Winter Driving Tips

Posted on December 13, 2018 by argerlac

Tires

If you plan to use snow tires, have them installed in the fall so you are prepared before it snows. Check out nhtsa.gov/tires for tire ratings before buying new ones and look for winter tires with the snowflake symbol.
Regardless of season, inspect your tires at least once a month and before long road trips. It only takes about five minutes. If you find yourself driving under less-than-optimal road conditions this winter, you’ll be glad you took the time. Don’t forget to check your spare tire.
As the outside temperature drops, so does tire inflation pressure. Make sure each tire is filled to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended inflation pressure, which is listed in your owner’s manual and on a placard located on the driver’s side door frame. The correct pressure is NOT the number listed on the tire. Be sure to check tires when they are cold, which means the car hasn’t been driven for at least 3 hours.
Look closely at your tread and replace tires that have uneven wear or insufficient tread. Tread should be at least 2/32 of an inch or greater on all tires.
Check the age of each tire. Some vehicle manufacturers recommend that tires be replaced every six years regardless of use, but check your owner’s manual to find out.
For more information on tire safety, visit NHTSA’s Tires page.

For additional tips check:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/winter-driving-tips

Linked Calendar of Free Holiday Events for Children/Adults

Posted on December 12, 2018 by argerlac

https://indywithkids.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/free-christmas-events-indianapolis-kids.pdf

Healthy Rewards Fall Deadline Approaching

Posted on December 11, 2018 by argerlac

The Healthy Rewards Program is a fun and easy way to earn rewards for all of the healthy behaviors you do daily. The due date for the Fall 2018 Rewards Card is Friday, December 14, 2018. Turn in the form for rewards in the Healthy Horizons Office, PHSB Rm 110. Participants in the Platinum status are eligible for a Fitbit drawing. You may call at X8143 or email healthyhorizons@butler.edu with questions.

Please access the Rewards Card form to track your points.

Email us at healthyhorizons@butler.edu if you have trouble accessing the online Rewards Card. There will be a drawing for a FitBit for all participants earning “Platinum” status.

Fiber sources

Posted on December 10, 2018 by argerlac

Did you know one ounce of chia seeds a day equals 40% of your daily fiber needs? For this and other fiber information, check out the great helps below:

The majority of Americans are not getting enough fiber in their diet. Fiber helps the digestive system move things along. It helps with satiety and thus can be assistive in weight loss. Other potential benefits are improved heart health, lower cholesterol levels, and decreasing the risk of diabetes.

Fiber is found in all the foods that people have been eating less and less of in the past 50 years. In order to “help”, many food manufacturers have been adding “fiber” to highly processed food-like products. Unfortunately, almost all the added fiber is of one type, inulin.

When your daily fiber intake is varied through real foods, you feed multiple gut bacteria colonies. When inulin is the main source of fiber, only specific types of bacteria thrive while others wither. This imbalance may result in gas, bloating, nausea, flatulence, stomach cramping, diarrhea, constipation and GI rumbling.

There’s no shortcut to a variety, but some fiber options are easier to implement than others. Your goal is to reach at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Here’s how you can do it.

1. High fiber cereal. Since most people eat cereal on a daily basis, make sure that the one you regularly eat has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Read the label to verify that the fiber is from whole grains and bran. On cold mornings, oatmeal is also a good choice, with 3 grams of fiber.

2. Nuts and seeds. It’s easy to snack on these as part of a trail mix or on their own. Besides 3 grams of fiber, you’ll be getting a good amount of protein and healthy fats.

3. Chia seeds. A 1-ounce serving of these seeds has 10 grams of fiber! Easy recipe: mix once ounce of chia seeds (2 tablespoons) with two cups of water and one tablespoon of maple syrup. Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate for an hour or two. Shake vigorously and enjoy.

4. Avocado. A serving of one half an avocado will set you back 120 calories, but reward you with 5 grams of fiber. Not to mention that heaven is defined as fresh avocado with a pinch of salt.

5. Banana. A humble banana a day will add 3 grams of fiber to your total.

6. Vegetable salad. a simple salad consisting of half a cup of lettuce, half an unpeeled cucumber, medium tomato, one shredded carrot, and dressing, will provide 4-6 grams of fiber.

