Cooperative Extension Service Carroll County 500 Floyd Drive Carrollton, KY 41008 502-732-7030 Fax 502-732-7032

Carroll County Family and Consumer Science News February 2016

Dear Homemakers, The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said the furry rodent failed to see his shadow at dawn Tuesday, meaning he "predicted" an early spring. Early Spring or not, here we come! All kinds of events ac vi es are planned locally and for the Northern Kentucky Area: Home-maker Club mee ngs, “Learn with Us” lessons, Interna onal Luncheon, It’s Sew Fine: For Home and Family, and KEHA State mee ng will be in Northern Kentucky this year! Enclosed in this month’s newsle er is the 2016-17 “Learn with Us” Ballot, please choose seven (7) lessons you would like taught next year and return to the office, via: mail, fax, or drop the ballot by the office by March 1st. Ann Schultz Carroll County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences

Covergirls Club: Monday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m. The Book Club: Friday, Feburary 12 at 1:00 p.m. All are welcome, we are reading - “LiarTemptress” Cra Club: Thursday, February 25 at 6:00 p.m.

Carroll County Extension Office ‐ 500 Floyd Drive, Carrollton

Embracing Life as You Age

Monday, February 15, 2016 12:30 pm

Carroll County Senior Center

Carrollton, KY

Thought for the Month Love is the greatest transformer, turning ambition into aspira-tion, selflessness into service, greed into gratitude, getting into giving and demands into dedication. Anonymous

Heart Health Cardiovascular disease is the term for several diseases which include high blood pressure, stroke, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and others. CHD , the leading cause of death in Amer icans—and Kentuckians. The best way to prevent CHD is through a healthy diet and other positive lifestyle behaviors. Risk Factors Recent studies have shown that Kentuckians have a high incidence of some risk factors: * smoking * obesity * incidence of diabetes * high blood pressure * lack of physical activity * lack of monitoring blood cholesterol levels * low intake of vegetables and fruits Obviously, we can control some of these factors; others, we cannot. These include age and family history. All these risk factors in some way contribute to elevated blood lipids—mainly as triglycerides and cholesterol. Blood Lipids Blood lipids are fatty substances in the blood, including triglycerides, lipoproteins and cholesterol. Measuring blood lipids is the best predictor for risk of CHD. In general it is healthy to have: * a total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dl or less; * an HDL level of at least 25 percent of total cholesterol; * triglyceride level of 200 mg/dl or less. If your blood lipid levels are within normal range, you can follow dietary recommendations in this lesson to keep them normal. If your levels are abnormal, your physician and a registered dietitian should help you to bring them into normal range by dietary changes, exercise, medications, and control of contributing conditions or diseases. Lowering blood cholesterol by one percent can give you a two percent reduction in risk of CHD. Dietary Factors Most folks are aware that too much fat and cholesterol in their diets is not desirable for a healthy heart. Let’s look at these in more depth and also consider other dietary components by following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The 2000 Dietary Guide-lines for Americans have been updated to cover the ABC’s for health. A = Aim for fitness B = Build a healthy base C = Choose sensibly The ten guidelines for achieving the ABC’s are intended for healthy children (age 2 years and older) and adults of any age. Three ways these Guidelines can help decrease your risk of CHD are by helping you: * lose weight if overweight; * control high blood pressure; and * lower high levels of blood cholesterol

Valentine Chocolate Dippin’ Chocolate-covered strawberries are a delicious, surprisingly healthy, and luxurious treat and can be eaten any time of

year, not just February:)

Come make Chocolate Covered Strawberries with the Carrollton Homemaker’s Club.

