World Aids Day-Light For Rights

            World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world.  It has become one of the most recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

            UNAIDS took the lead on World AIDS Day campaigning from its creation until 2004.  From 2004 onwards the World AIDS Campaign’s Global Steering Committee began selecting a theme for World AIDS Day in consultation with civil society, organizations and government agencies involved in the AIDS response. 

            The theme for 2010 Worlds AIDS Day is “Light for Rights.”

            The Light for Rights campaign strives to underscore this year’s focus on HIV and human rights by encouraging people in cities around the world to dim the lights on key landmarks to remember the devastating affect AIDS has had on us all, and to turn the lights back on to illuminate the fundamental human rights we all share but that are often denied people living with HIV.

            Go to http://lightforrights.org/events.php  to see a listing of events in the US.

A GLOBAL SNAPSHOT OF AIDS FACTS

Ø      33 million people now live with HIV/AIDS. Two million are under age 15.

Ø      Everyday 7,397 people contract HIV-308 every hour.

Ø      In 2008, 2.0 million people died from AIDS.

Ø      More than 2/3 of all people living HIV, 22 million, live in sub-Saharan Africa-including 90% of the world’s HIV-positive children.

Ø      Globally, men who have sex with men are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population.

Ø      Worldwide, women make up half of all people living with HIV.

US AIDS FACTS

Ø    Approximately 1.1 million people in the US are living with HIV/AIDS.

Ø    An estimated 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the US in 2006.

Ø    African Americans accounted for 46% of new HIV infections diagnosed in 2006, although they comprise only 12% of the population.

Ø    Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 53% of all HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in 2006. A third of these MSM were younger than 30 years old.

Ø    The number of women living with HIV in the US has tripled in the last two decades; by 2005, 26% of people living with HIV were women.

Sources: UNAIDS, AIDS Epidemic Update, 2009; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; amfAR, MSM, HIV, and the Road to Universal Access-How Far Have we Come? August 2008.

Learn more about WORLD AIDS Day and the impact that HIV/AIDS has had on our world by going to http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/    

TURKEY SAFETY TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

• Thawing—Thaw frozen turkeys in the refrigerator, if possible. A 20-pound turkey should thaw in 4-5 days. Rapid thawing of turkeys may be done by submerging the wrapped turkey in cold water that is changed every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Allow 30 minutes per pound thawing time. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

• Preparation—Stuffing should be moist, not dry, since heat kills bacteria more easily in a moist environment. Stuff the turkey loosely – about ¾ cup stuffing per pound. Allow more time to cook a stuffed turkey than an unstuffed turkey. A stuffed turkey will take about 20 to 25 minutes more per pound to cook than an unstuffed turkey.

• Cooking—The turkey is cooked when all parts of the bird are at least 165°F. Follow cooking instructions on the turkey label. A stuffed, 20-pound turkey will take a little less than 5 hours to cook in a conventational oven at 325°F. Use a meat thermometer to determine when the turkey is thoroughly cooked. Insert the thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh, wing and the thickest part of the breast. The center of the stuffing in the turkey cavity must also reach a minimum of 165°F. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving the turkey

• Leftovers—To rapidly cool leftovers, cut the turkey into small pieces and refrigerate stuffing in separate containers. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Food that is not frozen should be consumed or discarded within seven days.

For more food safety information, please visit: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Poultry_Preparation_Fact_Sheets/index

Or call:   The FDA Food Information Line   1-888-SAFEFOOD (1-888-723-3366)

Ideas on How to Make Holiday Recipies More Healthy

Baked goods are symbolic of happy times with friends and family, especially around the Holidays.  Making substitutions to some of your favorite recipes will not only make your baked good a show stopper and the rave of the party, but also be friendly to the waist line. Try some of these substitutions to make even the sweetest treat, packed full of nutrients:

Whole Wheat Flour: First step with whole wheat flour is to get it in your cupboard - from there the possibilities are endless. Start with substituting 1/3 or a ½ of the white flour that the recipe calls for with whole wheat flour. As you get used to the taste and texture continue to increase the ratio of whole wheat flour to white flour.

Applesauce: Use as an equal substitution for fat in a recipe. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of vegetable oil, add 1 cup of applesauce instead. Purchase ‘no sugar added’ applesauce, or make your own applesauce without any added sugar. Fruit has enough natural sweetness and does not need anything added to it (except for maybe some cinnamon and nutmeg).

Pumpkin: Use pumpkin as a substitute for fat, much like you would use applesauce.  In most recipes there will be a ‘pumpkin’ taste so make sure you think about how the tastes will meld before substituting it for the fat in a recipe. See below for an easy recipe to try to start using pumpkin with baking.

Black Beans…yes, I said black beans! Black beans can be substituted for either the fat or the flour in a recipe. Google ‘black bean brownies’ to get ideas for how you can incorporate beans into some of your favorite recipes. Black beans not only are a great source of protein but also include many beneficial nutrients like folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Amount Per Serving 

Calories: 199 | Total Fat: 5.2g | Cholesterol: < 1mg | Total Carbs: 36.8 g | Fiber 1.6 g

Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Brenda Nurmela, RD, CD-Dietician, Oneida County Health Department

Family Traditions for Healthy Holidays

It’s important to make a conscious decision to be more active and eat healthier over the holidays.  This is something that many people have trouble doing, but by making increased physical activity part of a holiday tradition, it can actually become something that the whole family looks forward to. Oneida County Public Health has looked at a variety of ways to assist people in becoming more active, and the holidays actually offer all kinds of creative and fun outlets for family physical activity.

