2014 06 Dollars & Sense Newsletter

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June 2014—Volume 3, Issue 6

MDol EN’Slars EDITand ION

Cooperative Extension Service

Sense

Nelson County 317 S. 3rd Street Bardstown, KY. 40004 Phone: (502) 348-9204 Fax: (502) 348-9270 http://ces.ca.uky.edu/nelson/

If you’ve been getting my newsletter for a while, you may remember that last year I did a “men’s edition” of Dollars and Sense. It was about this same time and every article was related to men: their health, their hobbies, the food they’d like to eat.

June is Men’s Health Month so I’m doing it again! We want the men in our lives to be as happy and healthy as possible so that they live as long as we do. We may talk about what a nuisance they can be sometimes, but we all know they’re worth keeping them around.

So men, here’s to you. Thanks for fixing our lawnmowers and grilling our steaks and doing all those other society-deemed “manly” jobs. It’s not that we women can’t do those things ourselves, because we definitely can, but most of us (although not all) will painfully admit it’s much nicer when you do it for us.

This one’s for you, guys.

County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Making Healthy Accessing Embracing Life Promoting Healthy Securing Lifestyle Choices Nutritious Foods As We Age Homes and Financial Stability Communities

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Nurturing Families

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Empowering Community Leaders

Well That’s A Neat Idea!

Upcoming Events

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Mark Your Calendars!

June 7

Blooming Bardstown Garden Tour 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Nelson County Extension Office

$8 in advance $10 day of tour

June 12

Meats 101 1:00 p.m.

Bloomfield Library 502-252-9129 to RSVP

FREE

June 19

Making Your Own Green Cleaning Supplies 6:00 p.m.

Nelson County Extension Office 502-348-9204 RSVP required

$5.00

June 25

Food of the Month 6:00 p.m.

Nelson County Extension Office 502-348-9204 RSVP required

$5.00

June 27

Fresh Idea Friday 10:00 a.m.

Farmers Market Pavilion

FREE

July 2

Making Your Own Green Cleaning Supplies 6:00 p.m.

New Haven Library 502-549-6735 to RSVP

FREE

July 8

Canning Basics 6:00 p.m.

Nelson County Extension Office 502-348-9204 RSVP required

$5.00

July 10

Frozen Foods Bootcamp 3:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m.

Choose Your Time!

Nelson County Extension Office 502-348-9204 RSVP required

$5.00

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New PSA Guidelines

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Source: www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that men have a chance to make an informed decision with their health care provider about whether to be screened for prostate cancer. The decision should be made after getting information about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening. Men should not be screened unless they have received this information.

-The discussion about screening should take place at age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.

-This discussion should take place starting at age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes African Americans and men who have a first-degree relative (father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65).

-This discussion should take place at age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age).

After this discussion, those men who want to be screened should be tested with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. The digital rectal exam (DRE) may also be done as a part of screening.

If, after this discussion, a man is unable to decide if testing is right for him, the screening decision can be made by the health care provider, who should take into account the patient’s general health preferences and values. Assuming no prostate cancer is found as a result of screening, the time between future screenings depends on the results of the PSA blood test: -Men who choose to be tested who have a PSA of less than 2.5 ng/ml, may only need to be retested every 2 years.

-Screening should be done yearly for men whose PSA level is 2.5 ng/ml or higher.

-Because prostate cancer often grows slowly, men without symptoms of prostate cancer who do not have a 10-year life expectancy should not be offered testing since they are not likely to benefit.

Overall health status, and not age alone, is important when making decisions about screening. Even after a decision about testing has been made, the discussion about the pros and cons of testing should be repeated as new information about the benefits and risks of testing becomes available. Further discussions are also needed to take into account For more information, visit: changes in the patient's health, values, and www.cancer.org preferences.

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A great, healthy chip dip‌..with bacon.

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Safe Summer Grilling

The days are getting longer and the air is getting warmer ... and that means summer is here! And with summer comes gatherings outdoors with food, fun, and fellowship. Unfortunately, summer is also the time when cases of foodborne illness increase. But, you can avoid those uninvited guests by safely packing, preparing, and storing your special summer foods. Here are some tips from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service on the "ABC's of Barbecue." 

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Marinating: Always marinate raw meats, fish, or poultry in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Set aside a portion of the marinade before adding raw meat or poultry to use later as a dip or basting sauce. Do not reuse the marinade the raw meat was soaked in. You can boil the marinade for five minutes to be sure to kill any bacteria from the raw meat.

Pre-cooking: You can save time on the grill by partially cooking meat or poultry ahead of time, then finishing it on the grill. The food should go directly to the grill from the microwave, range, or oven, though.

Interrupted cooking is very risky. If you must cook well ahead of serving time, cook the meat completely and then cool it fast to put on the grill later.

Grilling: Make sure the grill is ready. For safety and quality, check that the coals are very hot before cooking food. This can take 30 minutes or longer. Coals should have a light coating of grey ash for optimal heat.

Thoroughly cook all meat and poultry. To ensure meat is cooked thoroughly, use a meat thermometer. To properly use a meat thermometer, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without being sure the end of the thermometer does not rest on the cooking surface. Use the chart below to be sure that whatever you are cooking reaches the right internal temperature.

Table from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture 

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Grilling and Cancer Risk: The American Cancer Society suggests trimming off visible fat that could make the fire flame up and char the food. Pre-cooking in the microwave and conventional oven also lessens grilling time and reduces risks. The Society also suggests raising the cooking level of the grill so food is farther from the heat. You should also avoid eating charred or burned portions of food and clean the grill well after cooking.

Serving Grilled Food: Serve hot, grilled foods immediately. Put cooked foods on clean plates, not ones used to hold raw meat or poultry. Perishable foods should be eaten within 2 hours, or 1 hour if outside temperature is above 90 degrees F. Keep cold foods cold (below 40 degrees F) and hot foods hot (over 140 degrees F). Avoid the "danger zone" of 40 to 140 degrees F. Cleaning Up: Clean the grill after each use. Also, refrigerate any leftovers promptly. Divide larger quantities into small, shallow containers for faster cooling.

Taking Leftovers Home: If you want to take any leftovers home, be sure that all perishable foods were kept on ice or refrigerated at all times, except when cooked or served. Keep the foods iced as you travel home and refrigerate as soon as you get home. If food is no longer refrigerator-cold to the touch, harmful bacteria could be present.

REMEMBER: WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT! 5

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When Should I Take Social Security?

One of the biggest decisions that a retiree makes is determining the age at which to claim Social Security benefits. Some people need their benefits as soon as they are eligible, at age 62, while others elect to wait until their full retirement age or even age 70. More than 60% of Americans claim their benefits early.

Social Security benefits claimed as early as age 62 are reduced by a fractional percentage for each month that they are received before “full retirement age.” Full retirement age used to be age 65 but is gradually increasing and will be age 66 for people born between 1943 and 1954 and age 67 for those born in 1960 or later. In Social Security lingo, the key factor that determines monthly benefits is the Primary Insurance Amount or PIA. All benefits, including those to a widowed spouse, are based on a worker’s PIA. Simply put, the PIA is the monthly benefit payable to a worker at his or her normal retirement age. The PIA is determined by a formula which is applied to an average of a worker’s highest 35 years of earnings indexed for inflation. If a worker has fewer than 35 years of earnings, there will be zeros in this calculation that will lower the monthly benefit. At their full retirement age, fully insured beneficiaries receive benefits equal to their PIA. If benefits are taken at age 62, there is a permanent reduction in the amount received.

Should you elect to take a permanently reduced benefit? Many factors need to be considered before making this decision, including the need for Social Security income, other sources of retirement income, health status, expected longevity, plans to work during retirement (there are earnings limits for beneficiaries between ages 62 and full retirement age), and other resources (e.g., life insurance with your spouse named as a beneficiary).

It is possible to mathematically calculate your odds of making the “right” decision. A key number is your breakeven age, which is the age at which the higher benefits received for delaying Social Security beyond age 62 exceed the amount that you would have received by claiming benefits early. Research indicates that it takes about 13 years for a Social Security beneficiary to accumulate the same payout as someone who started receiving benefits at age 62.Thus, a person would need to live until their late 70s to come out ahead. Since average life expectancy is 79 for men and 84 for women, some later retirees will die before breaking even.

Decisions that a worker makes about receipt of Social Security benefits also affect his or her spouse. If reduced benefits are taken early and a surviving spouse has few resources to live on, he or she will likely struggle financially. If a worker delays receipt of Social Security benefits beyond full retirement age, benefits are increased for each month that benefits are not received between full retirement age and age 69. Fewer than 2% of Social Security beneficiaries wait until age 70, however.

For additional information about the specifics of Social Security regulations, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit the Social Security Web site www.socialsecurity.gov. There you'll find the most accurate information for your circumstances.

For example, for the age that you will qualify for full retirement benefits, you can look for the "Retirement Benefits by Year of Birth" table. Also be sure to periodically go online to download and review an estimate of your future Social Security benefits. The Web site to do this is http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ 6

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For the Kids from www.fivelittlechefs.com

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8 Cooperative Extension Service NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID BARDSTOWN KY PERMIT #028

University of Kentucky Nelson County 317 S Third Street Bardstown, KY 40004 502-348-9204

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

n Food for Thought

No man stands so straight as when he stoops to help a boy.

-Knights of Pythagoras

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