In This Issue

Easy Ways to 5 A Day

1. Have a Fruit/Juice at Breakfast Daily

Wake up to a cold glass of 100% orange, grapefruit, cranberry, or tomato juice.

Slice a banana, juicy peaches, strawberries, blueberries, or raisins into a bowl of cold cereal.

Sprinkle a handful of soft golden raisins or dried apricots and cranberries into a bowl of hot oatmeal with cinnamon.

Top pancakes or toaster waffles with frozen and fresh berries or canned fruit.

Sprinkle frozen (thawed) or fresh berries on low-fat, vanilla-flavored yogurt .

If you're on the run, grab an extra piece of fruit or a 100% fruit or vegetable juice box for when you do get the munchies later on.

2. Have Fruit/Vegetable Snack Daily

Mid-morning or afternoon, open up a bag of ready to eat, crunchy carrots, pack of cherry tomatoes, or snack on a big bunch of grapes.

Keep extra pieces of fresh fruit, ready to eat carrots or cherry tomatoes, or some of those individual servings of fruit for quick, between meal, energy pick-me-ups.

Sliced peaches, pineapple or pears are only a can opener away!

For a quick, handy snack, try dried dates, figs, prunes, raisins, apricots.

Refresh yourself with a glass of spicy vegetable juice on the rocks with a splash of lemon.

Getting 1 of your 5 is as easy as grabbing an individual serving of 100% juice instead of soda.

To boost your fruit and vegetable intake midday finish the leftover vegetables from dinner last night, along with your usual lunch meal.

3. Stock Up on Dried, Frozen, Canned Fruits/Vegetables

Stock up on dried, frozen, and canned varieties of fruits and vegetables so that they're available when the fresh run out. This works especially well for end-of-the-week lunches for school and work. Check supermarket ads for what's on special. When out of season, buy frozen or canned vegetables cheaper than fresh, just as nutritious!

Plain, frozen vegetables are often less expensive than those topped with butter and/or sauces and are also healthier choices.

Add chopped broccoli, carrots, or frozen mixed veggies to cooked rice or pasta. Serve hot or cold.

4. Make It Visible

Place cut and washed vegetables, like carrot and celery sticks and pepper rings, in see through, air tight containers or plastic bags on the top shelf of the refrigerator within easy reach of hungry nibblers.

Put cleaned fruits, like bananas, apples, and pears, on counter tops and tables so they're the first thing everyone sees.

5. Microwave Vegetables for Dinner

Heat up some split pea or vegetable soup.

Rinse a potato, yam, or sweet potato, pierce it with a fork and pop it into the microwave.

Prepare just about any vegetable fresh, frozen, or canned in the microwave. Stir or rotate a½ turn halfway through cooking. Stop cooking when barely tender and let stand 3-5 minutes to finish cooking.

Source: National Cancer Institute, online.

Don't Spread Those Germs Around!

Dish towels, cloths and sponges are a breeding ground for germs, so it's important to wash them often in hot water, detergent and liquid household bleach. In between washings you can disinfect dish cloths and sponges one of two ways: by soaking for 5 minutes in a solution of cup household bleach and 1 gallon warm water; or by placing damp dish cloths and sponges in the microwave oven and heating for 1 minute on high. I recommend you do this before and after cleaning counter tops, appliances, sink, cutting boards, dishes, etc.

Source: Environmental Health Newsletter, UCD; Keep it Clean Bricts.

Identity Theft - Eighteen Steps to Protection

If you think your identity is the one thing that can't be taken from you, think again. Identity theft, the taking and using of your good name, has become big business. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your credit record. Follow the steps below to start on the path to a more secure future.

1. Rip up any document with personal information, such as receipts, bank slips and credit card offers, before pitching it into the wastebasket. Better yet, put it through a shredder.

2. Limit the data lists you are on. Notify each of the three major credit reporting companies that you don't want your name sold to other marketers. This "opt out" notification will cut down partially, but not completely, on the mail you get offering new credit applications.

3. Sign up for the Direct Marketing Associates Mail Preference and the Telephone Preference Service. Your name is added to computerized name deletion lists used by the many nationwide marketers who are members.

Direct Marketing Association
Telephone Preference Service or Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735

4. Order your credit report by mail at least once a year from the three big credit reporting companies to monitor for changed addresses and fraudulent information, such as credit accounts you didn't open or credit inquiries you didn't initiate.

