Do you have social support for your healthy lifestyle efforts?

It is important to have people in your life who provide emotional support and encouragement as you work toward a healthier lifestyle. They can keep you accountable, remind you when you falter and cheer you on when you meet intermediate milestones. Often the encouragement of a friend or family member provides the energy you need to keep working toward your goals.

An additional bonus is that your supporters may be motivated to adopt your improved lifestyle habits along with you.

Are the calories you drink sabotaging your weight loss effort?

Every calorie counts when you are trying to lose weight, including those in liquids. Here are some tips for cutting the calories of what you are drinking.

• If you drink soda or fruit juice, switch to water. If plain water tastes too bland, splash in a small amount of juice, or add a slice of citrus fruit or cucumber.
• If you drink whole milk, switch to low-fat. Once you’re used to that, switch again to fat-free milk.
• If you drink alcohol in any form, remember to use it as an occasional treat, not as a daily beverage.

These simple tips will help you trim down the calories you consume in liquid form.

What Happens When The Lights Go Out?

When you lose electricity in your home and have notified the electric company, the repair crews follow a set pattern to restore electric service. They trace the path the electricity must follow from its source to your neighborhood.

First they check the high-voltage transmission lines and towers for damage. This type of damage is rare, but potentially affects the largest number of customers.  Next they check the distribution substations. An outage could occur in the transmission lines to a particular substation, in the substation itself, or further down the line. Distribution lines to affected communities are next to be checked.

If community distribution lines are working properly, the repair crew then checks tap lines or supply lines. These are the wires that connect to transformers, which may be on poles or on pads for underground service.

By now the power is generally restored and the power all over your community as well as your lights are back on. However, if only your home is still without electricity, notify the electric company again. The problem may be in the service line between a transformer and your home.

What Do Food Pantries Need?

Who's Hungry?!

As the school year comes to a close, food pantries are asking for donations to tide families over the summer months. These are particularly difficult for children who have relied on subsidized school breakfast and lunch programs for much of their daily nutrition.


What kinds of food should you donate to your local food pantry? Here is a list of commonly acceptable items:

1. Peanut butter
2. Canned or dried beans
3. Canned fruit in juice, NOT in light or heavy syrup
4. Canned vegetables, low- or no-sodium
5. Low-sodium canned soups
6. Canned tuna or chicken, in water
7. Low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broths
8. Whole-grain, low-sugar prepared cereals
9. Rolled oats
10. Whole grain pasta
11. Low-sodium pasta sauce
12. Unsalted nuts or seeds
13. Canola or olive oil
14. Unsweetened apple sauce
15. Dried fruits, no sugar added

Notice some restrictions? Even food pantries are trying to offer healthier food selections, with less sodium and sugar, and whole grains.

What else should you not donate? Anything in glass jars is a no-no. So is anything past the sell-by date.

Be sure to ask your local food pantry what they need. For instance, my local one said “Please don’t donate any more canned vegetables. What we really need are ready-to-eat items, like canned pastas in sauce, that children home alone can open and eat, with or without heating.” If you have a choice, choose pop-top lid cans instead of ones that need to be opened with a can opener.