Ten Reasons to Turn Off the TV

Do you feel pressed for time? Turn off the television to expand your schedule and boost your health. Consider this: If you watch TV three hours every night, that adds up to almost 1,100 hours each year? And that doesn't include extra viewing on weekends or during the day.

Does television viewing affect your health? Apparently so. Obesity is almost twice as common in people who watch three to four hours of TV daily as in those who watch less than one hour. This link or interaction may be explained by the decrease in activity and the high-fat snacking that often accompany TV watching. And obesity, high-fat foods and lack of exercise may all affect the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Now that you've found some free time, spend it with care. Choose activities that benefit your health or your enjoyment of life. Here are some ideas.

1. Exercise.

   Take a walk, try a new sport, or return to an old one. Is your TV viewing at a time of night when exercise would be difficult? Adjust your schedule so that the exercise comes earlier in the day, with activities usually in that block of time postponed to replace TV later on.

2. Enjoy a hobby.

   Or revive an old one. While many hobbies lack the physical benefits of exercise, they are often more completely relaxing than television watching or the snacking that often accompanies it.

3. Take a class.

   Or get a friend to teach you something you've always wanted to learn.

4. Do something "useful."

   If you have projects you have been waiting to work on, here's your chance. Just a short time several days each week can make that insurmountable task easy to accomplish.

5. Look for low-fat recipes.

   You can try a new one each week.

6. Plan a week's dinner or lunch menus.

   That just-before-dinner panic will vanish, healthy meals will be easier than ever, and time wasted on extra trips to the grocery store will be a thing of the past.

7. Get organized.

   Plan your garden, browse catalogs for holiday or birthday gift ideas, clean out a closet, or map out a job-hunting strategy.

8. Enjoy others.

   Invite a friend or family member to play cards or a board game, or telephone or write someone you care about. Research has found that positive social interaction plays a vital role in good health, and that television viewing usually does little to promote positive relationships.

9. Volunteer your time.

   Whatever your interests and skills, someone old or young needs you. In helping, you may gain as much satisfaction as those you help.

10. Enjoy life.

    Choose an activity that enhances the quality of your life. Listen to music or make your own. Play with your pet. Look through old photos and cherish your memories.

Tips for Time-Pressed Cooks

Does a hectic schedule leave you short on time and playing short order cook? Relax! You can enjoy healthful, homemade meals on even the most hectic nights. Just invest an hour or two in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon or prepare a larger quantity of a family favorite on a less-busy weeknight. The following tips will help you pull together delicious, nutritious entr‚es that are ready to serve from the fridge or freezer.

• You can freeze extras of everything from pasta and rice to casseroles and stews.
• When freezing combination dishes like casseroles, stews, soup or chili, be sure to use them within four to six weeks for best color, taste and texture.
• Prepare double quantities of pasta sauce and store for later use. It keeps up to three months in the freezer or one week in the refrigerator.
• When cooking rice, make extra and freeze in individual or family size portions for up to six months. To thaw and cook rice, microwave for one minute per cup of rice or reheat in a pan with a small amount of water.
• For cooking convenience, grate or chop foods like onions, peppers, nuts, cheese, dried fruits and citrus peel and keep in the freezer. Use in recipes or as tasty additions to re-heated dishes. If you are adding these foods at the end of cooking, be sure that they are thawed.

• Roast a whole chicken or prepare a number of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pair leftover chicken strips with chopped romaine, and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, croutons and bottled reduced fat Caesar salad dressing for a quick main dish salad.
• You can use leftover chili for many meals: ladle over baked potatoes; wrap in a whole wheat tortilla and microwave for a simple burrito; mix with pasta or rice for a savory casserole; or fill steamed bell peppers and top with a little grated cheddar.
• Lightly sauté or stir-fry a double batch of your favorite vegetables (peppers and eggplant always make a good combination). Refrigerate the extra portion for another night and serve with rice or pasta and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.

Pesticides and Cancer Risk

Although most pesticide worries are about plant foods, pesticides can also enter our diets through meat and dairy products. However, a 1996 report by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that both synthetic and naturally-occurring pesticides are consumed at such low levels that they pose little threat to human health. The report - which looked at data on more than 200 known carcinogens in food - stated that diets rich in calories, fat and alcohol pose far greater cancer risk in the United States than pesticides and other chemical residues.

