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Upcoming Events
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December 18
9 a.m. - Noon
Mid Coast Senior Health
January 7, 8, 9
Call 373-6928 to register
January 10
Bowdoin College
Next 12 week session starts
January 14
Mid Coast Hospital
Call 404-7446 to register
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Recipe of the Month
Chunky Oatmeal Cookies
Try cutting cookies into fun holiday shapes, or use holiday themed "mix-ins" like crushed candy pieces or peppermint!
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Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup white granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons nonfat milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup of "mix-ins" - chopped dried fruit,chocolate chips, or chopped nuts.
Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut butter stick in half. Soften at room temperature. Or, place in a microwavesafe bowl. Heat in microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften. Be careful not to melt butter.
In a large bowl, blend butter, white sugar, and brown sugar, using a rubber spatula or fork.
Mix until light and creamy.
Crack egg into bowl. Add milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until just blended. Do not overmix.
Add rolled oats and "mix-ins." Mix until all ingredients are blended.
Lightly coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough per cookie. Use your hands to shape dough into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Bake until cookies are lightly browned on bottom, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit 2-3 minutes to firm up before removing from baking sheet. Let cool.
Yield: 36 cookies
Nutrition Info (per 3 cookies):
CALORIES 90, TOTAL FAT 4.5g, SUGARS 7g, SODIUM 55mg
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Access Health
Access Health
works with communities to encourage and support healthy and happy lives, with a focus on:
- Physical Activity
- Healthy Eating
- Tobacco Prevention & Cessation
- Reduction of Second Hand Smoke
- Substance Abuse Prevention
- Mental Health Awareness
Find out more!
Mid Coast Hospital is the lead agency for Access Health.
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Access Health
Board Members
Anthony Anderson,
BIW
Andree App
el,
Oasis Clinic
Mary Booth, MSAD 75
Marla Davis,
Sagadahoc County Board
of Health
Mattie Daughtry,
Legislator
Jaki Ellis,
Brunswick Champion
Deb King,
Brunswick
Downtown Association
Don Kniseley,
Thornton Oaks
Pam LeDuc,
Topsham Parks &
Recreation
Joel Merry,
Sagadahoc County
Sheriff
Karen O'Rourke,
UNE
Jim Peavey,
United Way
Craig Phillips,
Tedford Shelter
Kelly Howard,
YMCA
Steve Trockman,
Mid Coast-Parkview Health
Karen Tucker,
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention
Samantha Ricker,
Bath Champion
Stacy Frizzle,
People Plus
Kristi Hatrick,
First Parish Church
Katherine Swan,
Martin's Point
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| From the Director's Desk |
I took time last weekend to escape the holiday hustle and bustle (and cookies) to take a walk alone, along the Cathance River. It was a free, much needed break.
I encourage you to take the time you need this month. Pause and take a breath as often as you need to. You can also find tips in this month's newsletter to keep you healthy and sane. Your health will thank you!
Melissa Fochesato,
Director
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Healthy Schools, Healthy Kids
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eTip: Save it in Your Contacts!
Do what the kids do! We don't say that often,
 but in this case... GO FOR IT! This November, Access Health partnered with three High School Resource Officer's (SROs) to promote our anonymous text a tip line,
eTip, that helps prevent underage drinking and promote safety. The students were asked to show that they had saved the eTip number (274637) into their phone contacts (so it's "there when you need it"), and if they had they received a free movie ticket to Regal Cinemas. This is the third time this promotion has been used because it is such a success. So, save this number in YOUR contacts and help keep our kids safe. Remember to start the text with "eTip" to direct it to the correct local dispatch office!
WinterKids
Colleen Fuller, MPH
WinterKids offers a free FunPass, for preschool through 4th graders, or a $25 Passport, for 5th through 7th graders. The free FunPass gives kids a chance to try cross country skiing or snowshoeing for free at a variety of areas and trails. The $25 Passport is full of discounted or free tickets, lessons, and rentals for skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and ice
skating to 50 areas in Maine. Many outdoor recreation sites offer discount days for families using Passport tickets, so parents can take advantage of the discounts and be active outdoors too! Scholarships are available. For more information about WinterKids, please visit their website: WinterKids.org.