5. Order your Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement once a year to check for accuracy and possible fraud. You can do this by calling 1-800-772-1213.

6. Keep a list of all your credit cards, account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place (not in your wallet or purse) so you can quickly contact your creditors in case your cards have been stolen. Do the same with your bank accounts.

7. When creating a computer password, don't use common identifiers, such as your birthday or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

8. Don't have your driver's license or Social Security number printed on your personal checks.

9. Pay attention to your monthly billing statements. Bank, credit card, and phone bill statements are important protective tools to catch fraud. Look for anything that seems odd and question it right away. You need to be on top of your accounts more than ever. If you don't receive a statement on time, call to verify that an identity thief has not filed a change of address request in your name.

10. Don't leave bill payment envelopes at your mailbox for the postal carrier to pick up. Install a lock on your mailbox if you live in an area where mail theft has occurred.

11. Don't routinely carry your Social Security card, birth certificate, passport or more than one or two credit cards with you.

12. Never give out your credit card, bank account, or Social Security number over the telephone unless you placed the call and you have a trusted business relationship with the business or organization.

13. Have your name and address removed from the phone book and other directories.

14. Guard against overuse of your Social Security number. Release it only when necessary - for example, on tax forms and employment records, or for banking, stock and property transactions.

15. If you shop on the Internet, use a secure browser which encrypts or scrambles purchase information, or place your order by telephone or mail.

16. Shield the keypad when punching in your PIN at an ATM or when placing a calling card call. This helps protect against "shoulder surfers" learning your code.

17. When you fill out loan or credit applications find out how the company disposes of them. If you are not convinced that they store them in locked files and/or shred them, take your business elsewhere.

18. Store your canceled checks in a safe place. They could reveal a lot of information about you, including your account number, phone number, and driver's license number. Never permit your credit card number to be written onto your checks. It's a violation of California law and puts you at risk for fraud.

Source: Source: Today's Consumer, University of California Cooperative Extension, Riverside County, Winter 1998, Volume 18, No. 4.

Kitchen Thermometers Key to Food Safety

Controlling the temperature of food is an important key to food safety. Using kitchen thermometers is the only way to really know if your food is a safe temperature, whether it's in the refrigerator, freezer, or cooking in the oven, microwave or on the grill.

Until recently it was thought that color change could be used to assure food safety. Ground beef, however, can turn brown while cooking before it reaches a safe internal temperature. Hamburgers need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F to be safe, regardless of color (see Recommended Internal Temperatures).

Thermometers come in several shapes and styles (see thermometer chart). Most thermometers are accurate to 2 to 4 degrees F if placed correctly in food. In general, the thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food, away from fat, bone or gristle. If the meat you are cooking is an uneven shape, check the temperature in several locations. When cooking whole poultry, place the thermometer in the thigh. Thin foods are particularly tricky because most thermometers need to be inserted 2 inches or more into the food to get an accurate reading (see thermometer chart). Thin foods can be measured using a digital thermometer placed ½ inch in the food or by using a bimetal thermometer inserted sideways into the food.

In addition to the ones on the chart, refrigerator/freezer thermometers are used to maintain the proper temperature inside your refrigerator (no higher than 40 degrees F) and freezer (0 degrees F). Refrigerated foods held higher than 40 degrees should be tossed after 4 hours. Frozen foods held above 0 degrees F have a much shorter shelf life (one-week at 5 degrees F or above). Oven thermometers are used to make sure the oven is heating to a desired temperature. Oven and refrigerator/freezer thermometers should be left in the appliance and checked from time to time.

Source: Food Safety Educator, FSIS, USDA

Can't Pay Your Bills?

When bills stack up and there's not enough money to pay them, do not ignore them! Talk to your creditors as soon as the problem begins. Explain the facts and be frank about your future income prospects. Make a plan with each creditor and put the agreement in writing. Prioritize your creditors: housing, utilities, food, transportation and insurance usually come first. Discuss the problem with the members of your household. It is important that everyone cut out any unnecessary spending such as eating out or entertainment.

There are non-profit agencies that can also help. If you are unable to make satisfactory agreements with your creditors, non-profit agencies associated with the National Foundation for Consumer Credit can help. Two of these agencies are described below.