voestalpine Nortrak
Volume 1 Issue
12
December 2015
Editor: Jan Peters
BEFORE YOU TAKE A BITE OF THAT
TURKEY, MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T
TAKE A BITE OUT OF YOU
A Path to
Wellness
one step at a time
Follow these four food safety tips to take the guess- Sound familiar? The holiday season is upon us. Time
for merriment, good cheer, Salvation Army bell ringwork out of preparing your holiday turkey.
ers, eggnog, yule logs, and stress.
1. Safely Thaw a Turkey
Thaw turkeys in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold Have you thought of what you need to do to get
water that is changed every 30 minutes, or in the mi- through it? No, I'm not talking about aforementioned
crowave.
holiday gift lists. I am talking about you. Have you
A frozen turkey is safe indefinitely, but a thawing thought about what you need so you don't go crazy at
turkey must defrost at a safe temperature. When the some point before the New Year?
turkey is left out at room temperature for more than
If you're like most people, probably not. But like that
two hours, its temperature can creep into the danger
old saying, "Healer, heal thyself," if you don't take
zone between 40°F and 140°F, where bacteria can
care of yourself this holiday season: 1) no one else
grow rapidly.
will, and 2) you'll likely get sick. It's hard to take care
of everyone and everything else when you feel six
2. Safely Handle a Turkey
Bacteria from raw poultry can contaminate anything feet under with the flu.
that it touches. Thoroughly wash your hands, utensils, What to do? Don't stress. ADAPT.
and work surfaces to prevent the spread of bacteria to
A -- Acknowledge that things are going to be a bit
your food and family.
crazier than usual this time of year. It's okay. This too
shall pass.
Take Care with Leftovers
D -- Don't sweat the small stuff. Holidays are not
Clostridium perfringens is the second most common
about perfection. It really doesn't matter if one of
bacterial cause of food poisoning. Outbreaks occur
Rudolph's ears is on crooked in your son's holiday
most often in November and December. Meat and\
poultry accounted for 92% of outbreaks with an ideti- pageant costume. Focus on getting it done and getting
fied single food source/ Refrigerate leftovers at 40°F through to the New Year.
or below as soon as possible and within two hours of
A -- Accept that things are going to happen that waypreparation to prevent food poisoning.1
lay your best laid plans and intentions. You'll likely
find yourself relying quite a bit on Plan B or C or D
3. Safely Stuff a Turkey
Cook stuffing in a casserole dish to make sure it is this holiday season. That's okay. (See D above.)
thoroughly cooked. If you stuff the turkey, do so just
P -- Pretend you have it all together. As my colleague
before cooking. Use a food thermometer to make sure
likes to say, "Fake it 'til you make it." There's somethe stuffing's center reaches 165°F. Bacteria can surthing behind that. If you pretend that you have it all
vive in stuffing that has not reached 165°F, and possitogether, you likely will. It's kind of like how smiling
bly cause food poisoning. Learn more about how to
can make you happier.
safely prepare stuffing.
T -- Troubleshoot. Because things aren't going to go
4. Safely Cook a Turkey
as planned (see Accept), make sure that you have a
Set the oven temperature to at least 325°. Place the
Plan B or C or D to fall back on. That way, you can
completely thawed turkey with the breast side up in a
gracefully slide into Plan B and pretend that's the way
roasting pan that is 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Cooking
you intended for things to work anyway.
times will vary depending on the weight of the bird.
To make sure the turkey has reached a safe internal If I had my way, I'd stick an S on the end of that. As
temperature of 165°F, check by using a food ther- in ADAPTS. Why?
mometer inserted into the center of the stuffing and
the thickest portions of the breast, thigh, and wing S -- Self-care. Make sure you take some time for you
joint. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before remov- this holiday season. I know, I know, "But I don't have
ing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat. time." Unfortunately, you'll have even less time if you
Learn more about safe minimum cooking tempera- get sick. An apple a day and all that. So take 10
tures and how to use and calibrate a food thermometer minutes a day to meditate, go for walks a few times a
week, watch a funny movie, whatever it takes. Just
for turkey and other foods.
make sure to carve out some you time in your busy
day. And last but not least, stay hydrated. I know, it's
What About You This Holiday cold outside, and a cool glass of water may not sound
Season Get everything ready for the holiday that appetizing. That's okay. Drink hot tea, warm
party at work. Check. Bake cookies for my daughter's milk, whatever you like that is mostly water and will
Christmas pageant. Check. Get all of my Christmas keep you hydrated (no, eggnog doesn't count -- alcoshopping done. Check. Oh no! I forgot about Aunt hol is dehydrating).
Carol!
Healthy Lifestyles
Moroccan-Spiced Turkey with Aromatic Orange Pan Jus
Ingredients:
Preparation
1 (12-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
5/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups unsalted chicken stock
3/4 cup dry sherry
Cooking spray
1/2 cup orange juice
1.
