Does this sound like you?

·I keep every bill, receipt, or financial statement because, I don't know what I can safely toss.

·I can never find anything after I put it away.

·My spare bedroom, closets and basement are full of junk that I don't know how to tackle.

·I want less clutter, but I just can't figure out how to get organized.

You may need a "clear the clutter" strategy. Not only does clutter keep your home unorganized, it adds unneeded stress to your life. We all know how stress negatively affects our overall wellness. Never being able to find something you need, holding onto that funny hat you bought on vacation fifteen years ago, keeping the clothes you wore in high school even though you have three grandchildren, or refusing to throw it out because it was expensive when you bought it are all indicators that you probably need some help to get started.

University of Illinois Extension has a web site for all of us who struggle every day with how to get our lives more organized. Better than those television home organization shows, Dealing With Clutter offers clear and concise approaches to clearing clutter from your life. Find this information at:

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/clutter/.

The site provides guidance on how to get started, what papers need to be kept, how to store important documents, storage choices and even advice to help you determine the underlying factors that lead to one's inability to let go of things.

After you're all done clearing the clutter, you even have the opportunity to sit down at the computer you discovered under that mound of grocery store coupons and share your successes with others through the site.

Teresa Easterly-Adams

Health and Wellness Coordinator

It happens every 13 seconds in America–in our houses and apartment buildings, in our cars, supermarkets and playgrounds–wherever people gather. In the heat of an angry moment, otherwise rational parents commit acts of violence against their children. Sometimes parents use fists and sometimes they don't lift a finger, just their voice.

University of Illinois Extension would like you to join in the observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month during April. Extension has been active in providing educational support for parents of young children in a variety of ways. Publications such as Nibbles–fact sheets for parents of preschoolers, Connecting with Kids–a newsletter for parents of school-aged children, and Your Young Child brochures provide support and guidance to parents in their important role of nurturing and guiding their children. Your Young Child programs provide information to parents, educators and agencies on the seven most stressful stages of development during a child's first three years of life. To find out more about these publications and other parenting materials available through University of Illinois Extension, contact your local office at 217/877-6042.

Unlike most of the other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, ad New Year's Day was moved to January 1.

However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.

Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.

Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, 'Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"

Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from spaghetti trees.

April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!

Source–Wilson, Jerry. 2000-2001

April Fool's Day Available from

http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm

Accessed 8 March 2007

·However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him. – Nicholas Boileau-Despreaux

·[Politicians] never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge. – Thomas Reed

·He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks. – Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

·The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. – Herbert Spencer

·Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom. – Elizabeth Gaskell

·Looking foolish does the spirit good – John Updike

·Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed. – Mark Twain

·A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees. – William Blake

·A fool must now and then be right by chance. – Cowper

·It is better to be a fool than to be dead. – Stevenson

·The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. – Mark Twain

Source: http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm

Accessed 8 March 2007

·Wrap small candies or jelly beans in colored plastic wrap and hang from a "tree."

·Color code the egg hunt. Assign an egg color to each child–even the littlest or slowest egg hunters won't end up with an empty basket.

·Remember hard cooked eggs should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. And hard cooked eggs will not keep forever in the refrigerator–plan on using within 3 to 5 days after cooking.

·Maybe the best choice of eggs for egg hunts is plastic. They are fairly inexpensive, reusable, can be filled with treats if desired will stand up to hard treatment by excited children tossing them in baskets and are not a food safety hazard.

University of Illinois Extension

For many, spring is a time to decorate eggs for an egg hunt. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), there are a few tips to remember to ensure your egg hunt follows safe food handling principles.

If dyeing eggs, hard cook eggs first, then dye them and return the eggs to the refrigerator within 2 hours. If eggs are to be eaten, use a food-safe coloring. As with all foods persons dyeing the eggs should wash their hands before handling the eggs.

Some popular braided bread recipes use decorated and dyed eggs to enhance the braid design. As with all foods, persons dying the eggs should wash their hands before handling the eggs.

Blowing out eggshells is an annual tradition for many families. Because some raw eggs may contain Salmonella, use caution when blowing out the contents to hollow out the shell for decorating, such as for Ukrainian Easter eggs.

Use only eggs that have been kept refrigerated and are uncracked. To destroy bacteria that may be present on the surface of the egg, UDSDA/FSIS recommends washing the egg in hot water and then rinsing in a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach per half cup of water. After blowing out the egg, refrigerate the contents and use within 2 to 4 days, cook thoroughly before eating.

Hard cooked eggs for an egg hunt must be prepared with care to prevent cracking the shells. If the shells crack, bacteria could contaminate the inside. Eggs should be hidden in places that are protected from dirt, pets, and other sources of bacteria. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not exceed 2 hours. The "found" eggs must be put back into the refrigerator to store until eaten.

