FAMILY LIFE
Give presents that promote a healthy lifestyle. Keep health in mind when making your list and checking it twice.
Ask for or give “Gift of Time Coupons” for shoveling snow, cooking a healthy meal, cleaning the house, and doing other active household chores throughout the year.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Children’s Health
* Make half your grains whole. Choose whole-grain food, like whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, and brown rice more often.
* Vary your veggies. Go dark green and orange with your vegetables. Eat spinach, broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes.
* Focus on fruits. Eat them at meals. Eat them at snack times, too. Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits. Go easy on fruit juices.
* Go lean with protein. Eat lean or low-fat meat, chicken, turkey, and fish. Also, choose dry beans and peas more often. Add chick peas, nuts, or seeds to a salad. Add pinto beans to a burrito. Add kidney and/or other beans to soup.
* Get calcium-rich foods. Have low-fat and fat-free milks, yogurts, and cheeses. If you have soy milks and yogurts, choose ones with calcium. Have broccoli, kale and collard greens. Calcium helps to build strong bones.
* Change your oil. Get yours from fish, nuts, and liquid oils, like canola, corn, olive, and soybean. Avoid foods with trans fat. Read food labels.
* Don’t sugarcoat it. Choose foods and beverages that do not list sugar, corn syrup and other sugars as one of the first ingredients. Added sugars give calories, but have few, if any, nutrients.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
SELF-CARE CORNER
Follow this simple advice from the Home Safety Council and H2otStop to help reduce the risk of burn and scald injuries at home:
Bathing
* Set your water heater at 120ºF or just below the medium setting.
* Fill the bathtub. Run your hand through the water to test for hot spots. Then help children get in. When children are in or near the tub, watch them closely. Young children and older people have thin skin. They burn more quickly.
* Install special tub spouts and shower heads that prevent hot water burns. These can sense if the water gets hot enough to cause a burn and shut off the flow of water.
Cooking
* Wear long oven mitts to protect your skin when cooking or handling hot food.
* Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so children cannot pull them down. Use back burners when cooking. Keep children away from the stove when you are cooking. Put tape on the floor around the stove/oven to help children learn to stay out of the “no-kid-zone.”
* Food cooked in the microwave can get very hot and cause a burn. Use oven mitts when you take off the lid. Stir and test the food before serving to make sure it is cool enough to eat.
* Keep hot drinks away from the edge of tables and counters. Do not use tablecloths or placemats because young children can pull them down. Use a travel mug with a tight-fitting lid for all hot drinks. This can help prevent a burn if the cup tips over.
* Do not hold or carry a child while you have a hot drink in your hand. Put only cold drinks in the cup holder of your child’s stroller and child safety seat.
If a burn occurs:
* Cool it with running water. Do this right away.
* Keep the burned area in cool water for 3 minutes or longer. Do not put ice, butter, or lotion on the burn. This could make it worse.
* Call your doctor or 911 if the burn looks bad.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WELL-BEING
Follow this safety advice from the Overhead Door Corporation:
* Keep the garage door opener control button out of the reach of small children. And do not let children play with garage door remote controls.
* Never place fingers between door sections. Explain the dangers to children and consider pinch-resistant door panels.
* Consult the owner’s manual and learn how to use your garage door’s emergency release feature.
* Each month, inspect the springs, cables, rollers and pulleys for signs of wear. Do not try to remove, adjust or repair these parts or anything attached to them. These parts are under high tension and should only be fixed by a trained door technician.
* Test the reversing mechanism, monthly, too. Place a 2×4 board or a roll of paper towels in the door’s path. If the door does not reverse after contacting the object, call a qualified professional for repair. If the garage door opener has not been replaced since 1993, get a new one that has safety beams and an auto-reverse as standard features.
* Do not leave the garage door partially open. When activated again, it may travel downward and come in contact with an object in its path. This also compromises a home’s security.
* Never leave the remote control in the car when given to a parking attendant. A stolen remote leaves you more susceptible to home invasion. Always lock your car when left unattended. Store the remote out of sight.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
FAMILY LIFE
Chores are a part of daily life for families. And, the way they are divided can have a big impact on your family relationships. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that sharing household chores was among the top three things that make a marriage work.
This can be easier said than done in many households. Many families have to work outside the home, attend kids’ activities and deal with other demands every day. With all these things taking up time, chores may be an additional source of stress.
First, have a good talk
It’s easy to get angry or upset with someone for not doing enough chores.
But before you do this, stop and think. Did you clearly tell them when and how you wanted this chore done? Have they been busy with other activities?
