Henry County
Extension Newsletter
March/April 2015
What Can You Do To Have a Healthier Heart?
Teresa Forehand, a regional health and nutrition agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System offers a few tips to help you
keep your heart healthy and strong.
Don’t smoke. Smoking is not only linked to lung cancer, it’s also a contributing factor to heart disease. Heart disease is
number one and cancer is the second leading cause of death in this country according to the United States Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. http:/www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
Get moving. Regular exercise is an important part of a heart-healthy routine. Try to work in 30 minutes of activity
most days of the week or 2½ hours of moderate activity per week. Watch your weight. Not only are people at a
healthy weight less likely to develop heart disease, they are less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes,
gallbladder disease and some types of cancer. Aim for a Body Mass Index between 19 and 24.9. Additional
information on BMI can be found here: http:/www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html.
Limit fat in your diet. Each gram of fats represents nine calories–more than twice the calories found in carbohydrates or
proteins. Limit fat to less than 30 percent of your total calories. The type of fat in your diet is important also. The best
source of fat to use is the monounsaturated sources such as canola, olive and peanut oils, olives, avocados and most nuts.
Balance the type of food you eat. High fat intake raises your cholesterol level.
Eat more complex carbohydrates. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates, if eaten plain, are low in fat and are good
sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Choose foods such as whole-grain breads and cereals, pasta, rice and dried
beans. Also enjoy fruits and vegetables more often. These foods are high in soluble fiber, which may help lower
cholesterol levels.
Limit sodium. Sodium is another word for salt. High blood pressure is sometimes associated with a diet high in sodium.
Control the amount of sodium you add to food and read labels for sodium content. Try seasoning food with herbs or
spices instead of salt.
If you drink, do so in moderation. Excessive alcohol use increases your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure,
liver disease and some types of cancer. To avoid these health problems, drink less than 1 ounce of pure alcohol in a
single day. An ounce is equal to two cans of beer, two small glasses of wine or two average cocktails.
Cooking methods matter! Always remember to bake, broil, roast, boil or microwave instead of other cooking methods
such as frying. Do not season with animal fat. Trim fat from meat or remove skin from poultry before cooking. Eat
vegetables raw when possible.
Source: Donna Reynolds, Extension Daily
Horticulture Help Line
Got questions about your garden or lawn?
Master Gardeners throughout the state are manning Horticulture Helpline phones to answer
questions from gardeners and homeowners. Master Gardeners provide answers based on
current research and best practices under the supervision of Alabama Extension agents.
“Generally, the toll-free helpline is manned Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
and is available year-round,” said Kerry Smith, coordinator for Alabama’s Master Gardener
Program. “We also have voice mail, so callers can leave a message and someone will get
back to them.”
“This is an invaluable resource for gardeners,” said Smith. Master Gardeners who answer the phones not only provide answers but
they can also send people additional materials including Extension publications and other materials available online and at county
Extension offices.
To reach the helpline, dial 1-877-252-GROW (4769).
A Master Gardener near you is ready to help with your questions. “Regions were created by grouping together counties that have
similar soils and climate,” Smith added.
Offered through county offices of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Alabama Master Gardener Volunteer Program
trains and certifies volunteers in horticulture and related areas—volunteers who, in turn, use their expertise in community horticultural
projects.
Source: Donna Reynolds, Extension Daily
Easy Dried Beans
Did you know that dried beans and peas are a great source of protein? For those of you looking to reduce your meat
consumption but maintain a protein-balanced diet, this is the way to go. Dried beans, peas and other legumes are a
hearty choice. Here’s a low-fat way to serve those favorite summertime-stored veggies! This recipe adds an extra kick of
flavor to those naturally yummy legumes.
•
•
•
•
•
1 pound dried peas or beans
1 smoked turkey wing
2 (14-ounce) cans of no-fat chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Black pepper to taste
Sort and wash peas or beans. Rinse turkey wing. Place turkey wing and peas into a heavy pot. Add broth and the bay
leaf. Cook on low heat until tender. Add black pepper as desired.
From the Simply Good Cooking from Uniontown, Alabama cookbook published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension
System.