University of Illinois Extension

Egg Salad

6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1/3 cup pickle relish

2 T. low-fat salad dressing or

mayonnaise

1 T. prepared mustard

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Combine all of the ingredients. Mix well and chill. Use 1/3 cup of filling per sandwich. Makes 6 sandwiches.

Potato and Egg Casserole

4 cups cooked potatoes, diced

6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup low-fat milk

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/4 t. dill seed

Place potatoes and eggs in greased 2-quart casserole. Blend soup, milk and seasonings. Pour over potatoes and eggs. Top with cheese. Bake at 375° until hot and bubbly, about 55 minutes. 6 servings.

University of Illinois Extension

Geriatric Pets

"Old age is not a disease," says Dr. Karen Campbell, veterinarian and professor of small animal medicine at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital. "Old age is a stage of life which is accompanied by a slowing of all physiologic processes and a gradual loss of body functions and adaptability. "Dogs and cats are considered old after 8 to 12 years of age. Cats and small dogs generally live longer and age later than large dogs. Owners may notice a decline in activity level and mental alertness, hearing and/or sight loss and a loss of fastidiousness in excretory habits" as their pet ages.

"There are some predictable changes that accompany aging," said Dr. Campbell. Metabolic rate decreases and caloric needs decrease by 30 to 40 percent in the last one third of the life span. Body fat increases and lean body tissues decrease. Respiratory capacity and oxygen availability also decrease. All of these things limit the physical activity level of older pets. The body's ability to regulate its own temperature is decreased, and older animals will often seek warm places to rest. They are also more subject to intermittent sleep. Older pets may have increased blood pressure and increased cholesterol levels. Their immune system also becomes less responsive, and they are less able to ward off infection. The incidence and malignancy of tumors increases with age. The signs of age are more evident when the pet is in a poor nutritional state or when the level of stress is increased.

There are several things owners can do to keep their older pet in good condition. Providing a high-quality diet formulated for older pets will ensure balanced nutrition without extra calories. Moderate exercise helps maintain healthy hears and lungs and muscle tone. Proper diet and moderate exercise will also help keep off extra pounds that could contribute to other health problems. Older pets have become creatures of habit and enjoy predictable days. Stress can be prevented by not making changes in your pet's environment or daily schedule. If changes are necessary, make them gradually and maintain as much of the usual routine as possible.

Dr. Campbell emphasizes that aging is a gradual process. Sudden changes in an animal's condition, behavior, stamina, or appetite indicate a health problem and not simply aging. Daily grooming will help locate bumps, changes in the color or texture of the skin, and hair loss, which can indicate a problem. When describing any changes to their veterinarians, Dr. Campbell suggests owners note the character of the change, when it first appeared, and how it has changed over time since it was first noticed.

Finally, Dr. Campbell recommends regular checkups for older pets. A complete physical examination can detect many problems, such as with the heart or liver or lungs, in the early stages when treatment is most successful. Your veterinarian can offer options to help increase the length and quality of your pet's life.

University of Illinois Extension

Cleaning Vegetables

Question: I recently heard that filling your sink with water and putting your produce in the standing water is the best way to

clean it and ensure that any bacteria would be eliminated. Is this true?

Answer: According to the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE*), soaking your produce is risky business. Sinks

With standing water can harbor bacteria which can transfer to foods and make you sick. They advise "to properly clean

fresh fruits and vegetables, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten, rinse them under running tap water.

Rub firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean cloth towel or paper towel. Never use

detergent or bleach to wash fresh fruits or vegetables. Bleach and other cleaners are not intended for consumption.

* Note: The PFSE is a not-for-profit organization that unites industry associations, professional societies in food science,

nutrition and health, consumer groups, and the U.S. government to educate the public about safe food handling.

www.fightbac.org, the website of the PFSE, is a good resource for food safety and safe food handling information.

University of Illinois Extension

Food For Thought

* The nutrient lycopene has gotten lots of attention of late primarily because it may help prevent prostrate cancer. Tomatoes and

foods made from them are by far the main sources. Processed tomato products contain up to eight (8) times as much lycopene as

fresh tomatoes (heat makes the nutrient more usable by the body). However, do be careful of the sodium content in the various

processed tomato products.

* Adults in households with young children eat more fat than those with no kids–5 grams more total fat and 1.7 grams saturated fat

daily.

* On average, restaurant meals have about 60% more calories than meals made at home

University of Illinois Extension

Electric energy bills are expected to rise this year by anywhere from 25 percent in northern Illinois to 55 percent downstate. To make matters worse, a lot of money spent on heating and cooling will escape outside through inefficient windows, poor insulation, unsealed air ducts and leaky buildings, said Ted Funk, a University of Illinois Extension agricultural and biological engineer.

To reduce the hit that energy expenses take on your pocketbook, Funk suggested that homeowners begin by evaluating their home for energy efficiency–a task made much easier by online resources.

