Read this news article before cutting gluten or meat from your diet

What You Should Know Before Restricting Food Groups -- 

Talk to your doctor before you cut out meat,dairy or gluten.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/05/26/what-you-should-know-before-restricting-food-groups

 

Blueberry and strawberry pigments (anthocyanins) may be heart healthy

The pigments in berries may protect the heart.

Blueberries and strawberries may protect the heart, thanks to naturally occurring red, blue, or purple pigments called anthocyanins.

http://www.nutritionaction.com/daily/heart-and-disease-cat/berry-good/?mqsc=E3793852&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Nutrition_Action_Daily_Tips+Nutrition%20Action%20Daily&utm_campaign=2015.4.10%20Daily%20Tip%20Berry%20Good

Tips for Keeping Eggs Safe

The Daily Tip from Nutrition Action Health Letter provides a few timely tips for those leftover Easter eggs!
 http://reply.nutritionaction.com/dm?id=C6B8B2E2F4CF65369F143DF5E2B128E3DA1BFD002405CC5B

Holiday Food Safety simplified

food safety tips for your holiday

This will make you look at your kitchen all together different! And you will need a little time to do some cleantogs.extension.iastate.edu/wellness/2014/11/19/whats-in-your-kitchen/

2014 Ward County Pecan Show

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will hold its Annual County Pecan Show on November 25^th at the Ward County Courthouse. The 2013 show will offer contests in three divisions: Pecan Judging, Food Division and Craft Division.

The Pecan Division is open to all Ward County residents who have Pecan Trees. Each entry must contain 45 nuts of one variety and all nuts must be in their natural state (no polishing or sanding) with no alteration. Participants may enter only one entry per variety, but can enter as many varieties as they wish. All entries must be submitted to the Ward County Extension Office (located at 3600 S. Stockton) by 5 PM on November 24^th. Judging will take place on the 26^th at 2 PM in the Courthouse. All Pecan entries become the property of the show.

The Food Division will consist of 6 categories: Breads, Cakes, Candies, Cookies, Pies and Miscellaneous. All Food Division entries must be brought in a covered, disposable container, accompanied by a complete recipe to the courthouse from 2 to 3 PM on the 25th. Judging will take place at 3 PM.

Entries in the Craft Division must contain actual pecans and are due at the courthouse between 2 and 3 PM on the 25^th.

An award ceremony will be held at 4:30 that afternoon., Food entries may be picked up after the award ceremony. Pecan Judging winners may advance on to the Regional and State Pecan Shows.

For more information on this and other programs and activities that Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has to offer, contact the Ward County Extension Office at (432) 943-2682 or email the County Extension Agent at cleaton@ag.tamu.edu.

News You Can Use This Thanksgiving

 This is an interesting article about making your holiday a more eco-friendly  celebration. Check it out! http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/TXTCEQ/bulletins/da0777

Choosing the Right Seat Is Key!

Making Sure Your Child is Riding Safely on Every Trip

As a follow-up to the earlier  article on Child Passenger Safety Week, here are a few tips for getting the correct child safety seat for your child and installing it correctly in the vehicle.

For a child safety seat to do its job correctly, it has to be:

•           Appropriate for your child’s age and size,

•           Installed properly in your vehicle, and

•           Adjusted to fit your child securely.

Parents are reminded to keep children rear-facing until age two or until the limit of their rear-facing convertible seat, usually 40 pounds or more. Also, children should stay in a 5-point harness system until they are ready to ride in a booster seat. Booster seats are for children who are at least age four and 40 pounds or more and mature enough to sit still in a booster. Finally, keep children in a booster seat until the seat belt fits correctly. This is usually at 4’9” tall and sometime between ages 8 and 12 years old. The average child reaches 4’9” at age 11!

If you’re a parent or caregiver, don’t miss this opportunity to have a free child safety seat inspection by a certified child passenger safety technician. Technicians can provide hands-on advice and instruction. Make sure your children are safe and you are in compliance with the current child safety seat law in Texas. The law requires all children under 8, unless taller than 4’9”, to be in a child safety seat system, which includes traditional child safety seats with harnesses and booster seats.

Remember: All child passengers under age 13 should ride securely restrained in the back seat, where they are safest -- every trip, every time. If you are not able to attend an event during National Child Passenger Safety Week, you don’t have to wait until next year to check if your car seat is properly installed. To locate a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician in Texas, go to http://buckleup.tamu.edu.

Follow these guidelines from NHTSA to keep your children riding safely:

•           Birth – 12 months: For the best possible protection, your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats; infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

•           1 – 3 years: Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. This may result in many children riding rear-facing to age 2 or older. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

•           4 – 7 years: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

•           8 – 12 years: Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Children under 13 should ride in the back seat!

For more information about this and other Extension and 4-H programming, contact your friendly, local county Extension agent Abigail Pritchard at 432-943-4112. Information is also available on our website at ward.agrilife.org. We are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wardcounty4h.

Making Sure Your Child is Riding Safely on Every Trip

Making Sure Your Child is Riding Safely on Every Trip

September 14-20 is National Child Passenger Safety Week

Every parent wants the best for their child, but when it comes to keeping their child safe in the car, there is often confusion surrounding which car seat is safest and how to use it correctly. The problem is that keeping them safe in vehicles isn’t as easy as it might appear. Nationally, it is reported that 3 out of 4 car seats are not used correctly. For a car seat to best protect your child, it must be the one that fits your child, your vehicle, and that you will use correctly every time you travel. National Child Passenger Safety Week will be celebrated from September 14-20th and provides an opportunity for parents to make sure they are transporting their children safely. This year’s campaign is also putting an emphasis on making sure your car seat is registered so you will be notified of any recalls, as well as stressing the importance of keeping children under 13 riding correctly restrained in the back seat!

Children are at greater risk than adults in a vehicle crash. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children. Crash data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration shows that, on average in 2012, nearly two children under the age of 13 were killed and 332 were injured every day while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans. Unfortunately in 2012, over one third (37%) of children killed in car crashes were not in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts.

Securing your children properly in age- and size-appropriate child safety seats — in the back seat of your vehicle — is the most effective thing you can do to protect them in the event of a crash. In fact, in motor vehicle crashes, child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers. Misuse of car seats can cause needless injuries and fatalities.

That’s why Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent Abigail Pritchard is urging all parents and caregivers to take the opportunity to have their car seat inspected by a certified child passenger safety technician. There is no charge for inspections. To locate a certified technician in your area, go to http://buckleup.tamu.edu or to find an event during National Child Passenger Safety Week go to http://seatcheck.org.

For more information about this and other Extension and 4-H programming, contact your friendly, local county Extension agent Abigail Pritchard at 432-943-4112. Information is also available on our website at ward.agrilife.org. We are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wardcounty4h.