Source: Margaret Lawrence, Extension Daily
“The greatest wealth is health.” ~ Virgil
Bark Adds Texture and Color to Winter Landscapes
After trees lose their leaves in the fall, many landscapes are left looking bare in winter. Planting
trees and shrubs with interesting bark adds texture and color to a sparse winter landscape.
Bark characteristics range from bright colors to exfoliating texture to even a quilt-like appearance,
said Roosevelt Robinson, an urban regional horticulture agent with Alabama Extension. “These
interesting bark characteristics can create a dramatic impact in winter as well as adding a subtle
accent to the landscape the rest of the year.”
Exfoliating or Peeling Bark
Trees with exfoliating or peeling bark include crape myrtle, river birch, papermulberry, shagbark hickory and paperbark maple, to
name a few. Crape myrtle has both exfoliating bark and bark color, ranging from tan to gray to a cinnamon-colored bark on different
species. Pruning crape myrtle into a nice tree-form also adds sculpture to a dormant landscape.
Paperbark maple turns a beautiful red-brown color as its bark begins to exfoliate. Paperbark maple, with its red peeling bark, works
well for landscapes in the northern portion of the state. The paper mulberry has a gray-brown color that peels off like paper while the
tree is young.
Colored Bark
River birch is well-known for its beautiful bark, which can be gray-brown or red. The cultivar “heritage”
has a beautiful cinnamon-colored bark. The tree adds sculpture to the landscape with its growth form.
There also are shrubs that offer exfoliating bark, said Robinson. Winter honeysuckle combines a winter
blooming shrub with an attractive exfoliating bark. Sweet mock orange has an attractive orange-to
reddish brown exfoliating bark that enhances any landscape. Oakleaf hydrangea has both exfoliating bark
and dried blooms. Fuzzy deutzia also provides a nice accent to a winter landscape.
Bark with Texture
Other trees with interesting bark include the American beech, sycamore, cucumber magnolia, Yoshino
cherry and the Chinese elm. The American beech has a beautiful white-gray bark, smooth in texture and
a good natural form.
The sycamore has white bark on the upper portions of the tree and gray-brown to reddish exfoliating bark near the base.
Cucumber magnolia displays an attractive gray bark that becomes ridged as it matures. It adds nice form and subtle color to your
landscape.
The bark of the Chinese elm is gray with mottled tan to orange blotches.
The use of plants with interesting bark and form adds character to an otherwise dull landscape in winter. Selecting a variety of plants
can offer an exciting landscape year-round.
To learn more about how to enhance your garden and landscape, check out Alabama Extension’s “Gardening in the South” series. You
can find the series on iBooks.
Based on proven Master Gardener training and seasoned with university research, the “Gardening in the South” series of books is
packed with information, tips and tricks to being a successful Southern gardener.
Source: Donna Reynolds, Extension Daily
Trees are your best antiques. ~Alexander Smith
6 Ways to Workout While Cooking
While we often think of the kitchen as a place where we cook up calories, it’s also possible to burn additional
calories while cooking. There are several advantages to building some “workout” time into the time we spend
preparing food.
Cooking is a time already reserved for an activity and is on our schedule.
You have to eat — so, it is less likely you’ll have a schedule conflict.
Photo courtesy of USDA/FSIS Image Library
The following examples are some simple ways to burn more calories
while you cook. Values for approximate calories burned are from
MyFitnessPal at www.myfitnesspal.com/exercise/lookup and are for a 150
pound person. You can adjust the weight and amount of time entered in the
online calculator up or down.
These activities aren’t meant to replace regular physical activities such as walking, biking, weight-lifting, etc.
However, while the individual amounts appear rather small — just by adding together a few activities, one can
see how it is easy to burn 100 or more calories during a regular ongoing event such as food preparation. As an
extra 100 calories daily could lead to a weight gain of 10 pounds a year, this amount of energy expenditure
could be significant over a period of time.