Change Your Mind for Better
Cholesterol a few glasses of wine will take the edge off a
rough day. Whatever your vice, negative emotions can cultivate unhealthy coping methods
and lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. Researchers
say these habits are a major reason why psychological distress is a risk factor for heart disease.
That’s why dealing with your emotions and
adopting healthier habits are the most effective
ways to keep your blood pressure down and
your arteries in the clear.
We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you
eat.” But could we soon be adding “you are
what you feel” to the refrain? While a single
stressful week at the office probably isn’t going
to inflict any lasting damage, if you feel overwhelmed and distressed more often than not,
it’s time for a heart-healthy primer on coping.
Self-assurance in the face of life’s daily challenges, staying upbeat when we fail and taking
care of our needs can help keep us happy and
our hearts ticking.
Are You Stressing Your Heart?
We know that chronic stress can increase heart
rate, blood pressure and inflammation — all of
which are associated with the buildup of plaque
in the arteries. Some researchers now also suspect that stress may even affect our cholesterol
levels. According to a recent study, people who
react the most severely to stressful situations are
three times more likely to have high LDL than
people who stay the most serene. While stress
may not be the most important contributor to
unhealthy cholesterol levels, the study’s author
says, it may contribute to the problem.
Don’t Let Stress Drag You Down
Stress can be like that shady friend your mother
always tried to keep you away from. When it’s
constantly hanging around, taking care of your
needs can fall to the bottom of your to-do list,
and your bad habits can take over. Maybe you
take comfort in a box of doughnuts, or skip
your walk to log an extra hour at work. Perhaps
you think a cigarette will calm jittery nerves or
Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; discard liver. Pat turkey dry with paper towels;
trim and discard excess fat. Starting at neck
cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks
by inserting fingers, gently pushing between
skin and meat. Combine oil, rind, cumin, honey,
garlic powder, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2
teaspoon black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and
red pepper, stirring with a whisk. Rub spice
mixture under loosened skin and over breast
and drumsticks. Lift wing tips up and over
back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with
kitchen string. Place giblets, neck, onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of a large roasting
pan; add stock and sherry to pan. Place roasting
rack in pan. Coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange turkey, breast side up, on roasting
Get out for a Walk
You already know that working out is good for
the heart. It can boost HDL — the good cholesterol — and lower your triglycerides. Research
has shown that exercise can be as effective in
treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressants.
Think Happy Thoughts
Each day, make a point to think of three good
things that happened, such as “the sun came
out,” “my boss thanked me” and “I went to the
gym.” While writing in a gratitude journal can
be difficult for you at first if you’re really
stressed out or down, Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD,
professor of psychology at the University of
California and author of The How of Happiness,
advises that these little mood boosts, even
though they seem trivial, really add up to increased happiness in the long term.
Pat Yourself on the Back
Give yourself some credit. Well, not just some.
A lot of it. Life is full of challenges, and it’s
easy to criticize yourself when things don’t turn
out the way you might have liked. Thinking
about all of the things we did wrong does not
rack. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Cover
turkey loosely with foil. Reduce oven
temperature to 325° (do not remove turkey
from oven). Bake an additional 1 hour and 10
minutes or until a thermometer inserted into
meaty part of thigh registers 165°. Remove
pan from oven; place turkey on a cutting
board. Let stand, covered, for 20 minutes.
Carve turkey; discard skin.
3. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup
glass measure. Pour stock mixture through a
sieve into bag; discard solids. Let stand 10
minutes. Seal bag; snip off 1 bottom corner
of bag. Drain stock mixture into a medium
saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches
opening. Add orange juice to pan; bring to a
boil. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and
remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Serve
sauce with turkey.
give us insight. “All it gives us is a distorted,
pessimistic view of our lives,” Lyubomirsky
says. How do you keep the major and minor
setbacks from plunging you into a pit of despair? Believe it or not: distraction. Do things
that bring you pleasure and that have the
power to engross you.
Choose Happiness
“A lot of coping has to do with what your
goal is,” says Robert Leahy, PhD, author of
The Worry Cure. Demand the impossible of
yourself, he continues, and you will feel
stressed. Focus on what you can control;
you’ll feel less stress. One way to create a
feeling of positive control: Make a menu of
rewarding actions for yourself. Whenever you
feel yourself falling into negative thinking,
Leahy suggests, pick something from your
list and do it.
My Christmas Wish for
All Nortrak Employees.
May this Holiday Season
bring of you joy, happiness
and peace
May you feel the love and joy
of family and friends.
May you enjoy the food that you share with your
loved ones, and;
May you be grateful for what you have.
May you remember all those who do not have what
you have and;
May you each find it in your hearts to share your
bounty with others.
My Very Best Wishes for All of You in 2016
Janice Peters, Editor