84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 21,2001
Consuming
Thoughts
by
Fay Strickler
Penn State Extension Home
Economist For Berks Co.
Most people know that they
can’t change their basic body
structure, but, whatever your
body type, you can be fit and not
fat! To be fit is to feel good and
move well while maintaining a
desirable weight. Some people
who weigh more than the height
weight chart indicate maybe fit
because their excess weight is in
muscle, not fat. Overweight is a
problem only if the extra calories
are in fat.
To see if you are “fat,” rather
than “fit,” answer these ques
tions:
• Are you wider at the waist
than at your chest?
• Does your middle interfere
with sight of your toes?
• If you pinch a fold of skin
from the back of your upper arm,
is it more than an inch thick?
If you answered yes to these
questions, it is time to get “fit.”
Obesity is harmful to your
health and may shorten your life.
It increases risk of high blood
pressure, diabetes, heart disease
and many other medical prob
lems. Some overweight people
may be at greater risk than oth
ers. For example, recent research
shows that people who tend to
have their fat concentrated in the
waist and abdomen rather than
the thighs and buttocks may be
more prone to the illnesses that
often go along with obesity.
The best approach to becom
ing fit is to decrease calories and
increase physical activity. Exer
cise bums calories and helps
make you fit. Exercise also re
lieves tension, which often leads
to overeating.
You don’t have to be an ath
lete to engage in physical activi
ty. There are lots of little ways to
Meet The Astronaut Program
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
Meet Astronaut Jim Pawelczyk
who flew on the space shuttle
Columbia, logged 6.4 million
miles in space, and circled the
earth 256 times.
At the Berks County Agricul
tural Center, May 16, from 4
p.m.-5 p.m., see videos of Pa
welczyk’s trip in space, leant
about his experiments, and ask
him space-related questions.
bum calories during your daily
routine. Walk or bicycle instead
of drive, use the stairs instead of
the elevator, stand rather than
sit. Bend, stoop, stretch, squat,
reach, move, lift, and carry are
all extra actions that add up to
burned calories.
The number of calories burned
depends on the degree of the ac
tivity (running burns more than
walking), length of the activity
(the longer the activity continues,
the more calories burned), and
your weight (a heavier person
uses more energy than a lighter
person for the same activity). A
leisurely walk burns more than
twice as many calories as stand
ing quietly. A brisk walk bums
over three times as many. In
creasing your regular activity by
walking briskly for just half an
hour each day can result in 17
pounds of body fat lost per year,
assuming that you have not in
creased your level of calories
from food!
Perhaps you might take sever
al one-minute stretch breaks dur
ing the day, take a walk at
lunchtime or after work or at
tend an aerobics or slimnastics
class. Develop a home exercise
program for yourself or set up a
daily routine of walking, bicy
cling or jogging or simply put
more vigor into everyday activi
ties.
The important thing is to see
how to best fit fitness into your
schedule and then take action!
Start with the activities that are
easiest for you or appeal to you
most. So the bottom line is con
tinue to make small steady
changes and make them perma
nent.
The program is geared for
third graders through middle
school. At least one chaperone
per 10 youths is required.
Although the event is free, ad
vance registration is required be
cause of limited seating.
Request free tickets from
Berks County Cooperative Ex
tension, Berks County Ag Cen
ter, P.O. Box 520, Leesport, PA
19533.
Alfalfa Sprouts Concern
COLUMBUS, Ohio Almost
any food can give you food poi
soning, and alfalfa sprouts are no
exception. In 1999, the Centers
for Disease Control and Preven
tion issued an advisory about all
sorts of sprouts for people who
are at high risk from food-borne
disease children under 5 years
old, the elderly and those with
weak immune systems. There’s
simply no way currently to as
sure safety of sprouts.
The problem stems from the
warm, humid conditions neces
sary for seeds to grow into
sprouts they’re exactly the
conditions enjoyed by many
types of bacteria, including E.
coli 0157:H7 and salmonella.
The fact that there’s so much
surface area on sprouts is also
conducive to bacteria growth.
