Holiday Treats and You

The holidays are fast approaching! The invitations to parties will be rolling in and the aroma of holiday goodies will fill the air. Unfortunately, it’s also the time of year when the average American gains about seven pounds. Here are some helpful hints to keep those extra calories from turning into extra, unwanted pounds.
• Holiday parties are filled with scrumptious appetizers and baked goods too good to deny. So, enjoy! The trick is to only have a taste. Limit yourself to one plate and don’t hover around the food table.
• Make a point to be at the opposite end of the room to avoid snacking as you socialize.
• Plan ahead to have a lighter lunch if you know you are going to be around tempting goodies. Beware though, and don’t go to the party hungry, either. Have a small snack before you go so you don’t ravage the table!
• Increase your activity to compensate for extra calories. Instead of circling the mall parking lot looking for a close spot, just park far out and walk. While in the mall, do some window-shopping before you get loaded down with packages. Also, make it a family activity to take an evening stroll to look at the decorated homes in your neighborhood. If you already participate in regular exercise increase your workout by 10 minutes.

Remember the holidays are a time to enjoy. Allow for those treats by planning ahead, increasing your activity and controlling your appetite.
Thanksgiving Feasts Without All the Fat
Sharing food with family and friends is a time-honored tradition at Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving Day “feast” is symbolic of giving thanks for prosperity. Being blessed with good health is a part of the Thanksgiving celebration. Here are some tips on enjoying the “feast” without eating too much fat:

• Don’t eat the turkey skin; more than half the fat in turkey is in the skin
• Use skim or low-fat milk in mashed potatoes
• Serve baked sweet potatoes instead of candied or mashed sweet potatoes
• In recipes, substitute two egg whites for each egg yolk
• Offer plain, steamed, green vegetables without a creamy sauce
• When making stock for gravy and stuffing, skim fat off the top; refrigerate the stock and the fat stays on the top and is easily removed.

And here are some more tips to help in the safe preparation of your holiday turkey:

Cooking:
• Properly thaw turkey under refrigeration several days before usage
• Do not stuff the turkey before cooking it; cook stuffing separately
• Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. without interruption; do not partially cook the turkey one day and continue the cooking process another day
• Minimize handling of cooked turkey to avoid cross contamination

Cooling:
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling cooked turkey (or any food)
• Rapidly cool cooked turkey (within four hours but preferably within two hours) by immersing double-bagged turkey meat in an ice bath and slicing turkey meat onto ice-cooled shallow pans; then refrigerate promptly at 45 degrees F. or less (rapid cooling of cooked products is the most important step in preventing outbreaks of foodborne illness from poultry)

Reheating:
• Rapidly reheat turkey meat in a conventional oven, convection oven, microwave or steamer oven to 165 degrees F. before serving
• Maintain a constant internal temperature of greater than 140 degrees F.
during service

Holiday Safety Tips 2002
Happy Holidays from the Safety Department, a division of Human Resources. We want everyone to have a happy and safe holiday season, so we encourage all Broward County Public Schools employees to follow these safety tips to ensure the safety of your classroom, office and home:

Fresh Trees:
• Choose a tree that’s not shedding needles
• Trim its trunk at an angle, at least one to two inches
• Water it daily
• Secure it in a large, deep, non-tip stand
• Remove it from your office/classroom by Friday December 20th, 2002

Artificial Trees:
• Make sure it has a flame retardant or flame resistive label
• Don’t put any electrical lights on metal trees

Trees and Decorations:
• Locate them away from all exits and sources of heat (minimum 3 foot clearance)
• Make sure all lights are labeled by a testing laboratory (i.e. UL, FM)
• Replace any worn light sets (those with splices and loose connections)
• Do not overload outlets and don’t use plastic adapters
• Do not use flexible cords or extension cords
• Use only approved multiple outlet extensions (those where the adapter is equipped with an integral over-current device that has a total rating of no more than 15 amperes)
• Do not use a metal ladder when working around electricity; use a wooden or fiberglass ladder
• Do not use candles or any open flames
• Unplug everything before you leave school/office each day
• Use only flame retardant or non-combustible materials for decorations
• Decorations cannot cover more than 20% of the wall space in the interior corridors
• Do not staple wires to any surface and use appropriate wire holders