For example, the web offers a simple and effective do-it-yourself energy audit tool known as the Home Energy Saver, which is found at: http://hes.lbl.gov/. By plugging in your zip code and basic information about your home, this website will instantly tell you the average annual utility bill for homeowners in your area, plus the savings you can expect with energy-efficient upgrades.

For instance, the site will assess your heating and cooling equipment, attic and roof, ducts and pipes, foundation and floor, walls, doors and windows, major appliances and more.

In addition to the do-it-yourself approach, Funk said you can use a professional "energy rater" to do the job. To find the energy rater in your area, visit the Illinois Association of Energy Raters website at: http://www.ilenergyraters.org.

When it comes to evaluating your existing windows or selecting energy-efficient new windows, he said another great web resource is the Efficient Windows Collaborative at: www.efficientwindows.org. This site provides detailed information on what kind of energy savings you can expect with different glazing types, frame types, low-emittance (low-E) coatings and gas fills.

This site even includes a window selection tool, in which you plug in the closest city to your home and note whether you're looking at an existing home or new construction. With one click, Funk said, it then calculates estimated annual heating and cooling costs for every type of window and frame you can imagine.

The system will also show the three most important ratings for each window–the U-value, the visible transmittance (VT) rating and the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC).

The U-value measures the rate of non-solar heat loss or gain through the windows; the lower the number, the better its insulating ability. The VT rating measures how much light is transmitted through the window. And the SHGC measures the amount of solar heat transmitted through the window. A lower SHGC means less solar heat is transmitted and the window has more shading ability.

Finally, Funk encourages homeowners to check out the website of the Energy Star program, run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy: http://energystar.gov.

Energy Star, begun in 1992, is a voluntary program in which companies must meet certain energy-efficiency standards before their products can carry the Energy Star label. The Energy Star label is on major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics and more.

According to Funk, "I heard one person say, 'What's the use of looking for an Energy Star label because everybody's got an Energy Star?' But that's the point! The Energy Star program is meant to reduce the amount of energy use compared to an older baseline. We've made that leap and now we can move to the next step."

University of Illinois Extension

Mold can grow on your basement wall, shower door, or even in your refrigerator. If conditions are right, mold can grow Just about anywhere in your home. Mold spores in the air can cause illness, so reducing mold in the home is important for your health.

"Mold is a microscopic fungus that releases spores into the air," explains Lois Smith, University of Illinois Extension consumer and family economics educator. "The spores settle on surfaces and grow, sometimes producing a musty smell. Mold can appear as a discoloration of white, orange, green, brown, or black growth. Mildew is a common mold."

Conditions that support mold growth on various surfaces include warm temperatures of 77 to 86 degrees, moisture or high humidity, and oxygen. Molds thrive on organic materials such as cotton and wool fibers, paper, leather, and wood, or on surfaces that contain even tiny amounts of food, grease, or soil. Mold growth can deteriorate wood and clothing.

Typical problem areas for mold include the bathroom, laundry room, and basement since they are areas of high humidity. In the basement, condensation from an air conditioner or dehumidifier, leaky pipes, or water standing in sump pump areas can support mold growth. Shower walls in bathrooms are also common areas for mold.

If mold appears on walls or floors, first clean the surfaces with a detergent. Then mix a solution of 1/4 cup chlorine bleach (5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite) with 1 gallon of water to disinfect the area. Allow the solution to stay on the surface for 15 minutes before rinsing with clean water. Use a fan, dehumidifier, and air conditioner to dry the surface quickly. If the outdoor air is dry, a window an be opened to help promote drying. The chlorine/water solution will kill the mold. However, new mold growth will appear on the same surface if the conditions continue to be right for growth.

"To prevent mold growth, keep surfaces clean and dry," advises Smith. "In humid conditions, use a dehumidifier to dry the air and turn on fans to help with air circulation. Wipe down shower stalls after use and vent clothes dryers to the outside of the house. Seal cracks in basement walls to keep moisture out."

For more tips on preventing and eliminating mold in the home, contact your local U of I Extension Office or log onto the You and Your Family website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/SIfamily/. You'll find a free fact sheet on the website

. University of Illinois Extension

Supporting Moral Understanding in Young Children

How do you develop an understanding of morality in children? Most parents desire to teach their sons and daughters right from wrong; however, they might not know how or when to begin. Some may expect certain behavior from children before they are able to understand what to do.

While it is unlikely that 18-month-olds can consistently "know the good" and "choose the good," they do show remarkable concern for knowing about, doing and not doing "good." As children develop their language and reasoning skills, their ability to understand right and wrong, the feelings of others, and possible consequences of their behavior also increases. It is in these early years that the desire to help and to live up to the standards of others begins to develop.

Preschool children show a developing moral knowledge by being able to give reasons why rules should be binding. They can see that breaking such rules are wrong because they hurt others. They also realize that disorder is created when social rules are broken. Although young children "test" or question the rules by teasing, refusing to cooperate, or tattling, parents should remember that these annoying traits reflect an early understanding of family standards and prohibited actions.

