LifeTimes is published quarterly A quarterly publication to enhance the quality of life of individuals, families, and communities LifeTimes University of Missouri, Lincoln University, U.S. Department of Agriculture & Local University Extension Councils Cooperating EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ ADA INSTITUTIONS Fall 2007 Volume 9, Number 4 INSIDE: Party ‘Tid-bites’: Making healthy choices...................2 Damaris Karanja, MA Nutrition & Health Education Specialist Teaching children responsibility .........3 Maudie Kelly, MS Human Development Specialist Web: extension.missouri. edu/ecregion/lifetimes/ E-mail version contact: [email protected] Gardening without pain: Tips for using and modifying tools Timothy W. Horton, MS Former Horticulture Specialist K eeping your garden looking its best often requires long hours “in the trenches” and can lead to aches and pains the following day. Gardeners can reduce their work and minimize these aches and pains by choosing the correct tool for the job at hand. This article examines differ-ent types of gardening tools and offers tips on how to best use them. Regardless of the garden tool you choose, it’s important to hold that tool properly. A person’s grip strength is affected by the position of the wrist. You will achieve maximum grip strength when your wrist is in a relaxed or “neutral” position. This position is achieved when your hand is held at the same angle as your forearm. Any deviation from this position can result in losing up to 25 per-cent of your gripping strength. The ulnar deviation (bent) wrist posture is the worst. When your wrist is bent, the tendons in your hand that flex your fingers are easily irritated by the extra exertion made when your wrist is in this position. The result: sore muscles and joints in your hands. So keep your wrist as straight as possible when using hand tools in the gar-den. Wraps and wrist braces are available to help gardeners keep their wrists in the proper position. Now let’s take a look at some garden tools. Ergonomics is a buzz word that is getting a lot of attention in office furni-ture and kitchen utensils. Now we are seeing more ergonomic gardening tools available. An ergonomic garden tool has certain features designed to keep the user’s body in neutral positions. This will cause less physical stress and allow the gardener to work longer. Not all ergo-nomic tools are equal. When choosing a garden tool, you should examine it for certain features. • Grip. The handle of a tool should have a textured, non-slip surface to add resistance and minimize the grip-ping strength needed to hold the tool. It should also be pliable to allow for a more comfortable grip. A good ergonomic tool will have an enlarged grip that requires less squeezing to hold the tool. The harder you have to squeeze a tool, the quicker your hands will tire. (continued on page 4) A person’s grip strength is affected by the position of the wrist.Page 2 LifeTimes Fall 2007 Party ‘Tid-bites’: Making healthy choices Damaris Karanja, MA Nutrition & Health Education Specialist [email protected] F ood is one of many pleasures of parties, holiday festivities, and other social gatherings at every time of the year. For many, the holiday season brings visions of candy, cookies and chocolate, but some traditional holiday foods can leave you guilt-free. Healthy eating is all about mak-ing wise choices. Holiday eating is no exception. We often put our focus on what not to eat, but there are still many nutritional goodies in our traditional dinner that we should not overlook. Luckily the holidays feature many healthy foods. It is a matter of how they are prepared and consumed. Where do you begin? • Pumpkin: Let’s not forget the pumpkin and its famous pie. Pumpkin pie tastes great this time of year and is an excel-lent source of nutrients. It is rich in Vitamin A, fiber and very low in calories until all the other ingredients are added. It is also loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene, which may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers pro-tection against heart disease, as well as some degenerative aspects of aging. Consider using an egg substitute, light cream or low-fat evaporated milk in your recipe. Go for a pie crust with the lowest amount of transfat possible. • Cranberries: This fruit adds more than just zip to your meals! Packed with Vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, and proanthocyanidins (a type of antioxidant to help prevent uri-nary tract infections), cranber-ries should be in our diets year round—not just the holidays. Cranberries add tangy flavor to everything from stuffing and sauces to beverages and barbe-cues. • Sweet potato: The versatile sweet potato is ideal for the health-conscious food consumer and rich in potassium and anti-oxidants like Vitamin C and beta-carotene. Cut them up like chips or steak fries and lightly coat them with light olive oil, sea salt and dried rosemary, then bake them in the oven. Leave the skin on for extra fiber; just make sure you wash the potato first. The flavor is incredible. You’ll feel better after eating this sweet potato rather than sweet potatoes that are “drowning” in butter, sugar and marshmallows. • Turkey: In addition to being an excellent source of protein, tur-key offers the least amount of fat per serving, among all other meats, if you pass on the skin. If you love gravy, ask for a small custard cup or dish to put gravy in, and dip the meat instead of pouring it on. • Green beans: An all-time favorite is green bean casserole. Green beans are a very good source of Vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folate, and a good source of magnesium and riboflavin. Each of these nutrients plays a significant cardio-protective role. Green bean casserole in a traditional Thanksgiving meal is rather high in calories as it contains butter, cream of mushroom and cheese. This dish can be made with lower fat options like low- fat cream soup and still tastes great without the guilt. (continued on page 4) Forget the all-or-nothing mind-set. Depriving yourself of special holiday foods, or feeling guilty when you do enjoy them, isn’t a healthful eating strategy.Page 3 LifeTimes Fall 2007 I n the past 30 years or so, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women employed outside the home. Prior to that, it was often assumed that it was the wife/mother’s