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Healthy Homes
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Indoor Air Quality Tips for Winter
Terry Sherman
This is th
e time of year we prep our homes for winter, sealing out the cold and sealing in the heat. Except for opening the door when we come and go
, very little fresh air comes into our homes in the winter. This can result in a build- up of fumes and particles that can make our indoor air quality suffer. Dust mites in carpets and bedding, mold, use of room freshening sprays, candles and plug ins, paints and chemicals stored indoors and pet dander can cause many health problems. The coughing, wheezing, eye, nose and throat irritations of the season can be the result of unhealthy air quality.
Fortunately there are some easy fixes. Keep carpets and bedrooms vacuumed to keep dust mites and pet dander to a minimum. Damp areas should be ventilated and dry to prevent mold. Avoid the use of chemicals, sprays and tobacco in your home. Prevention is key in keeping your home healthy in winter!
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Healthy Eating
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The Lowdown on Sugar
Tasha Gerken, MS, RD
SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator
High sugar intake has been linked to dental cavities, obesity, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and many other health conditions, most of which last a lifetime once diagnosed. Therefore, it's important to minimize sugar intake, but with so many hidden sources of sugar in our food system, this is no easy task.
 Sugar may "hide" under more than 50 other names on the nutrition facts labels. Look for things like cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose - and don't forget brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, and brown rice syrup. No form of sugar is really better than another when it comes to disease-prevention, so be careful to limit all of them.
How much is too much? The American Heart Association recommends a daily maximum of 6 teaspoons of added sugars for women, 9 teaspoons for men, and less for children: 3-4 teaspoons for small children and 5-8 teaspoons for preteens and teens. (One teaspoon of sugar contains 4 grams of sugar, so a food with 16 grams of sugar has 4 teaspoons).
You may already know that sugary drinks, sweet cereals, candy and chocolate, flavored yogurts and baked goods are high in sugar. But did you know that sugar can hide in some pretty surprising places like, instant oatmeal, frozen foods, pasta sauce, baby food, barbecue sauce, dried fruit, and protein bars?
Be savvy when it comes to sugar and your family's health. This holiday season, try cutting the sugar in your favorite cookies, pastries, and muffins by ¼ or even ½ of what is called for. The taste change is negligible and the health benefits, innumerable!
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Tobacco
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Smoking and Your Immune System
Linda Christie
The immune system is our body's major defense against the outside world. Did you know that tobacco use weakens your immune system?
Smokers have more exaggerated responses to infection
s because the immune system does not work as well. It also takes longer to get over illnesses.
Here are a few examples of illnesses that are more common in winter:
- Influenza (flu): Smokers are more susceptible to the flu. Influenza cases are often more severe. There is a higher mortality rate for smokers than nonsmokers from influenza.
- Pneumonia: This causes inflammation of the lining of the lungs. Fluid accumulates deep in the lung, making it ideal for bacterial growth. Smoking increases the body's susceptibility to the most common bacterial causes of pneumonia and is therefore a risk factor for pneumonia, regardless of age.
- Acute bronchitis: If you are a smoker and come down with acute (short-term) bronchitis, it will be much harder for you to recover. If you continue smoking, the cilia (the tiny hair-like structures in your lungs) get damaged which increases your chances of developing chronic (long-term) bronchitis.
- Sinusitis: The lining of the sinus also has cilia which clears mucus and other foreign substances. Cigarette smoke slows or stops the movement of these hairs, resulting in inflammation and infection. Sinusitis is common for smokers and can become a chronic problem.