When parents realize that young children possess emerging moral abilities, they can view these abilities as strengths in their children. This is the first step in nurturing and building moral skills.

Children need adults to set clear and appropriate standards for behavior. This helps them develop an early understanding of family rules and expectations in order to judge whether they are doing the "right" thing.

Parents should respond to children's improper behavior in appropriate ways. When rules are broken, it is best to deal with the problem immediately and directly. Teach children the reasons for the rules so they can understand why they are important. When the incident occurs, have the child think of ways to resist the same temptation or how to handle the problem better next time.

Hostile punishment and taking away parental love is not an effective tool for teaching moral understanding. Frequently, severely punished children will stop the behavior only temporarily until the adult leaves. Children tend to follow the instructions from people they admire and love, not those they fear or distrust.

Adults who teach good moral behavior by serving as positive examples themselves are the most successful in encouraging children to behave helpfully and generously toward others. Role modeling is especially important for younger children to view.

Parental warmth and consistency between what they say and do increases the child's willingness to imitate the behavior. Parents are also encouraged to explain why they are behaving in a certain way so children understand the reasons.

Ultimately, parents would like their children to choose to behave in moral ways. By nurturing moral understanding during the early years, parents can develop a strong foundation for this continuing process.

University of Illinois Extension

When children are raised by their grandparents or other relatives, it's often due to substance abuse by the child's parent or other reasons such as teenage pregnancy, illness, death, unemployment, divorce, incarceration or child abuse.

Dealing with a troubled adult child is very challenging, especially if the grandparent does not have legal custody of the children.

"Some of these distressed adults can be verbally, physically and emotionally abusive," says Milly Kaiser, University of Illinois Extension family life educator. "All too often, they are manipulative and use their children as pawns to extort money or shelter. Some may be in and out of their children's lives, causing continuous disruptions."

Grandparents may love their adult children but not their behavior when it disrupts the family's well-being. Grandparents often feel like they are on an emotional roller-coaster, holding onto the hope that their irresponsible adult child will assume the parental role one day.

"Grandparents may get angry and frustrated with their adult children for not taking on their parental responsibilities," says Kaiser. "And at the same time, these grandparents may feel guilt for thinking they did something wrong in raising their children. Sometimes, they feel guilty for thinking they would be better off if their adult children were not in the picture. All of these feelings are understandable."

Kaiser offers these suggestions to grandparents who are trying to cope with their challenging adult children:

Set rules and limits that will be firm and consistent. Enforce and follow through with consequences. If possible, a written contract with specific details that both parties read and sign can provide documentation if the rules are broken.

·Learn to say no to things that enable the adult child to continue negative behavior. Sometimes, giving a person numerous chances continues to feed the destructive behavior.

·Decide whether you need to cut off the relationship with the adult child if the rules are not followed. Severing the relationship is one of the hardest decisions to make. But sometimes it is the only option to ensure the well-being and safety of the grandchild.

·Look to supportive family and friends who are concerned for your well-being. Also consider joining a support group where grandparents gain some expertise when dealing with the issues.

·Seek out local resources and professional help.

University of Illinois Extension

Spring Weed Management and Mowing

Depending on the kinds of weeds in your lawn, spring weed management can be easily done.

Richard Hentschel reviewed some typical weed problems faced by homeowners and ways to address them.

"If your concern is annual crabgrass, then any of the commercially available crabgrass preventers will work well," he said. "Crabgrass is a warm-season annual. When you are applying a control product, you are applying a chemical that prevents the crabgrass – and other annual weed grasses – from germinating.

"Apply too early and the protection wears off before the crabgrass seeds stop germinating for the season and you end up with some crabgrass in your lawn."

If you are going to do any re-seeding or overseeding of bare or thinned areas, most crabgrass control products will also control your new seed, so avoid these products in those areas. Tupersan (chemical name Siduron) is one crabgrass-control product labeled for use at seeding time. Be sure to read the label of any product to be sure what you are applying.

"Broadleaf weeds provide an additional challenge to the homeowner," he said. "Not only do we have the weeds in our lawn in the spring, but they will also be germinating all summer, so even if we control them in the spring they will be back in the fall.

"A better way to control broadleaf weeds is to wait and do a late-summer application that will take care of those weeds from spring and any broadleaves that have germinated during the summer. A big benefit besides better weed management is that very little harm will come to your flowers, vegetables, groundcovers, shrubs, and trees when making those late-summer applications of broadleaf weed control materials."

The most troubling weeds can be those perennial grasses like tall fescue and quack grass.

"They behave just like our preferred lawn grasses and any material used to control either weed grass will control our lawn grasses," he noted. "These areas will need to be spot-treated and later you can reseed or sod."

At the same time you are thinking about weed control, remember mowing.

While you are waiting to mow for the first time, dig out the lawn mower and prepare it for the mowing season.

