March How Food Labels Help You Detect Food Allergens

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1 Healthy Families March 2018 Food Allergies and Intolerance How Food Labels Help You Detect Food Allergens Food labels can help you choose the foods that best fit into your meal plan so that you can avoid those foods that cause food allergies or sensitivities. Your physician has told you what foods to avoid. Look at the food label when shopping to be sure that there are no forms of the food allergen contained in that product. Each label will include basic information about the food: Ingredient List Ingredient Listing Allergy Information On food labels, the ingredients are listed on the label in descending order by weight. The ingredient with the greatest weight is listed first, followed by the next heaviest ingredient and so on. People with food allergies or intolerance need to pay close attention to the presence or absence of those food allergens that can cause reactions. Option 1: Food source in parenthesis following the common or usual name of the major food allergen in the list of ingredients in instances when the name of the food source of the major allergen does not appear elsewhere in the ingredient statement. Allergy Information A "major food allergen " is one of eight common foods or food groups (milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans). This new food allergen labeling law requires food manufacturers to label food products that contain an ingredient that is or contains protein from a major food allergen in one of two ways. Option 2: Place the word "Contains" followed by the name of the food source from which the major food allergen comes, just after or next to the list of ingredients, in type size that is no smaller than the type size used for the list of ingredients.

2 Health: Understanding Blood Pressure Blood pressure is the measurement of the force of blood on the walls of the arteries. Top number = Systolic (force when heart beat) Bottom number = Diastolic (force between heart beats) Steps to Follow Monitor at home at the same time of day Use left arm with correct size cuff Sit comfortably with back supported Legs and ankles uncrossed Wait 1 hour after walking or exercising Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco Remember Your blood pressure can: Normal Less than 120 Less than 80 Pre-High Blood Pressure High Blood Pressure - Stage High Blood Pressure - Stage or higher 100 or higher Vary throughout the day and is often higher in the morning Is affected by activity, rest, temperature, diet, posture, medications, and emotional state Risk Factors You're more at risk if you: Smoke Are African-American Don't exercise regularly Drink a lot of alcohol Are overweight Eat a lot of salty food Use decongestants, antiinflammatory drugs, or steroids on a regular basis Call When you have these symptoms: Nausea Dizziness Severe headache Shortness of breath Cold, clammy sweat Loss of balance (hard time walking) Chest discomfort (pain, pressure) Pain, weakness, or numbness in leg, face or arms Confusion or trouble understanding, seeing or speaking What To Do MONITOR A FEW DAYS A MONTH if your blood pressure is controlled, MORE OFTEN if you just started or have medication changes or have health problems. CALL YOUR DOCTOR if your blood pressure is higher than normal and talk to them about specific needs or your blood pressure goals. NEVER stop taking prescribed medication or change your diet without your doctor's approval.

3 Recipe: Beefy Sausage Zucchini Bake This recipe is an easy, comforting casserole recipe for dinner! Ingredients: Food Groups in recipe: 1/2 pound - extra lean ground beef 1/2 pound - ground pork sausage 1 - medium onion, chopped 1/2 tsp - pepper 1/2 tsp - garlic powder 6 ounces - unsalted tomato paste 2 cans - diced tomatoes, Italian style 4 cups - sliced zucchini (about 4 small) 1/4 cup - grated Parmesan cheese P V D Instructions: 1. In a skillet, brown beef, pork and onion. Drain if needed. 2. Add seasonings, tomato paste and canned tomatoes. 3. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini. 4. Transfer mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. 5. Bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. 6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

4 Activity: Spring Time Gardening Gardening is a great way to get physically active while getting a healthy dose of delicious vegetables. If you are planning to start a garden, here's what you need to do: Plan Your Garden Choose a place where the soil is loose, rich, level, and well-drained. Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Make sure you are near a water supply. Don't go big - start with 1 7'x3' raised bed and work your way from there. Make sure to make time for your garden Know your seeds and what they need including time, space and depth. What grows here and when? Small Garden Veggies Season They Grow In Example Varieties for Webb Tomatoes Eggplant Carrots Swiss Chard Turnips Beets Peppers Onions Lettuce Broccoli Radish Squash Super Fantastic Black Beauty Danver Half Long Rhubarb Red Just Right Detroit Dark Red Delicias Jalapeño Carmen (Long Day) Buttercrunch Green Comet Cherry Belle Zucchini Elite

5 Upcoming Events April Programs and Deadlines April 2 April 4 April 6 April 7 April 9 April 9 April 11 April 17 April 18 April 19 April 26 April 28 April 30 Office Closed Healthy Texas Coalition Meeting D12 4-H Fashion Sensation Event D12 4-H RoundUp Event Walk Across Texas Kick-Off Youth Am./Master Wellness Opens Worksite Wellness Conf. - Weslaco Fruit & Veggie Show & Tell Worksite Wellness Conf. - Laredo Youth Engagement Conf. Mtg 4-H FCH Planning Committee Mtg. 4-H Senior Shin-Dig Healthy Families Newsletter Publishes Follow us on social media. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.