Be kind and respectful when talking about chores; then you may find that the other person is more willing to take part. Try to look at things from their perspective. Perhaps they’ve been overwhelmed with other things or simply didn’t know that something needed to be done. Or, if you feel like you’ve been doing most of the work, ask if others can help take some things off your plate. Be specific with which chores you would like them to do and when.
Get the kids involved
Even small children can do chores. Toddlers can pick up toys and help make their beds. Preschool kids can help clean up spills, feed a pet and even take their laundry to the hamper. Older children may be able to wash dishes, and do laundry and fold clothes.
Younger children often do well with a chore list so they know what is expected of them. If they can’t read yet, use pictures and stickers.
Set aside a few minutes
One strategy that works for many families is finding just 10 or 15 minutes a day to do some basic chores. This can be anything that needs to be done. Examples include picking up and putting things away, cleaning a bathroom or running the vacuum. You can even set a timer so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming. Make it fun by turning on music while you clean. Or, make it a “race” with little ones: who can pick up their room first? When the time is up, everyone can feel good about helping out around the house.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WELL-BEING
As you enjoy the great outdoors, you may not see a bear, but you might encounter biting and stinging critters such as ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects.
Bring along your own make-at-home first aid kit that includes assorted bandages and basic medicines such as a 1 percent hydrocortisone anti-itch cream, suggests Dr. Janyce Sanford, an ER doctor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Use insect repellant with DEET. Include tweezers to remove ticks (the best way is to pull straight up in an easy motion). And if anyone is sensitive to bee or wasp stings, carry an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) when camping or hiking.
Find out who in your party knows CPR before you might need it. Carry emergency supplies of food and light, and make sure you practice common sense.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
WELL-BEING
More than 37,000 Americans are injured by power lawn mowers each year. Even a minor cut can become a problem if it gets infected. And, it’s possible to get severe injuries and even lose a toe if proper safety steps aren’t followed. Avoid getting hurt with these tips:
* Don’t mow when the grass is wet. Wet grass can be very slippery, leading to falls and injuries.
* Never mow barefoot. Wear heavy shoes or work boots when mowing.
* Don’t mow up and down hills. Mow them side to side to keep control of the mower.
* Keep children and pets away from running lawn mowers.
* Use a mower that turns off when you let go of the handle. Never pull the mower backward while it’s running.
* Keep the clippings bag attached to prevent injuries from flying sticks and other debris.
Source: American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
FAMILY LIFE
Marriage and relationships take lots of work. When a couple has a problem, they may wonder whether marriage therapy or couples counseling could help.
Counseling usually includes talk therapy. This means you talk to a professional counselor about your issues. But, therapy isn’t just about talking. Your counselor may help one or both partners address mental health problems that can interfere with the relationship. For example, issues such as depression or anxiety may need treatment. This can go hand-in-hand with the couples counseling.
When a couple goes to counseling, they can get “tools” to use in daily life that help them with their communications. For instance, therapy can give you new ways to look at challenges or problems. This can help you address issues before they become too big to handle. You may also learn ways to talk to each other so you can work out arguments in positive and constructive ways.
However, if the marriage involves physical or emotional abuse, couples counseling is not going to be the answer. Instead, the person who is abusing their partner should seek treatment for their problems. The victim of abuse should speak privately with their doctor about how they can get away from the abuse.
Help for resolving arguments
If you need to talk something out with your spouse, try these tips:
* Listen first. Rather than tell your side, calmly listen to what your partner has to say. When he or she is done, then take your turn to speak.
* Don’t interrupt, and don’t yell.
* Be honest, but don’t insult. Talk about the behavior or incident that upset you. For instance: “When you did X, I felt like you didn’t care about my feelings.” Avoid name-calling.
Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians, National Domestic Violence Hotline
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Children’s Health
Lice are small, wingless insects about the size of a sesame seed. Lice lay up to 3 to 5 eggs a day. The eggs are called “nits.” The nits hatch in 7 to 10 days. In another 7 to 10 days, a female louse matures and begins laying her own eggs.
Head lice is a common problem in children in day- care centers and schools. Head lice only affect humans. They thrive on human blood and can survive longer than 30 days. In general, head lice can’t survive longer than 24 hours off their human host. Lice can also infest areas of the body other than the scalp. This is called body lice. Lice on the hair around the groin is called pubic lice.
Signs & Symptoms
For Head Lice
* Nits can be seen on the hair. They are small yellowish-white, oval-shaped eggs that look like dandruff. Instead of flaking off the scalp, they stick firmly to the base of a hair shaft.
* Itching of the scalp is intense.
* Small, red bumps appear on the scalp and neck.
* When hatched, head lice are clear in color, so are hard to see.