Drain and replace the old gas with fresh gas and put the old gas into the family car. Fresh gas ignites much better than old, stale gas and is greatly appreciated by those who have to pull start the mower.

If you did not change the crankcase oil last year, now is the time. Another item easily overlooked is the air filter. Make sure to clean and/or replace the air filter. A dirty air filter can cause hard starting and causes more air pollution from the mower engine during the summer.

If it has been a couple of years or more since the spark plug was changed, a fresh spark plug will definitely help you start the mower engine more easily.

Spring is also a good time to check out the underside of the mower deck. Pull the wire off the spark plug and remove the cutting blade to make easy access to the underside of the deck. Use a wire brush or putty knife to clean the caked grass and debris from underneath the deck. Have the blade sharpened.

"The last thing you can do is make sure the mower is sitting flat and that all the wheels are adjusted to the same point. Your lawn will always look better by setting the mower deck to cut the grass longer than shorter. A taller cut will leave the lawn looking greener, and you will avoid scalping those high spots.

A shorter lawn allows more sunlight to reach the soil surface, drying out the grass roots, and allows the germination of weed seeds. Your goal should be to remove no more than one-third of the grass blade at any mowing, no matter what the cutting height is. A clean deck, a sharp blade, along with a flat mowing deck will mean a much better looking lawn when you are done."

He added that lawns will have areas that grow sooner than others such as on the southern and western exposures. These should be mowed as soon as the grass is tall enough, even if the rest of the lawn is not ready. Freshly seeded areas should be mowed as soon as they are ready, too. The grass plants will begin to fill out as soon as you start to mow.

Lawns naturally green up and begin to grow without an application of fertilizer each spring. The goal should be to extend that spring greening without causing excessive growth.

You can wait to apply that spring fertilizer until after you have mowed the lawn two or three times. Using a combination weed-and-feed type of material can be a compromise between good weed control and causing early excessive growth. Consider making that crabgrass control application separately from your fertilizer application.

University of Illinois Extension

Risk Factors

High blood pressure has many risk factors. Some you can't control.

·Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you get older. Through early middle age, high blood pressure is more common in men. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after menopause.

·Race. High blood pressure is particularly common among blacks, often developing at an earlier age than it does in whites. Serious complications, such as stroke and heart attack, also are more common in blacks.

·Family history. High blood pressure tends to run in families.

Other risk factors for high blood pressure are within your control.

·Excess weight. The greater your body mass, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.

·Inactivity. People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction–and the stronger the force on your arteries. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight.

·Tobacco use. The chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls, which promotes narrowing of the arteries.

·Sodium intake. Too much sodium in your diet–especially if you have sodium sensitivity–can lead to fluid retention and increased blood pressure.

·Low potassium intake. Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in your cells. If you don't consume or retain enough potassium, you may accumulate too much sodium in your blood.

·Excessive alcohol. Over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart.

·Stress. High levels of stress can lead to a temporary, but dramatic increase in blood pressure. If you try to relax by eating more, using tobacco or drinking alcohol, you may only fuel problems with high blood pressure.

Certain chronic conditions also may increase your risk of high blood pressure, including high cholesterol, diabetes, kidney disease and sleep apnea. Sometimes pregnancy contributes to high blood pressure.

In a 2006 study, adults who worked more than 40 to 50 hours a week–particularly clerical and unskilled workers–were more likely to have high blood pressure than were those who worked 40 hours or less a week. Researchers tied the higher risk for workers with longer hours to unhealthy eating, less exercise, more stress and less sleep.

Although high blood pressure is most common in adults, children may be at risk, too. For some children, high blood pressure is caused by problems with the kidneys or heart. But for a growing number of kids, poor lifestyle habits–such as an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise–contribute to high blood pressure.

Source–www.mayoclinic.com

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines say that if alcohol is consumed, it should be in moderation. Moderate alcohol intake is

defined as no more than two drinks a day for a man, and one for a woman. Twelve ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1-1/2

ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits count as one drink. Why the difference in men and women?

·Women end up with a higher blood level of alcohol and thus become more intoxicated than men for the same amount of

alcohol. One reason: Women tend to be smaller and have proportionately more fatty tissue and less body water than men

the same size (alcohol is diluted in body water).

·Another reason: The stomach enzyme that breaks down alcohol before it reaches the bloodstream is less active in women.

This allows more alcohol to enter the blood.

·Thus, women are more likely to develop damage to the liver, heart muscle, and brain at lower levels of alcohol intake. Alcohol

may also put women at increased risk for osteoporosis and breast cancer.

·Though women are less likely than men to drive after drinking, they have a higher risk of having a fatal crash at a given blood

alcohol concentration. Studies suggest that alcohol has a greater effect on driving skills in women.

·Pregnant women who drink heavily risk having babies with fetal alcohol syndrome. No level of alcohol consumption during

pregnancy is known to be safe.

