season, it is also good idea to get together copies of important documents and records (proof of insurance, birth & marriage certificates, prescriptions, copies of deeds & wills, and account numbers) to be stored in a waterproof container. Go to University of Florida’s Disaster Handbook for more information on hurricane preparedness.

Healthy Snacks for Summer Time

Summer is here with warmer and longer days. Children are out of school, running and playing outside more often. To maintain their level of energy, parents need to establish or reinforce good eating habits. This is very important since according to the latest health statistics in the United States, close to two thirds of the population is obese. Parents and caregivers need be aware of this and teach children good eating habits from an early age.

Here are some suggestions for healthy snacks that are fun and easy to make:

• Cut raw vegetables or fruit into chunks, then skewer onto thin sticks. To prevent discoloration, dip apples, bananas, or pears in orange juice after cutting them.
• Cut celery, zucchini, cucumbers or carrots into sticks or coins shape, and then dip in prepared salsa or low fat dip.
• Peel banana, dip it in yogurt, then roll in crushed breakfast cereal and freeze.
• Put a half-cup low fat fruit yogurt and half-cup cold fruit juice in a non-breakable, covered container. Make sure the lid is on tight, then shake it up and pour.
• Make fruit shake- ups- mix half-cup cold milk with three tablespoons of instant pudding and your favorite fruit. Place in a covered container and shake well.
• Using cookie cutters with fun shapes cut slices of cheese, meat and whole grain bread. Assemble to make fun sandwiches.
• To use edges of the sandwich, spread a small amount of sweetened condensed milk, sprinkle with shredded coconut and bake for 5 minutes.
• Mix peanut butter and bran or corn flakes in a bowl. Shape into balls with clean hands, then roll them in crushed graham crackers.
• Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt between two oatmeal cookies or frozen waffles. Make a batch ahead and freeze.
• Fill celery with peanut butter or cream cheese and arrange raisins along the top for “ants on a log”.

To maintain a healthy weight a child should be encouraged to participate in active playing and eat a healthy diet. Skipping meals lead to overeating at other times of the day for this reason it is important to feed them healthy snacks. Stock up the pantry and your refrigerator with healthy foods. Children eat what you serve them. When they go to the refrigerator believe or not they they will eat what they see.

It is okay for kids to have ice cream, candy or other treats sometimes. Those treats are a learning opportunity about moderation and the importance of limiting portions.

• Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service
• National Health Observances
• Food and Health Calendar Months

Be Careful with Automatic Bill Payments

There has been a recent rise in the popularity of using automatic bill payments. Although the system is convenient for consumers, automatic bill payments can sometimes be difficult to stop. More...

June is National Dairy Month

Milk contains nine essential nutrients. It is the most complete food. It contains vitamins, minerals, proteins and other essential nutrients for human beings. When a nutrient is referred to as being essential, it means that the human body cannot produce it and we need to eat it for good health. Dairy products are the main source of calcium in the diet.

Researchers from the University of Tennessee have found that milk compounds augment the process of fat burning and slow down the process of making new fat. They were surprised to find the weight loss was mostly in the abdomen. Research is still being done. The United States Dietary Guidelines recommend individuals 9 years and older to drink three cups of milk a day to maintain an overall healthy diet.

Some quick and easy ways to add dairy to your meals:

• Milk: cold or hot, add to oatmeal, soups and puddings.
• Cheese: add to sandwiches, top any vegetable, or tortilla chips.
• Yogurt: add fruits, granola, make smoothies.

Water Safety Checklist for Kids

Summer will be here before too long, kids will be out of school and spending a considerable amount of time in or around water. Parents, you can help keep your children safe around water by teaching them to:

• Always swim with a buddy.
• Never run, push, or jump on others around water
• Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket when they’re in or near an open body of water, a boat, or when participating in water sports.
• Know that inflatable inner tubes and “water rings” are not safety devices.
• Swim.
• Swim only within designated safe areas of rivers, lakes, oceans.
• Never dive into a river, lake, ocean, or canal.

Source: National Safe Kids Campaign

Is it Safe to Eat Poultry?

If you are concerned about Avian Influenza or bird flu and how safe it is to eat poultry, the University of Florida released some information that might be of interest to you. Click here to learn more.

Discount Health Cards

Recently there has been an increase in discount health cards on the market. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has issued an alert to warn consumers of purchasing discount health cards.

Discount health cards are not insurance, but offer discounts on services fromdoctors and pharmacists that accept them.

Prior to buying a discount health card, it is imperative to do some research to determine the card's legitimacy. For more infomation on discount health cards, visit: