Be Well Douglas County Building a Culture of Health At Work J a n u a r y 2 0 1 9

S p e c i a l p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t :

New Year New You Challenge

Seasonal Produce

Winter Squash

Blood Drive

Food Safety

What’s fresh this season? Seasonal produce We all know that produce is seasonal, even if it isn’t something we realized we knew: we eat watermelon in the summer, and pumpkin in the fall, and don’t expect to bite into a delicious strawberry in the middle of February. With today’s technology, foods are shipped all over the world, and you can find most produce year round, but buying fruits and vegetables in season is going to give you the best flavor for your dollar; buying produce out of season is generally more expensive, and can even be less flavorful. The USDA has put together a Seasonal Produce Guide to show you which fruits and vegetables are available throughout the year.

Have you signed up for the New Year New You challenge? If

not, you still have time! Registration closes on January 5th at

5 PM! The Challenge will begin on January 7th and will run

until February 16th. You will get tips, ideas, support and

encouragement to help you meet your personal wellness

goals! The challenge promotes

overall wellness through

objectives in healthy eating,

frequent exercise, and stress

management! Sign up here!

What’s in season now?

Apples

Avocados

Bananas

Beets

Brussels

Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Celery

Collard

Greens

Grapefruit

Kale

Kiwifruit

Leeks

Lemons

Limes

Onions

Oranges

Parsnips

Pears

Pineapples

Potatoes

Pumpkins

Rutabagas

Sweet

Potatoes &

Yams

Swiss Chard

Turnips

Winter

Squash

Helpful Tips:

Farmers markets are a great place to get fresh fruits and vegetables, and are a great way to support local farms!

Seasonal produce will vary by growing conditions and weather.

Buy fresh, in season produce and freeze, can or preserve it; these will have similar nutrition values to fresh produce and save you from paying out of season prices! Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried all fall within the same food group.

Dried beans and peas are a good source of protein and fiber and can last a year or more without spoiling.

Tips for Keeping Your

New Year’s Resolutions

1. Pick realistic goals

2. Define the goals and make

them quantifiable

3. Set a schedule with a timeline

and steps to reach your goal

4. Don’t give up when you

encounter setbacks

5. Set up a support network

Healthy Seasonal Recipe

We know that Winter squash are in season, now what? Winter squash come in many varieties (butternut squash, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, acorn squash, carnival squash, etc.), so which one do you pick? This guide has descriptions of some of the most common winter squash and tips for picking the right squash for you! Grab a recipe from Food Hero, USDA, EatFresh.org, or try out this Fuzzy Gourd Stuffed with Pork and Mushrooms for a hearty, budget friendly meal:

Ingredients

2 fuzzy gourds scrubbed vigorously to remove “fuzz”

½ tablespoon vegetable oil

½ small onion diced

½ clove garlic minced

½ cup cooked rice

1 shitake mushroom diced

½ tablespoon soy sauce

¼ cup cilantro chopped

¼ pound ground pork

Directions

1. Slice gourds in half and microwave or blanch in boiling water until slightly soft.

2. Scoop flesh out of gourds.

3. In separate pan heat oil and sauté onions and garlic until tender.

4. Add pork; cook until done.

5. Stir in cooked rice, mushrooms, and soy sauce; heat.

6. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

7. Stuff gourd half with pork mixture; steam about 30 minutes.

Wellness Committee Mission

To promote and support a workplace that encourages health and wellness.

Goals

Lower health care costs

Improve health

Increase awareness of available health benefits and resources

Increase opportunities for employee engagement through healthy activities

Maintain respect for individual health needs and goals

Measure and report on wellness impact

Time of Giving

On December 6th Douglas County employees

donated 14 units of blood during the American Red

Cross blood drive! Join the Douglas County

Employee Blood Donation Team here.

Food Safety: Fight Bacteria to Reduce the Risk of Foodborne Illness Foodborne illness is estimated to cause 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths each year in the United States. This illness comes from

improper handling of food causing it to become contaminated. Most cases of foodborne illness can be prevented through taking proper

precautions when cooking and processing food. Follow the four core practices of safe food handling, from the Partnership for Food Safety

Interested in joining the Wellness Committee?

If you would like to help improve health and wellness within your workplace, fill out a membership form.

What You’ll Need

Measuring cups and spoons

Cutting board

Chef knife

Large spoon

Pot or microwave-safe dish

Nutrition Info

Serving size: 1 piece

Total calories: 236

Total fat: 13 g

Saturated fat: 4.6 g

Carbohydrates: 18 g

Protein: 12 g

Fiber: 2 g

Sodium: 775 mg

Clean. Foodborne bacteria can’t be

seen, tasted or smelled, and spread

through contact getting on hands,

cutting boards, utensils, food and

countertops. Frequent cleaning can

keep that from happening.

Wash your

hands with warm

water and soap

for 20 seconds

before and after

handling food.

Wash cutting boards, dishes,

utensils and countertops with hot

soapy water after preparing each

food item and before you go on to

the next food to prevent cross-

contamination.

Consider using

paper towels to

clean up kitchen

surfaces. If you

use cloth towels

wash them often in the hot cycle.

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables

under running tap water, including

those with skins and rinds

that aren’t eaten;

bacteria can spread

from the outside to

the inside when

cutting or peeling.

Cook. Safely cooking food is a

matter of temperature. Foods need to

reach a high enough internal

temperature to kill bacteria.

Use a food thermometer to measure

the internal temperature of cooked

foods. Make sure that meat, poultry,

egg dishes, casseroles and other

foods are cooked to a safe internal

temperature.

Place food

thermometers

in the thickest

part of food,

making sure not to

touch bone, fat or gristle.

Cook ground meat or ground

poultry until it reaches a safe

internal temperature. Color is not a

reliable indicator of doneness.

Cook eggs until the yolk and white

are firm. Only use recipes in which

eggs are cooked thoroughly.

Read and follow

package cooking

instructions.

When cooking in

a microwave , make

sure there are no cold spots in food.

For best results, cover food, stir and

rotate for even cooking.

Separate. Harmful bacteria

spread through cross contamination.

Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood

and their juices away from ready-to-

eat foods.

Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood

and eggs from other foods in your

grocery shopping cart, grocery bags

and in your refrigerator.

Place raw meat,

poultry, seafood

and eggs in

containers or

sealed plastic bags

on the bottom shelf

of the refrigerator; if you are not

planning on using them within a few

days, freeze them.

Use one cutting board for fresh

produce and a separate one for raw

meat, poultry, and seafood.

Never place

cooked food on a

plate that

previously held

raw meat, poultry,

seafood, or eggs.

Safely Marinate: Sauce that is used

to marinate raw meat, poultry or

seafood should not be used on

cooked food unless it has been

boiled first to destroy any bacteria.

Chill. Bacteria spreads fastest at

temperatures between 40°F and 140°F, so chilling food properly is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Chill leftovers and

takeout foods

within 2 hours.

Keep the fridge at

or below 40°F and

use an appliance thermometer to

check the temperature.

Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry,

eggs and other perishables as soon

as you get them home

from the store.

Never defrost food at room temperature. Food

must be kept at a safe temperature

while thawing. The 3 safe ways to defrost food are: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave.

Separate large amounts of food into shallow containers for quicker cooling.

You can’t tell by sight or smell that bacteria have started growing in leftovers or refrigerated foods. Check out the Safe Storage Times chart for storage guidelines of different foods.