Burn Calories by Cooking! Just by cooking, you’re burning more calories than eating out or picking up a takeout meal. Plus, you’re more likely to eat a healthier meal. Activity (time): cooking or food preparation (20
minutes). Approximate calories burned: 37
Workout While Waiting for Water to Boil. Just walking around, waving your arms in circles, raising your
legs, etc. will burn calories. Activity (time): Calories burned from light calisthenics, home, light/moderate effort
(5 minutes). Approximate calories burned 20
March in Place While Stirring at the Stove. Many recipes say to “stir frequently.” Use the time between stirs
to add in some activity such as marching in place. Activity (time): Marching rapidly, military style (5 minutes).
Approximate calories burned 37.
Dance While Dinner is in the Oven. Rather than sit and read the paper or have a cup of coffee while dinner is
cooking, dance the time away. Have a couple of lively tunes at the ready and begin to boogie! Or, simply head
outdoors and take a brisk walk while dinner is cooking. Activity (time): Dancing, general (10 minutes).
Approximate calories burned 51.
Make Kitchen Items Less Convenient. Short on space in your cupboards? Perhaps there are some items you
could store up- or down-stairs. Rather than an inconvenience, they become an opportunity to add a little extra
activity into your day. Activity (time): Walking, upstairs (2 minutes). Approximate calories burned 18.
Join the Clean Team. Thoroughly clean as you cook. Clean the stove top,
give your countertops a good scrubbing and wipe those spills from the
floor. Your kitchen will look better for it and so may you! You might even
do some squats as you load the dishwasher. The more vigorously you
clean, the more calories you burn. Activity (time): Cleaning, light
moderate effort (5 minutes). Approximate calories burned 14.
Source: Alice Henneman, MS, RDN, Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County
“The best day to start exercising is today. Tomorrow can turn into weeks, months or years.” ~Unknown
Beef - Forage Field Day
Wiregrass Research & Extension Center
Headland, Alabama - March 6th, 2015
Registration – 8:00 a.m.
Welcome – Mr. Larry Wells (Wiregrass REC, Director)
Beef Industry Update – Dr. Billy Powell (AL Cattlemen’s Association, Exec. Director)
Farm Service Agency Update – Mr. Bobby Beasley (County Executive Director)
Wiregrass REC Tour – Mr. Brian Gamble (Wiregrass REC, Associate Director)
“Pasture & Hay Field Forages” – Dr. Jennifer Johnson (Extension Forage Specialist)
“Winter Forage Systems” – Dr. Kim Mullenix (Extension Livestock Specialist)
“Bermudagrass as Standing Hay” – Ms. Katie Bivens (Graduate Research Student)
“Estrus Synch & Fixed Time AI” – Mr. Josh Elmore (Regional Extension Agent)
“Hay Quality & Storage” – Mr. Rickey Hudson (Regional Extension Agent)
“Wild Pig Trapping” – Mr. Jordan Graves (Regional Extension Agent)
Lunch – Alabama Beef Checkoff (Sponsor) & Mr. Jimmy Jones (Henry Co. Extension)
AL Beef Quality Assurance – Dr. Frank Owsley (Extension Livestock Specialist)
For More Information – 334.693.2363 or 334.693.2010
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Alabama Cottage Food Law
Food Safety Training Course
March 10, 2015
1:00 to 3:00 PM
Henry County Extension Office
101 N Doswell Street
Abbeville, AL
Cost : $25.00
Understand the Cottage Food Law
Identify Foods that can
be Sold
Understand where Foods can be Sold
Recognize
Labeling Requirements Understand Basic Food Safety Practices
To register or for more information call:
Bridgette Brannon (334) 714-1248
or
Henry County Extension (334) 585-6416
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.”
Henry County Office
101 N Doswell Street, Suite A
Abbeville, AL 36310
Telephone: (334) 585-6416
Fax: (334) 585-6417
Henry County Extension Office Staff
Jimmy Jones, County Extension Coordinator
[email protected]
Samantha Dansby, 4-H Leader
[email protected]
Vicki Norton, Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)
[email protected]
Tawyna Kirkland, Nutrition Education Program (NEP)
[email protected]
Deloris Windham, County Administrative Associate
[email protected]
Alabama Cooperative Extension System is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and diversity of its workforce. Educational programs
of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System serve all people regardless of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, protected
veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable law.
“Published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University),
an equal opportunity educator and employer.”