University of Illinois Extension

Snacking has become a way of life for both adults and children. A recent study reported that over 95 percent of the women and children in this country have at least one snack each day.

Many common snack foods are high in fat, sugar and sodium. If these foods are used for snacks frequently, they can affect our health.

Snacks can be good for us if we make good choices. Children especially may benefit from healthy snacks. They often cannot eat enough at three meals a day to satisfy their hunger and provide all of the nutrients they need. Snacks can provide the additional foods they need.

Snack Tips

·Plan snacks as a part of the day's food plan.

·Set aside a "snack spot" in the refrigerator and cupboard; keep it stocked with nutritious ready-to-eat snacks.

·Offer snacks at regular times, such as mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Don't let children nibble constantly during the day.

·When shopping, let children help pick out fruits, vegetables and cheeses; they will be more interested in eating them.

·Avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks, such as candy and soda pop.

·Snacks are a good way to introduce new foods. Include a game or activity to learn about the new food; let the child fix it.

·Plan snacks to help meet the suggested number of servings per day from the Food Guide Pyramid: 6 to 11 servings bread, cereal, rice and pasta: 2 to 4 servings fruits: 3 to 5 servings milk, cheese and yogurt: and 2 to 3 servings meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and dry beans.

·Never off food as a reward for good behavior.

University of Illinois Extension

By now, New Year's Resolutions are probably a faint memory. How well have you done with your resolutions to live a healthier, active lifestyle? Maybe you've tried one of the many fad diets to help get you on the right track. Maybe you've even had success with the diet you have chosen.

"You can lose weight on virtually any diet because eating less equals losing weight," says Jennifer Nance, registered dietitian and University of Illinois Extension educator. "But, can you maintain this weight loss over the long term? Did you choose a lifestyle that you are willing to maintain for the rest of your life?"

March was National Nutrition Month®, and it is still a good time to focus on the importance of making informed choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. For National Nutrition Month 2007, the American Dietetic Association said the most effective long-term way to achieve a healthful lifestyle is to be 100% Fad Free.

National Nutrition Month served up five key messages to help you enjoy a 100% Fad Free lifestyle:

·Develop an eating plan for lifelong health. Too often, people adopt the latest food fad or "quick fix" diet rather than focusing on overall health. Get back to basics and use the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid as your guide to healthy eating.

·Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture. A single food or meal won't make or break a healthful diet. When consumed in moderation and appropriate portions, all foods can fit into a healthful diet.

·Learn how to spot a food fad. A key feature of a fad diet is the unreasonable or exaggerated claim that eating (or not eating) specific foods, nutrient supplements or combinations of foods may cure disease or offer quick weight loss.

·Find your balance between food and physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness; it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

·Food and nutrition misinformation can have harmful effects on your health and well being, as well as your wallet. For reliable information, consult a registered dietitian. These professionals are uniquely qualified to communicate current and emerging science-based nutrition information, and they can help you develop a diet plan that meets your individual needs.

University of Illinois Extension

AHA Scientific Position

We recommend that healthy people get adequate nutrients by eating a variety of foods in moderation, rather than by taking supplements. An exception for omega-3 fatty acid supplements is explained below.

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) published by the National Research Council are the best available estimates of safe and adequate dietary intakes. Almost any nutrient can be potentially toxic if eaten in large quantities over a long time. Interactions between dietary supplements and prescription drugs and among several dietary supplements taken at the same time may occur. Too much iron can increase the risk of chronic disease, and too much vitamin A can cause birth defects.

There aren't sufficient data to suggest that healthy people benefit by taking certain vitamin or mineral supplements in excess of the RDAs. While some observational studies have suggested that lower rates of cardiovascular disease and/or lower risk factor levels result in populations who use vitamin or mineral supplements, it isn't clear if this is due to the supplements. For example, supplement users may be less overweight and more physically active.

Moreover, vitamin or mineral supplements aren't a substitute for a balanced, nutritious diet that limits excess calories, saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol. This dietary approach has been shown to reduce coronary heart disease risk in both healthy people and those with coronary disease.

What about antioxidant vitamins?

Many people are interested in antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E). This is due to suggestions from large observational studies comparing healthy adults consuming large amounts of these vitamins with those who didn't. However, these observations are subject to bias and don't prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Scientific evidence does not suggest that consuming antioxidant vitamins can eliminate the need to reduce blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol or stop smoking cigarettes. Clinical trials are under way to find out whether increased vitamin antioxidant intake may have an overall benefit. However, a recent large, placebo-controlled, randomized study failed to show any benefit from vitamin E on heart disease.

What about omega-3 fatty acid supplements?

Epidemiologic and clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Healthy people, people at high risk of CVD and patients with preexisting CVD all benefit. We recommend including omega-3 fatty acids in the diet mainly from fish and plant sources.

However, some people with high trigylcerides (blood fats) and patients with CVD may benefit from more omega-3 fatty acids than they can easily get from diet alone. These people should talk to their doctor about taking supplements to reduce heart disease risk.

University of Illinois Extension

Salad bars can be found everywhere–fast food dining, casual restaurants, and supermarkets. The greens and vegetables are healthy, but all the fatty extras can do you in. Maybe a warning sign should be posted "Beware of excess levels of calories, fat, and sodium before approaching."

While many people consider salad bars a healthy haven among traditional food options, they can often do more damage to your diet than a thoughtfully chosen entrée. Let's say you artfully line your jumbo plate with lettuce, then pile on macaroni salad, potato salad, tuna salad, grated cheese, nuts, croutons, and blue cheese dressing. Your "healthy" salad could easily tip the 1,000 calorie mark! You would be better off ordering a meal of baked salmon, steamed brown rice, and seasoned vegetables for about 400 calories.

The trick to navigating a salad bar is shying away from calorie-and-fat-laden choices in lieu of light, nutritious fare. Most creamy salads should be shunned as they are typically made with mayonnaise or sour cream. If you crave prepared salads to top your greens, go to vinegar-based choices. Some establishments label their lighter salads as low fat to help customers make better choices.

The next thing to watch out for is the fattening toppings, including grated cheese, bacon bits, and creamy salad dressings. You can add hundreds of calories when you spoon these items over your salad.

The next time you hit the salad bar for a light meal, pile on plenty of salad greens (the darker in color, the better for extra nutritional value). Select a variety of other fresh, colorful veggies. Look for simple legumes like garbanzo and kidney beans for healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, and add a lean protein choice such as grilled chicken chunks, or tuna without the mayonnaise. Lastly, add a splash of low-fat dressing, lemon juice, or olive oil. Now you have really made a healthy salad worth bragging about.

University of Illinois Extension

Hams can be a great main entrée at family spring dinners. Deciding on the type of ham can be challenging due to the many choices. According to Jananne Finck, University of Illinois Extension Nutrition and Wellness Educator, we can buy fresh, cook-before-eating, fully-cooked, picnic and country types.

Information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states ham means pork which comes from the hind leg of a hog. Ham made from the front leg of a hog will be labeled "pork shoulder picnic. "Turkey" Ham must e made from the thigh meat of turkey.

Hams may be fresh, cured or cured-and-smoked. Hams are either ready-to-eat or not. USDA states ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto and fully cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh hams and hams that are only trichina treated must be cooked by the consumer before eating; these hams will bear the safe handling label.

When buying a ham, estimate the size needed according to the number of servings the type of ham should yield. USDA recommends:

·1/4 to 1/3 lb. Per serving of boneless ham;

·1/3 to 1/2 lb. of meat per serving of ham with little bone;

·3/4 to 1 lb. of meat per serving of ham with large bone.

For more information on ham, visit the USDA website:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact Sheets/Ham/index.asp

University of Illinois Extension

Cooking ham properly results in safe and tasty meat that everyone enjoys. But we need to be sure the ham is cooked or reheated properly to achieve safe and delicious results. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a few key recommendations to reach these safety and quality goals.

USDA states both vacuum-packaged fully cooked and canned hams can be eaten cold, just as they come from their packaging. However, if you want to reheat these fully cooked hams, set the oven no lower than 325°F and heat to an internal temperature of 140°F as measured with a meat thermometer.

For fully cooked ham that has been repackaged in any location outside the plant or for leftover fully cooked ham, heat to 165°F.

Cook-before-eating hams must reach 160°F to be safely cooked before serving. Cook in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Ham can also be safely cooked in a microwave oven, other countertop appliances and on the stovetop. Check your cookbook for special methods and timing.

Country hams can be soaked 4 to 12 hours or longer in the refrigerator to reduce the salt content before cooking. Then they can be cooked by boiling or baking. Follow the manufacturer's cooking instructions.

For more information on cooking hams, contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm, Eastern Time, Monday through Fricay.

University of Illinois Extension

For some, serving lamb at family gatherings is a tradition. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests a few key points for safe food handling of lamb.

For safety, USDA recommends cooking lamb patties and ground lamb mixtures such as meat loaf to 160°F. Check the temperature by using a meat thermometer. However, whole muscle meats such as steaks and roast may be cooked to 145°F (medium rare), 160°F (medium), or 170°F (well done).

For leg of lamb with bone in, set the oven at 325°F, cooking a 5 to 7 pound roast for 25 to 30 minutes per pound to reach 160°F (medium). A 7 to 9 pound bone in leg of lamb is baked in a 325°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes per pound to reach 160°F (medium).

Again USDA and University of Illinois Extension recommend using a meat thermometer to check for safe cooking and doneness of lamb. For more information on Lamb, including more cooking charts for different cuts of lamb, visit the USDA website:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact Sheets/Lamb from Farm to Table/index.asp.

University of Illinois Extension

For some, serving lamb at family gatherings is a tradition. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests a few key points for safe food handling of lamb.