7. Canned beans. These guys are a fiber powerhouse – a 4 ounce serving of beans has 5-7 grams of fiber. Add as a side to your breakfast omelet, lunchtime salad, or dinner protein.

What did we miss? How do you add fiber to your daily routine?

https://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=post&id=5BE7CDF0-476A-0C11-43AC-A3AE338DE451

Holiday Classical Concerts at the Library

Posted on December 7, 2018 by argerlac

Individuals of all ages are invited to enjoy a performance of chamber ensemble music featuring holiday classics and carols by members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. This program is made possible by Friends of the Library through gifts to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.

This event is offered:

http://www.indypl.org/events/detail/?event_id=4266&schedule_id=66793

How to Stretch a Dollar: A Free Class

Posted on December 6, 2018 by argerlac

DESCRIptION

How do you balance spending quality time with your family while trying to meet all the financial needs of the family and still have some left over to spend on fun things to do with the family? Lets put our head together and find creative solutions to stretching our dollars so we can meet our needs but also enjoy time with our families. Feel free to participate as much as you want in this conversation or just sit back and listen to get ideas and support. All are welcome. Childcare and food provided to those that register.

DATE AND TIME

Mon, December 3, 2018

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST

LOCATION

Collaborative Change

3073 Salt Lake Road

Indianapolis, IN 46214

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-stretch-a-dollar-west-side-tickets-42994407430

How to Find the new Shingrix Vaccine for Shingles

Posted on December 5, 2018 by argerlac

Shingles Vaccine Shortage: What You Must Know

With demand for Shingrix outstripping supply, here’s how to protect yourself

By Diane Umansky

September 29, 2018

There is a shortage of Shingrix, the shingles vaccine.

Shingrix, the two-dose vaccine approved last year to prevent shingles and its blistery skin rash, continues to be in short supply—and shortfalls may last through the end of the year, according to Kathleen Dooling, M.D., a medical officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How long you may have to wait for the vaccine may depend on where you live. “It probably varies throughout the country and is a moving target,” Dooling says. “We know that in some places supply is meeting demand, and in other places it’s not. There are a lot of factors, particularly large pharmacy chains’ ability to move supply around.”

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the manufacturer of Shingrix, calls the level of demand unprecedented and says it is shipping “large volumes” of the vaccine to pharmacies every two or three weeks—which it expects to continue doing through the end of the year.

GSK spokesman Sean Clements says the company is also keeping government agencies up to date on current supplies. GSK declined to specify the specific steps it is taking to prevent shortages in the future, but said in a statement, “Going forward, providers and patients can feel confident that more doses are being made available regularly and that they will be able to find the vaccine to complete their two-dose series.”

Difficulty getting the vaccine is bad news for those who want to protect themselves against shingles, which can bring two to four weeks of painful skin eruptions and, in 20 percent of cases, the lingering nerve pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Shingles occurs when the chickenpox virus, dormant in those who once had the illness, reawakens years later. It strikes about 1 in 3 people at some point, and the older you are, the higher your risk.

The apparent effectiveness of Shingrix might explain the high interest. In clinical trials, the vaccine, which is approved for most people 50 and older, provides up to 90 percent protection against shingles and 86 percent protection against PHN.

That makes it far more effective than Zostavax, the single-dose shingles vaccine that has been available since 2006. It cuts shingles risk by 51 percent and PHN risk by 67 percent. The CDC considers Shingrix the preferred vaccine over Zostavax but says, “Zostavax may still be used to prevent shingles in healthy adults 60 years and older.”

Note that not all health insurance plans cover the vaccine, so check with your insurer first. And if you’re on Medicare, whether you’ll be covered can depend on whether you have signed up for a Medicare Part D plan. Read more about how to pay for your shingles vaccine.

Here’s what else you need to know about Shingrix availability and the steps to take to protect yourself from shingles.

What Can You Do to Find Shingrix?

If you’re eligible for Shingrix (50 or older, and not immunocompromised or taking moderate to high doses of drugs that suppress immunity), you can start by asking whether your pharmacist or doctor currently has the vaccine, suggests the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

If no Shingrix is in stock, ask when they expect more and whether you can be put on a waiting list. (Some pharmacies and other providers may be keeping these.) Ask if they’ll contact you or whether you should call them periodically about restocking, and whether they know of another provider who may currently have Shingrix.

