Good Health ’23 12/13/23 edition is published by Anton Media Group.

‘ AN ANTON MEDIA GROUP SPECIAL

DECEMBER 13–19, 2023

FOOD SAFETY

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GOOD HEALTH ‘23 • DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2023 3B

Keep Food Safety In Mind This Holiday Season

BY JENNIFER CORR

jcorr@antonmediagroup.com

T

he holidays are known as a time to chow down.

Between all the holiday parties, abundance of cookies and sugary gifts, December is a great time to experience all different kinds of flavors. But it’s important to keep in mind food safety tips when preparing food for yourself, your family or friends.

A simple Google search can reveal numerous cases of food poisoning caused by potlucks. For example, WCNC Charlotte reported that 300 people got food poisoning after eating at a church barbecue in Concord, N.C. And 40 people got sick, and 19 people were hospitalized, after eating feces contaminated food at a birthday party in Forest Hills, Charlotte, the Daily Mail reported.

“The holidays are a wonderful time of year to spend time with friends and family,” Jack Connolly of the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education wrote in an article. “During this season of festive cheer, food is often a central part of holiday celebrations with loved ones. With so many delicious options, it is important to stay safe from certain unwanted guests—bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses, which is more commonly known as food poisoning.”

To keep yourself and the people you are preparing the food for safe, it’s important to keep a number of food safety tips in mind.

Bacteria is not something you can see, smell or taste. However, bacteria can multiply, especially in a moist or warm environment. Some bacterias can frequent on people’s hands, which can cause illness if hands are not washed or gloves are not used when preparing ready-to-eat food like lettuce. It’s also important to be cautious with foods like eggs and chicken.

“During the holiday season, people consume many different festive treats like holiday cookies and cupcakes,” Connolly wrote. “These can include uncooked or lightly cooked egg products, which can be contaminated with salmonella. To kill any bacteria that may be present, it is very important to thoroughly cook egg products.

As tempting as it may be, avoid tasting any extra cookie or cake batter.”

Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees to destroy pathogens. And the University of Connecticut in an article discourages washing raw chicken or turkey before preparing it, as the resulting splash could spread pathogens to nearby areas of the kitchen, such as counters, faucets and other kitchen surfaces.

“Cross-contamination happens when raw poultry or its juices, contaminated with harmful bacteria or other pathogens, touches a cooked food, a ready-to-eat food or fresh produce,” the article from the University of Connecticut states. “It can also happen when

Practice food safety this holiday season. (Photo courtesy Unsplash) a utensil, cutting board, work surface or hand—used to prepare raw, contaminated poultry—is then used to handle ready-to-eat foods. For example, cross-contamination could occur if serving tongs are used to put raw chicken on a barbecue grill and are again used to remove the cooked food without washing between uses. Because the juices from raw poultry can easily be spread to other foods, the counter or utensils, you need to handle poultry in a way that minimizes the possibility of cross-contamination.”

Ground meats, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, should be cooked to 160 degrees; fresh beef should be cooked to 145 degrees (160 degrees for medium and 170 degrees for well done); fish and shellfish should be cooked to 145 degrees; ham should be cooked to 160 degrees and eggs should be cooked until yolk and whites are firm or 160 degrees for egg dishes, egg-based sauces and custards.

When having a party, keep in mind the twohour rule. According to the USDA, leaving food out at room temperature can cause bacteria to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness, as bacteria grows most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperature is known as the “danger zone.”

“Never leave food out of refrigeration over two hours,” the USDA states. “If the

temperature is above 90 degrees, food should not be left out more than one hour.”

Clean hands and dishes can also keep your food safe and sanitary. To properly wash your hands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wet your hands with clean, running water; lather your hands by rubbing them together with soap and lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails; scrub your hands for 20 seconds (hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice); rinse your hands and dry your hands with a clean towel or air dryer.

Hands should be washed before, during and after preparing food and after handling raw meats or eggs, after using the toilet, after changing diapers, after touching an animal or handling pet food, after touching garbage, before and after handling someone who is sick, before and after treating a wound and after blowing your nose or sneezing.

Foodsafety.gov recommends washing cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with hot, soapy water, especially after they’ve held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs and to wash dish cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

One of the best parts about the holidays is the leftovers. But even leftovers need to be stored properly.

It is recommended by the USDA to divide a large pot of soup, for example, into smaller

portions to prevent bacteria from multiplying. Large items for food, such as roasts or hams, should be cut into smaller parts.

Chicken breasts, legs and wings can be left whole, instead of sliced.

Leftovers can be left in the refrigerator for three to four days, or in the freezer for three to four months (while safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer). Cover leftovers, wrap them in airtight packaging or seal them in storage containers. These methods will help keep bacteria out, retain moisture and prevent leftovers from picking up odors in the refrigerator. Immediately refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for rapid cooling.

Safe ways to thaw leftovers include the refrigerator, cold water and the microwave. Refrigerator thawing takes the longest. To cold water thaw, place the food in a leak-proof package or plastic bag and place it into cold water. Make sure no water gets in, as it could introduce bacteria. Microwave thawing is the fastest option. When thawing leftovers, make sure the temperature reaches 165 degrees.

After thawing, food should be used within three to four days or it can be refrozen.

Foods thawed by cold water or microwave should be cooked before refreezing.

With all these food safety tips in mind, have a happy, safe and delicious holiday season.

4B DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2023 • GOOD HEALTH ‘23

Chronic liver disease affects more than 120 million Americans, most of whom are unaware of the disease they carry. There are methods to screen for liver disease which are non-invasive, inexpensive, and high yield to save lives in the future.

Fatty liver, now called steatotic liver disease, is the most common chronic liver disease in the United States. Pure steatotic liver disease, renamed metabolic associated fatty liver disease or MAFLD, is strongly associated with diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and heart disease. The majority of people in the United States with fatty liver have either diabetes or are overweight. Sadly, greater than 50 percent of our population is considered obese so the number of patients with fatty liver disease is increasing dramatically. While not everyone can be screened for fatty liver, all people with diabetes, all people with polycystic ovarian syndrome and all people who are medically obese, should be screened for this condition. The main screening tests are not standard liver tests, as they can be normal in fatty liver, but calculated

2024

THE SPECIALIST

David Bernstein, MD

formulas comprising blood test results and age to quickly determine if scarring is present or not. There are also special ultrasounds which can determine quantitatively how much fat or scarring is in the liver so not only does this test diagnosis fatty liver but it also stages it. All patients with diabetes or who are obese should have this ultrasound, called transient elastography.

Viral hepatitis remains common in the United States. The current recommendations are that all

adults be screened once in their lives for hepatitis C. This is a new recommendation and an important one. Anyone with potential recurring risk factors for hepatitis C should be screened annually.

Screening for hepatitis B should be in those with specific risks.

Screening tools remain an important part of preventive medical care. Screening of all people for all liver diseases is not cost effective and is not recommended. However, targeted screening as described above is cost effective and both life and quality of life saving. Mass education regarding liver diseases and its risk factors in an effort to prevent the acquisition of liver diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases is probably the best way to prevent the late complications of liver disease.

David Bernstein, MD, MACG, FAASLD, AGAF, FACP, is a professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Ambulatory Network-Long Island for NYU Langone Health.

Plaza College Gains Accreditation On the heels of a concerning study finding 100 percent of New York State hospitals reporting unmitigable nursing shortages, Queens-based Plaza College has been awarded a prestigious national accreditation for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program.

The Plaza College School of Nursing was awarded formal accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as one of the most rigorous programmatic accreditation programs in the U.S. Dr. Abdur “Raheem” NizarMoses, PhD/MSN/RN, the program’s Chief Nurse Administrator and Dean of Nursing at Plaza College said, “To achieve CCNE accreditation illustrates the remarkable quality of the programs at Plaza College. Our esteemed faculty and I are extremely proud of the level of attention and access to advanced resources that our program provides. Coupled with the clinical rotations at our affiliate hospitals and healthcare centers, the nursing education

Plaza College School of Nursing experience at Plaza is top-notch.”

Each Plaza nursing program cohort is made up of 40 students enrolled every other semester.

Its ethnically diverse student body was recognized by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards as “a true representation of the borough, which is one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world.”

The college’s unique Center for Healthcare Simulation includes an advanced suite of training laboratories featuring innovative simulation technology for students to practice skills on medical manikins that mimic emergency room, labor and delivery, elder care, and other high-risk patientand hospital-care scenarios.

—Plaza College

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6B DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2023 • GOOD HEALTH ‘23

Blues Clues

Helping kids with emotional regulation during the holiday season

BY ANGELA C. SANTOMERO

wonder and excitement will help us be less stressed around our kids, and allow us to enjoy the ride that much more. Here are some tips to help us look through the eyes of a child and help our kids from being over-stimulated during the holiday season.

specialsections@antonmediagroup.com

H

olidays are upon us and experiencing them through the eyes of a child will help you and your family find joy during this time! Remember when you couldn’t wait for the lights and the frenzied excitement and buzz that surrounded the holiday time?

Remember how you could barely sleep because this time was so much fun?

Holding onto our own child-like

Plan ahead and slow down

As hard as that sounds, this will go a long way in making us calmer, overall. If we slow down, our kids will too, which will help us all take in the positive and enjoy the holidays.

Maybe make

paper rings and take one away for each day in December to count down to the holidays. Perhaps create a small ritual of a family dinner every Sunday to talk, eat together, and cherish the moments before the holidays.

Give kids a part to play in the festivities

Can they help set the table? Help prepare their favorite dish? Choose a small gift for their siblings and wrap it? Maybe their job is to take the coats when people come over?

Or maybe they are the photographer and take pictures? Giving kids a special task will help them focus their energy which helps them not to be over stimulated.

“When something is new, talk about what you’ll do”

day? Will I play music? Will we show gratitude for presents? Will we play some games? Have your kids get a mental picture of what is going to happen—or even draw their favorite part. It’s exciting to talk about, and at the same time, it helps to prepare our kids for what’s to come.

Be early

Having control over an environment and feeling comfortable before there are a lot of people at an event will help ground our little ones. Whether it’s a school concert or a holiday gathering, arriving early will give kids their bearings before all of the people, music and chatter rise to a high level.

Know that emotions are inevitable As the TV show character We all get overstimulated, so Daniel Tiger would say, talking knowing that sugar, loud noises, about the holidays and what to lots of people, lots of lights and the expect will do wonders to calm the pure joy and excitement can take over-stimulation for our little ones. anyone over the edge. Knowing Talk about the simple things—who that this may happen will help you will come over? Will we sit in the take it in stride and show our kids dining room and all eat together? we respect their emotions and that What’s your favorite part of the all emotions are okay.

About Angela C. Santomero Described by Joanne Rogers as “a modern day Fred Rogers,” Angela Santomero is the co-creator of Blue’s Clues and the creator of the Super Why!, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Creative Galaxy and Wishenproof. Her work has been cited in numerous publications including Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller, The Tipping Point.

Santomero earned her master’s degree in child developmental psychology and instructional technology and media from Columbia University–Teacher’s College. She has spent more than two decades creating, developing, and writing shows for kids that are based on the essential clues for child development.

Santomero’s goal is to create media that will empower, challenge and build the self-worth of preschoolers while making them laugh. After working with children for more than 30 years, she has learned that kids’ media can and should be a bonding experience to bring families together to laugh, love and play.

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GOOD HEALTH ‘23 • DECEMBER 13 - 19, 2023 7B

NEIGHBORS IN THE NEWS

Local Nursing Students Receive White Coats On Oct. 18, local students in New York Institute of Technology’s nursing program received their white coats. The Nursing White Coat Ceremony signifies the transition from classroom learning to clinical learning, and represents a formal welcome into the nursing profession. It is held each fall semester of the students’ junior year, before beginning their first clinical experience in health facilities. Miriam Ibrahim of Williston Park and Joel Philipose of New Hyde Park were among some of the local nursing students.

—New York Institute of Technology

Dr. Kevin J. Tracey Receives Science Prize The Hans Wigzell Research Foundation announced that Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, is the recipient of the 2023 Hans Wigzell Research Foundation’s Science Prize in recognition of his significant contributions to the fields of neuroscience and neuroimmunology.

“The prize is given to Dr. Tracey

Kevin J. Tracey, MD, earns the award as recognition for his groundbreaking discoveries in vagus nerve stimulation, the inflammatory reflex and bioelectronic medicine. Northwell Health

for his innovative discoveries of the mechanisms of how nerves transmit signals to stop inflammatory diseases,” said Hans Wigzell, MD, PhD. “His research is a surprising new inroad to treat inflammation using computer chips targeting nerves instead of drugs.”

One of Tracey’s most notable achievements is his discovery of the body’s “inflammatory T:10" reflex,” which is a neural circuit that regulates S:9.5"

the body’s inflammatory response.

This seminal finding led to the field of bioelectronic medicine.

This relatively new and innovative approach combines principles of neuroscience, immunology and electrical engineering to develop novel therapies and medical devices to modulate this reflex to treat conditions.

“I am honored and sincerely grateful to Professor Wigzell and

the Foundation,” said Dr. Tracey.

“This prize celebrates the work of outstanding teams of brilliant colleagues who dedicated years of research in the shared hope of making discoveries that improve the lives of patients needing better therapies for inflammation. Having met some of the first patients who benefited from this work, we now in turn, dedicate this prize to them.”

—Northwell Health

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