For safety, USDA recommends cooking lamb patties and ground lamb mixtures such as meat loaf to 160°F. Check the temperature by using a meat thermometer. However, whole muscle meats such as steaks and roast may be cooked to 145°F (medium rare), 160°F (medium), or 170°F (well done).

For leg of lamb with bone in, set the oven at 325°F, cooking a 5 to 7 pound roast for 25 to 30 minutes per pound to reach 160°F (medium). A 7 to 9 pound bone in leg of lamb is baked in a 325°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes per pound to reach 160°F (medium).

Again USDA and University of Illinois Extension recommend using a meat thermometer to check for safe cooking and doneness of lamb. For more information on Lamb, including more cooking charts for different cuts of lamb, visit the USDA website:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact Sheets/Lamb from Farm to Table/index.asp.

University of Illinois Extension

What could be more harmless than a bundle of firewood? Depending on where it came from, it could be a Trojan horse for emerald ash borers. "If we could get the word out to citizens and businesses not to take firewood out of quarantined areas, we could contain the infestation of the ash borer," said James Appleby, entomologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is currently against the law to transport firewood out of a quarantined area and offenders are saddled with hefty fines.

Appleby said that even though the pest has been in the news since it was first identified in ash trees near Detroit in 2002, there are still people who are unaware of the problem and inadvertently transport the pest to uninfested areas. "I talked with a homeowner in Michigan who had a number of dead ash trees on her property. She said that she had never heard of the ash borer and didn't know it was a problem." Appleby described an innocent scenario that may occur in which her friend or grandson from Illinois visits and she says, "I have plenty of firewood. Take as much as you want." The wood filled with ash borer larvae, gets thrown into the trunk of the car, destined for a new area. Adult beetles would emerge from the wood during May and June and infest a new neighborhood of unsuspecting ash trees.

The natural spread of an infestation is probably no more than a half mile per year. But over the years, it is the transportation of infested firewood into new locations that continues to bring in new infestations. Today the insect is commonly found in the southern half of Michigan with scattered infestations in northern Michigan, an area just east of Detroit, northwestern and several other locations in Ohio, northeastern Indiana and just north of Indianapolis, and in 2006 Illinois infestations were found in Cook and Kane counties.

Nurseries and businesses that sell trees are monitored and controlled," said Appleby. "But all it takes is one uninformed person to transport infested firewood to bring the pests into a new area."

The beetle may have been in the Detroit area for 10 to 12 years before it was even discovered there. Shortly afterward, federal and state agencies imposed a quarantine in the infested areas, which prohibited the movement of any ash trees, logs, or firewood out of the areas. Unfortunately, prior to the quarantine, infested firewood and some infested trees were already moved to other areas. Households having fireplaces use firewood and a common practice for campers and people who own cabins in outlying areas is to take firewood to their camps and cabins. So, unknowingly infested firewood was distributed to many areas and even to adjoining states.

Appleby says that the emerald ash borer joins a long list of exotic species that have become invasive–most have accidentally transported. "The emerald ash borer is native to China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and parts of Russia. We can only speculate that the beetle probably arrived in the larval stage inside wood crating material from China. Shortly after arriving, adult beetles emerged from the wood and flew to local ash trees infesting them."

Although Appleby says that woodpeckers are natural predators, they feed on larger larvae but by that time the larger larvae have already done extensive damage.

From studies in the state of Michigan it is known that the insect overwinters in the larval stage under the bark of ash trees. In April the larva changes into the inactive pupal stage and then beginning in early to mid May it changes into the adult stage. The adult beetle then chews a distinctive D-shaped exit hole, about an eighth of an inch in diameter, in the bark. The adult beetle flies to ash foliage where it feeds on the edges of the leaf. After feeding for about a week, the beetles will mate. Seven to ten days after mating, the female beetle is attracted to the upper branches of a living ash tree where she deposits eggs in bark crevices. The eggs hatch in about ten days. The larva bores into the bark and feeds just under the bark where it makes serpentine tunnels.

It is the feeding of the larval stage that is so destructive to the tree. The feeding causes a disruption in the tree's ability to transport nutrients and so as the number of tunnels continues to increase each year, the upper tree branches begin to die and kill the tree in three to five years.

To date, white, green, and black ash trees all appear to be susceptible to attack by the emerald ash borer. "In some urban areas ash may comprise as much as 20 percent of their ornamental trees. "In some Michigan communities where ash lined the streets on both sides, now only stumps remain and the residents have no shade," said Appleby. "We should learn never to plant all of one tree species in a given area but plant a diversity of tree species."

Appleby said that some communities are no longer planting ash trees. "This might be a good course to take, particularly in northeastern Illinois, but in other areas it might be too drastic not to include the planting of at least some ash. Time will tell whether or not we will be successful in limiting the spread of this very destructive ash insect."

University of Illinois Extension