Many other health authorities have also examined studies on the effects of pesticides in the diet. They include former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, the American Dietetic Association and the American Medical Association. Their findings support government recommendations, concluding that the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are more significant than any pesticide-related risks. In fact, dietary guidelines from most major health groups recommend eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to reduce the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease and many other serious, chronic illnesses.

There are some practical steps you can take to reduce your exposure to pesticide residues. AICR recommends:

• Rinse produce thoroughly in plain water, scrubbing the skin or peeling the outer leaves. Don't use detergents - they have not been tested for their effects on cancer risk or other aspects of human health.
• Eat a variety of foods. That way, if a certain item does contain pesticides, it's only a small part of your overall diet.
• Select produce that is free of dirt, cuts, insect holes and other signs of spoilage or contamination.
• When possible, choose produce that's in-season and locally grown.

So enjoy those spring greens and other nutritious fruits and vegetables. Study results from health authorities show these foods are a boon to your health, and simple measures taken at home should make them safer than ever.

How Much Car Can You Afford?

Deciding if you can afford a car, whether new, used, or leased, requires putting common sense above emotions. Most car dealers have little concern for your ability to afford a car. If you are unable to make the payments, they get the car and the money--while you get a bad credit record. If you are financing a car remember that excluding mortgage or rent payments, your credit payments (including car payments, credit cards and other loans) should not be more than 15 to 20 percent of your monthly take-home (net) pay. Total car expenses including payments, insurance, maintenance and operating costs should not exceed 25 percent of your net income per month.

Use the Calculating Car Costs sheet at the end of this article to figure out the true cost of owning a car. One cost not covered on the form is the cost of depreciation. Depreciation is the loss in value of the car due to the age and wear and tear on the car. It is the difference between what you paid for the car and how much you can sell the car for. A new car can lose between 13 and 31 percent of its value in the first year. The second year cars typically lose another 13 to 15 percent, followed by 11 to 12 percent in the third year. A $20,000 new car can be worth only $11,890 when it is two years old. Depreciation is the single greatest expense of owning a car.

What can you do about depreciation? Some cars hold their value better than others. Study consumer used car price guides to determine which cars have a higher expected resale value. Another option is to consider buying a used car. The rate of depreciation goes down as the car gets older.

Another costly car mistake is not knowing the terms of your car lease. When leasing a car, be sure to read and understand all of the terms of the lease. Many leases require the car owner to pay stiff penalties at the end of the lease, some amounting to thousands of dollars.

After your housing costs, car costs are the next largest expense for most people. Making good decisions about car purchases can contribute to your financial well-being.

Calculating Car Costs

Fill in the information below to determine your yearly and monthly costs of owning a car.

Special Programs for Women's Health

Women who care for others sometimes forget to take care of themselves. Annual Pap tests, breast examinations and mammograms are very important for women to take care of their health. Women who don't have health insurance, or who have high deductibles, can get help with free examinations through two programs: the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program (1-800-604-6789 or 221-6315) and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (685-2535 ask for Rhonda or Esther).

Another program is available to women who are diagnosed with breast cancer and do not have a way to pay for treatment. This program can cover the cost of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormone therapy. To find out more about this program contact the California Breast Cancer Treatment Fund Program at 221-6315.

These programs are not well known, so please share this important information with family and friends.

Iced Tea and Food Safety

As the weather warms up, so does our thirst for refreshing beverages. Iced tea is a summer time staple in many households. The Cincinnati Department of Health officials issued guidelines for preparing iced tea when they found that several brands of loose tea and tea bags contained harmful bacteria. They recommend that tea be steeped in boiling water (at least 175 degrees Fahrenheit) for about five minutes. Hot tap water or the sun is not sufficient to kill the bacteria. It is also recommended that iced tea be refrigerated or held at room temperature no more than eight hours.

New U.C. Cooperative Extension Web Page

Master Gardeners Available

Master Gardeners, trained by University of California Cooperative Extension, are available to answer your gardening questions. The volunteers are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. To reach them please call (209) 733-6401.