• Dance to your favorite holiday music. 
• Encourage a friendly game of football, horseshoes, billiards, ping pong, or other sports for those who wish to go outside.
• Incorporate active ice breakers to learn more about family members.
• Suggest a walk after the “Holiday Dinner” no matter what the weather.
• Involve family members in actively volunteering in a service project to help others.  
• If shopping is part of the upcoming holiday season, park the car “a short hike” from the mall entrance.

The Center for Disease Control recommends a guideline of 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.  It can become a game to play to see how many different things families can do (at a moderate intensity level) that last at least 10 minutes that count towards the 150 minute guideline. 

Family traditions play a crucial role in the healthy or unhealthy choices a family makes about eating and physical activity, and with the holidays just around the corner, why not choose to start some healthy traditions this year.  Oneida County Public Health has a great, free resource called Get Moving Oneida County (http://www.co.oneida.wi.gov/docview.asp?docid=4293&locid=136 ), a detailed list of free or low cost physical activity opportunities in Oneida County.         

These healthy holiday tips work year round, but trying them out around the holidays may help jumpstart some new family traditions.     All the tips focus on small, simple things, that when combined, can have a positive effect on your family’s health and well-being. What are you doing to help create healthy family traditions?

New Report Shows Smoking Boosts Alzheimer’s Risk

 

Smoking during middle age more than doubles the odds for developing Alzheimer’s, according to a new study from Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente on Monday.

The study examined the medical records of over 20,000 men and women from 1994 to 2008.  The results found that those who smoked two or more packs a day increased their risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 157%, and raised their risk of developing vascular dementia (the second most comment form of dementia after Alzheimer’s) by 172%.  The findings were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“Sadly, we can now add Alzheimer’s to the already extensive list of tobacco’s harmful effects,” said Niki Kostrova, Oneida County Tobacco Control Coordinator.  “This study further demonstrates how important it is to prevent young people from smoking and help current smokers quit.  The state must continue to fund these programs to decrease tobacco’s deadly burden on Wisconsin.”

79 people die from smoking annually in Oneida County, according to the 2010 Burden of Tobacco in Wisconsin report.  Smoking is the also the number one cause of preventable disease and costs the state $4.5 billion in health care costs and lost productivity.

Smokers who want to quit should talk to their doctor or call the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT NOW.

Flu Season

Flu Season is upon us!  It is time to get your flu shot now.  The Oneida County Health Department is offering flu shots Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:00.  No appointments are necessary.  Cost for the flu shot is $25.  We bill Medicare, Medicaid, and BadgerCare.  Trust Public Health to protect you and your family this flu season!

What is influenza (also called flu)?

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.

Symptoms of flu

People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

• fever* or feeling feverish/chills
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle or body aches
• headaches
• fatigue (very tired)
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

How flu spreads

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.

Period of contagiousness

You may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. Some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.

How serious is the flu?

Flu is unpredictable and how severe it is can vary widely from one season to the next depending on many things, including:

• what flu viruses are spreading,
• how much flu vaccine is available
• when vaccine is available
• how many people get vaccinated, and
• how well the flu vaccine is matched to flu viruses that are causing illness.

Certain people are at greater risk for serious complications if they get the flu. This includes older people, young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease).
Flu seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.
During 2009-2010, a new and very different flu virus (called 2009 H1N1) spread worldwide causing the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years. It is estimated that the 2009 H1N1 pandemic resulted in more than 12,000 flu-related deaths in the U.S. In contrast to seasonal flu, nearly 90 percent of the deaths occurred among people younger than 65 years of age.

Complications of flu

Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

Preventing seasonal flu: Get vaccinated

The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season. There are two types of flu vaccines:

• The "flu shot"–an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle. The seasonal flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women.
• The nasal–spray flu vaccine –a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine"). LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against influenza virus infection. Flu vaccines will not protect against flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses.
The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three influenza viruses that research suggests will be most common. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1, and two other influenza viruses (an H3N2 virus and an influenza B virus).

When to get vaccinated against seasonal flu

Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September, or as soon as vaccine is available, and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late as May. This is because the timing and duration of flu seasons vary. While flu season can begin early as October, most of the time seasonal flu activity peaks in January or later.

Who should get vaccinated?

On February 24, 2010 vaccine experts voted that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year starting with the 2010-2011 influenza season. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for "universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications.

Who is at high risk for developing flu-related complications?

• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• Adults 65 years of age and older
• Pregnant women
• Also, last flu season, American Indians and Alaskan Natives seemed to be at higher risk of flu complications
• People who have medical conditions including:
  • Asthma (even if it’s controlled or mild)
  • Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury]
  • Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
  • Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
  • Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
  • Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
  • Kidney disorders
  • Liver disorders
  • Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
  • Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
  • People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
  • People who are morbidly obese (Body Mass Index [BMI] of 40 or greater)

Who else should get vaccinated?

Other people for whom vaccination is especially important are:

• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
• Health care workers
• Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
• Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 5 years of age with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children younger than 6 months of age (children younger than 6 months are at highest risk of flu-related complications but are too young to get vaccinated)

Use of the nasal spray seasonal flu vaccine

Vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is an option for healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. Even people who live with or care for those in a high risk group (including health care workers) can get the nasal-spray flu vaccine as long as they are healthy themselves and are not pregnant. The one exception is health care workers who care for people with severely weakened immune systems who require a protected hospital environment; these people should get the inactivated flu vaccine (flu shot).