Causes
Head lice does not imply poor hygiene. It is caused by the spread of the insects through direct contact of the hair or head with someone who has head lice. Sharing hats, towels, combs, helmets, etc. with an infected person can spread lice. Using pillows, head rests, etc. that an infected person used may also spread lice. Head lice don’t fly or jump, so can’t be spread through the air.
Treatment
Ask your child’s doctor about safe and nontoxic methods to treat lice. He or she may advise using an over-the-counter or prescribed medicine. Use the product as directed.
Questions to Ask
Self-Care / Prevention
Check everyone in your home for lice and nits. Treat only those who have lice. Lice-killing products won’t prevent lice.
* Use an over-the-counter shampoo, lotion, or cream made to get rid of lice and nits. Follow the directions on the package.
* Wear plastic or latex gloves. Don’t use too much shampoo. Doing this will make the child’s head too dry.
Things to Tell Your Child
* Don’t share hats, brushes, or combs. If you must share helmets, wipe them with a damp towel and wear a baseball cap under the helmet.
* Don’t lie on a pillow that another child uses.
* Wash your hair and bathe often.
To Remove the Nits
* Shine a flashlight on the hair roots. Nits are gray and hard to see, especially in blond hair.
* Start at one spot and go row by row or even strand by strand. Use the nit comb that comes in the package. Dip the comb in vinegar first. This will help loosen the nits.
* Comb the hair from the roots to the ends. Check the comb for nits after each pass, or, break the hair up into 4 or 5 sections with hair clips. Lift about an inch of hair up and out. Put the comb against your child’s head. Comb all the way to the tips of the hair. Keep going until you’ve done the whole head.
* Soak all combs, brushes, hair clips, and barrettes for 1 to 2 hours in the insecticidal shampoo. Or, soak them for 1 hour in soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or Lysol.
* Check for nits every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks until all lice and nits are gone.
* A week to 9 days later, use the shampoo for lice again to kill any newly hatched nits. You don’t have to remove nits after treatment is finished except for cosmetic reasons.
Other Things You Should Do
* Vacuum all mattresses, pillows, rugs, and furniture made of cloth, especially where children play. Use the long, thin attachment to suck the lice or nits out of car seats, toys, etc. Put the vacuum cleaner bags outside in the trash.
* Wash bedding and clothes right away in water 130ºF or hotter. Put them in the dryer on high for 30 minutes. Heat kills the lice and nits. Dry-clean clothes and hats that you can’t wash.
* Don’t use bug spray on lice, furniture, stuffed animals, etc.
* As soon as you know your child has lice, call your child’s school, child-care center, parents of your child’s friends, etc.
* Check your children for head lice and nits once a week. Check more often if your child scratches his or her head. Look for nits behind the ears and on the back of the neck. Spread hairs apart using a nit comb to look for the nits on the hair shafts.
Resources
National Pediculosis Association
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
FAMILY LIFE
Stress, anxiety, and burnout are never far from the doorsteps of millions of Americans who are caregivers as they often juggle the responsibilities of providing daily care for a loved one with dementia or another condition with the added demands of working, maintaining a household, or raising children.
Too often caregivers don’t know how to ask for help, and friends and family members aren’t sure of how to lend a hand.
“Caregivers will say ‘no’ when offered help because they worry it will reflect poorly on them or because they ‘don’t want to bother’ others. And some caregivers get so attached to their role that they just can’t let go,” said Nancy Alterman, a licensed clinical social worker with the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.
If you know a family member or close friend who is a caregiver, Alterman offers the following suggestions to help ease that person’s burden.
* Be sensitive about visiting by calling ahead to schedule a time that is convenient. But if the caregiver routinely declines offers of a visit, you may need to just show up with special foods or an easy activity like a puzzle.
* Avoid bringing a crowd, but visiting with at least one other person gives the caregiver a chance to go out with a friend, knowing that another trusted person is there for the patient’s needs.
* Instead of asking, “What can I do?” offer to grocery shop, go to the post office, do laundry or cook a meal that you can bring over.
* Be a good listener. Whether in person or by phone, sometimes just having a contact to the outside world is all the caregiver needs to help cope with that day’s burden.
* Be alert for signs of caregiver stress, such as denial, social withdrawal, sleeplessness, or lack of concentration.
* Offer to spend the night so the caregiver can get some rest. Lack of sleep can quickly lead to a deteriorating situation or a health crisis. Make sure the caregiver and the patient are discussing any sleep issues with their doctors.
* Research adult medical day services in your community and share that information with the caregiver. These medically supervised programs can actually help extend the time that the patient can remain at home.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine