Tis the Season to be Healthy

[karizmua]

Nutrition Notes

- Eat, drink, be merry and pay attention to food safety this holiday season. Don?t let a lack of planning or poor habits ruin your family celebration.

- Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator. Never thaw meat at room temperature. Plan on one day of thawing per five pounds of turkey. If you run out of time then submerge the turkey in cold water, and change the water ever 30 minutes. Allow 30 minutes per pound this way.

- Don?t leave leftovers sitting on the counters. Place them in the refrigerator immediately. Help them chill quickly by putting them in wide, shallow containers.

- Bring gravy to a boil before serving to prevent bacterial contamination.

- Use a meat thermometer, especially if you?re stuffing the turkey. The thermometer should read 165 F in the stuffing and 180 F in the thigh of the turkey before serving.

Bacteria to Love

Ever get diarrhea from taking antibiotics? Turns out when the bug-busting drug kills the bacteria causing bronchitis of an ear infection, it also wipes out beneficial bacteria, as well. Your gut is home to more than 400 species of bacteria ? some good, some bad. Antibiotics can alter the balance in your intestines, allowing harmful bacteria to overtake the helpful ones. To protect your digestive system, get your daily does of friendly bacteria by eating foods like yogurt (look for the live and active cultures seal) and cottage cheese. Products such as Dannon Activia and Breyer?s Light! Probiotic Plus Yogurt are designed specifically to increase favorable bacteria.