You might also want to contact other area pharmacies yourself. The CDC’s Vaccine Finder and GSK’s Shingle Vaccine Locator may be useful, but it’s wise to phone ahead before trekking to a far-flung pharmacy.

“The websites are not up-to-the-minute, so what’s showing in the vaccine finder may reflect yesterday or last week’s information,” Dooling says.

How Can You Get Your Second Dose?

As soon as you get your first dose, make an appointment for the second dose two months later, Dooling says. Ask whether the provider—usually a pharmacy or doctor—is keeping a list of people who need the second dose, because they should receive priority, according to the CDC.

“Find out if they have a recall and reminder system for people who’ve had their first dose,” Dooling adds.

Once you receive notification that your second dose is available, call the day before you’re scheduled to receive it to confirm, the APhA says.

But don’t skip that second shot. The two-dose recommendation is based on research, and we don’t have any evidence on how well just one dose might protect against shingles.

“You obviously get some immune response, but exactly how strong it is and how long the protection lasts is not known,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn.

And If You Can’t Find That Second Shot?

The CDC’s recommendation, based on evidence from clinical trials, is to get your second dose of Shingrix anywhere from two to six months after the first.

But if it takes longer than that to locate a second dose, don’t worry, Schaffner says. The CDC advises simply getting that second dose as soon as you can find it—and no, you don’t have to start the series over.

“The timing is not critical,” Schaffner notes. “You just don’t want to get it sooner than recommended because then the body’s immunity is still working on the first dose, so you don’t get the full benefit of the second.”

It’s also fine to get your second dose from a different pharmacy or doctor than your first. “But let your home-base provider know you’ve gotten it,” Schaffner says. “As soon as I got my second dose, I sent my physician an email so he could put it in my medical record.”

What If You Can’t Get a First Dose Anywhere?

One reasonable option, if you’re eligible, is to have the Zostavax vaccine in the interim, say both Dooling and Schaffner—but if you do so, you will need to wait at least eight weeks before getting the newer vaccine.

(Note that the CDC recommends that anyone who’s had Zostavax also get Shingrix and that Zostavax can’t be used as a substitute for a second dose of Shingrix.)

Finally, “Keep looking and be patient,” Dooling says. “It is worth the wait, and we anticipate that supply will catch up with demand.”

https://www.consumerreports.org/shingles-vaccine/shingles-vaccine-shortage-shingrix-availability/

Safety and the Holidays

Posted on December 4, 2018 by argerlac

https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/winter/infographic

Free Winter Cooking Classes

Posted on December 3, 2018 by argerlac

Winter Cooking Workshop Series

Adults are invited to join the Nutrition Services office of the Marion County Public Health Department for a series of programs as part of The Indianapolis Public Library’s Winter Cooking Workshop Series that will help in preparing healthy meals appropriate for the season.

The series, to be presented through March at various IndyPL locations, will feature the following topics:

“Keeping Warm With Soups”
There’s nothing quite as comforting as a hot bowl of soup, and there’s no better way to warm up during cold weather. Soups and stews are eaten in many countries around the world. Join our class for this cultural food workshop to learn how to make soups from around the world. Afterwards you will be able to cook a big pot of one of your favorites for family and friends and get set to enjoy the warmth and flavor. The workshop includes live demonstrations, food tasting and a lecture. Registration is required. The workshop is limited to 20 participants per session.
“Healthy Gut, Healthy Me!”
From your immune system to your mood, an array of conditions appears to be linked to the community of microorganisms within us or our microbiome. Join us to learn why maintaining a healthy gut is a hot topic of research and sample some recipes designed to keep your “bugs” in balance. The workshop includes live demonstrations, food tasting and a lecture. Registration is required. The workshop is limited to 20 participants per session.
“Go Red for Hearts!”
Your heart works hard for you your whole life so why not show it some love! There are many things you can do to make yourself less likely to get heart disease. This interactive class will guide you through some lifestyle steps to help your heart, emphasizing some specific changes you can make to your diet to help prevent heart disease. The workshop includes live demonstrations, food tasting and a lecture. Registration is required. The workshop is limited to 20 participants per session.

Call 317-275-4100 for more information about these free Library programs.

http://www.indypl.org/events/featured/winter-cooking-workshop-series/

Garfield Park Conservatory Christmas

Posted on November 30, 2018 by argerlac

Special Event | Conservatory Crossing | Garfield