Wednesday, February 10th 1:00pm

Dear Ladies, If you weren’t at Soup & Snowflakes we missed you, fourteen members enjoyed five different soups, side dishes, and desserts, variety of cra s and a few ventured into the art of glass etching. It isn’t too soon to consider going to the 2016 KEHA Annual State Mee ng, April 18th-21st. This year it will be locat-ed in Northern Kentucky at the Northern Kentucky Conven on Center in Covington. You can a end one day or the whole conven on. Crea ve hands-on art classes, seminars, trips, and other op ons have been planned for the week. Just viewing the Cultural Arts & Heritage winners for the coun es is worth the trip. Cooking Louden and Mary Ann Mitchell have winning entries in the exhibits! The KEHA newsle er with detailed informa on and registra on will be mailed out in approximately two weeks or you can view online, www.keha.org Plans are being discussed to carpool for those who like to go for the day. Stay tuned. Carroll County always shines in dona ons of items for the raffle, door prizes and silent auc on items. Proceeds go to Ovarian Cancer research. Donated 12” finished quilt squares, can be any design go towards offse ng the cost of regis-tra on. If you have any ques ons or need informa on, I can be reached at 502-727-0675 or pkostomato@gmail.com Sincerely,

Patty Kost

2016 KEHA State Mee ng - April 18-21, 2016 Northern Kentucky Conven on Center Ovarian Cancer Screening - July 27, 2016, 1:00pm University of Kentucky Natural Fibers in Today’s Market Place - March 17, 2016, 12:00 p.m. Judy He erman, Owen County FCS Carroll County Extension Office Universe of Possibili es: Accep ng and Loving Your Body - April 28, 2016, 12:00 p.m. Ka e Trump, Boone County FCS Carroll County Extension Office Making Healthy Beverage Choices - May 19, 2016, 12:00 p.m. Sherri Broderick, Galla n County FCS Carroll County Extension Office Planning for Life’s Major Events - June 16, 2016, 12:00 p.m. Linda Brown Price, Kenton County FCS Carroll County Extension Office

One‐Pan Beans and Cornbread 1 (12 ounce) package frozen bu er beans, thawed 1 (12 ounce) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 (28 ounce) can baked beans with onions 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/3 cup vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard 1 (6 to 8 1/2 ounce) envelope cornbread mix 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F 2. In a greased 3-quart baking dish, mix first eight ingredients together. 3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Increase temperature to 400 degrees F. 4. Mix cornbread according to package direc ons. Spread on top of beans. 5. Bake for an addi onal 20 minutes or un l cornbread is golden brown. Nutri on facts per serving: 400 calories, 4 g total fact, 15mg cholesterol, 720mg sodium 73g carbohydrate, 15g fiber

Ge ng to Know Your Feet Aging Feet

Aging is a normal part of life. Medical advances are making it possible to live longer and more produc ve lives. It is important to take care of your feet early in life so you will have healthy feet as you advance in age. Aging brings about changes in foot structure; feet spread out and lose their fat pads on the soles, therefore decreasing the cushion affect, nails become thicker and more bri le, and bones become more bri le from normal loss of calcium. Gender differences are also seen. Women have about four mes as many foot problems with aging as men do. According to the American Podiatry Medical Associa on, the human foot is “the mirror of health”. Illnesses that affect other body systems can show their signs and symptoms in the feet. Common systemic diseases that can be seen in the feet are diabetes, arthri s, and circulatory problems. Signs seen in the feet from these diseases include: dry, bri le nails, numbness and ngling, burning sensa ons, cold feeling feet, and color changes. It is important to have a daily foot care rou ne in order to pick up on any of these changes and promptly no fy your health care provider to prevent long-term complica ons. Keeping your feet healthy takes work. Following some simple ps will ensure that your feet remain in good health and con nue to support an ac ve lifestyle.

Tips for Maintaining Healthy Feet Shoes and socks *Wear properly fi ng shoes. Make sure your foot fits comfortably inside the shoe and does not place pressure or cause undo rubbing against any part of the foot. * Shop for shoes late in the a ernoon since feet swell during the day. * Wear shoes with a firm, non-skid sole and so upper region. *Avoid high heels and shoes with pointed toes. Ac vity Walking is the best ac vity for your feet. Walking increases circula on as well as increases bone strength. Grooming Examine your feet daily. Look for color and temperature changes, any cuts, blisters, corns, or calluses, swelling, redness, ingrown toenails, or any unusual changes. Wash your feet twice a day using a mild soap and lukewarm water. Dry well. Never a empt at-home removal of corns or calluses. Consult your health care provider for treatment recommenda ons.