Unfortunately, rinsing sprouts
under running water doesn’t al
ways get rid of bacteria. And this
Register For Spring Awareness Day
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
Berks County’s Spring Aware
ness Day is May 16, from 9 a.m.-
2:30 p.m. Traditionally the annu
al program focused on women’s
interests, but is now geared to in
clude men and home schooled
students.
The program, at the Berks
County Agricultural Center, in
cludes the following sessions:
• Basketry world wide and a
noncorrosive Delrin valve
is self cleaning & simple to operate!
• 12” in diameter & 8” deep.
• 3 gallon capacity* 6 times that
of other bowls!
• Fast recovery- 3 gallons per
minute at 40 psl.
• PVC construction- guaranteed
unbreakable, inhibits bacterial
growth.
•With nonrestrictive splash guard.
• Cleaner- water fill located at
bottom.
• Bottom drain- for easy cleaning.
• Adjustable water level.
Call or mite for additional information
& the name of your nearest dealer
can happen with any kind of
sprout bean, clover, alfalfa,
cress, soy, mustard, broccoli or
radish. In 1996,10,000 people be
came ill in an E. coli outbreak in
Japan, traced to white radish
sprouts.
Although sprouts, like other
foods, can be contaminated at
any point in production and dis
tribution, it appears the problem
often lies in the seeds themselves.
Researchers even tried soaking
alfalfa seeds in a chlorine bleach
solution before sprouting them.
While that reduced potential
problems, it didn’t eliminate
them.
Still, almost any food that’s
not properly handled or cooked
poses some risk. You just have to
take that into account. And
sprouts can be a nutritious part
of a salad or sandwich, offering a
bit of protein, fiber, vitamin C,
folate and iron to your diet.
Larger sprouts used in stir-fries
basket display of old and unusu
al baskets.
• Mike Butler, deputy attorney
general for the Bureau of Con
sumer Protection, will address
hot issues and scams on consum
er marketing fraud.
• Dr. James Huber will teach
creative methods to handle
change and stress.
• Dr. Jim Pawelczyk, will
show videos of his space trip on
WB9SPZ Zimmerman Water Bowl
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295 Woodcorner Rd. • Lititz, PA 17543 • 717/738-7365
1 mile West of Ephrata
are safe as long as they’re cooked
thoroughly. Just make sure you
let them simmer for a few min
utes in the hot pan or wok before
serving.
Even though you can’t control
what processors or distributors
do, food-safety experts em
phasize the importance of proper
food-safety practices in the home
to reduce food-borne illness.
Wash your hands thoroughly
and often before preparing
food and after combing your
hair, petting animals, touching
raw meat or fish, and especially
after changing diapers or using
the toilet. Use hot water and
wash for at least 20 seconds, air
drying or using a clean towel or
paper towel to dry.
Chow Line is a service of The
Ohio State University. Send
questions to Chow Line, do Mar
tha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road,
Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or
fllipic.3@osu.edu.
the shuttle Columbia and discuss
an astronaut’s view of health
based on space experiments.
Registration is $lO, and in
cludes a hot and cold luncheon
buffet. Make checks pay to Berks
County Cooperative Extension
Special Account. Include a self
addressed, stamped envelop for
ticket return. Mail to Ruth Arm
bruster, P.O. Box 7353, Reading,
PA 19603.
Water Supply
Cows! ■
Now you can give your cows the water they need to
produce more milk. With the Zimmerman Water
Bowl, you can do it at no extra costl
The bowls are designed to comply with known
federal and local requirements when installed
properly.*
Cows are not designed to push a paddle when they
need a drink. This unique watering system provides
a continuous supply of fresh water in the way
nature intended cows to drink. With a large capacity,
fast recovery and a guarantee against breakage,
the Zimmerman Water Bowl will revolutionize the
way you water your herd.
*AII bottom fill bowls require that approved back flow prevention
devices be installed In potable water supply lines
Install in new or remodeled facilities or in
most existing barns on manger or stall
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Hours Mon-Fn 7-5
Sat 7-11