For more information about smoking and your immune system visit:
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Work Off Those Holiday Drinks
Colleen Fuller, MPH
The hol
idays can be a time when folks eat and drink more than usual and p
erhaps ha
ve less time to be physically active. Eating and drinking in moderatio
n should not increase your daily caloric intake too terribly, but around the holidays, many people consume more than a single serving at a time. Below
is a list of the caloric content of the more common seasonal drinks, as well as the amount of physical activity* needed to burn off those calories to help you stay as healthy as possible this holiday season.
- Eggnog: An 8 oz. serving of eggnog can contain anywhere from 200-350 calories, depending on the brand or recipe. To burn off the calories in one of the higher calorie eggnogs, you would need to snowshoe for 25-50 minutes.
- Adding a serving of liquor (1.5 oz) to your eggnog, or other drinks, adds about another 95 calories, which translates to another 13-15 minutes of snowshoeing.
- Hot chocolate: The calories in hot chocolate varies widely. A single Nestlé hot chocolate pouch contains approximately 80 calories. A 12 oz. hot chocolate from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks contains between 220-250 calories. To burn off the calories in one of these hot chocolates, you would need to cross country ski for approximately 30 minutes.
- Two tablespoons of whipped cream will add 103 calories, or slightly under another 15 minutes of cross country skiing.
- Sparkling cider: On average, sparkling cider contains about 140-150 calories per 8 oz. serving, which equates to approximately 23 minutes of ice skating.
- Wine: Red and white wine both contain around 120-125 calories per 5 oz. serving. To burn off the calories in one glass, you would need to have a very vigorous snowball fight, including lots of jogging and dodging, for at least 15-20 minutes.
- Champagne contains about 85 calories in a 4 oz. serving, low enough to be burned off by about 10 minutes of walking up large hills and sledding back down them.
- Pumpkin spice latte: A 12 oz. pumpkin spice latte with whipped cream contains 300 calories, or the equivalent of downhill skiing for just under 60 minutes.
- Mimosa: One 8 oz. mimosa will contain, on average, between 125-200 calories. To burn off the calories in a single mimosa, you would need to play a lively game of ice hockey for 20-30 minutes.
*Calculations are based on 150 lbs. female at moderate-high intensity. Actual calories burned will depend on weight and intensity of activity.
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Elizabeth Munsey, LCPC-c
As the days get shorter and the holidays tiptoe closer, we can all start to feel a little overwhelmed. The holidays should be a time filled with delight and hopefulness, but for many, it can also be filled with stress, worry, anxiety and depression. Perhaps our family traditions have disbanded or we feel the financial burden of the holiday looming over us. Regardless of the cause of our stress, there are things that we can do help alleviate some of that worry;
- Take care of yourself. Eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising can do wonders to reduce the stress that we feel on a daily basis. By choosing healthier meals during the holiday, you are less likely to overeat, which can lead to feelings of guilt and other health problems. Choose healthier snacks and add in an exercise that you enjoy, which will help to release endorphins, the feel good promoters of the body.
- Ask for help. Know your limits and ask for help when you need it. Keep a list of tasks that need finishing and ask friends and family to help when you begin to feel overwhelmed. Asking friends and family for help will benefit them as well, helping them feel included and useful during the holiday season!
- Focus on relationships. Focus on enjoying your time with the people who are most important to you. Take the time to accept people for where they are at and build new relationships and traditions. Include the people you care for the most and who want to be a part of your life to carry on these new traditions for future generations. Finally, sit back, relax and enjoy your time together.
- Take a break when you need to. Holiday stress is inevitable. Knowing your triggers and how to regulate your emotions is key to surviving the holidays. When you begin to feel overwhelmed; walk away, meditate, breath, write in a journal or take a few minutes to be by yourself. It is also alright to say "no" when you feel that you need to. Conserve your time and energy for the activities that are most important to you and that help you to get the most enjoyment out of each day.
Last but not least, try to
enjoy th
e holidays! Set realistic goals, celebrate success and be proud of yourself for your accomplishments.
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Substance Abuse
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Make This Holiday Season a Safe
and Memorable One
Andrea Saniuk-Gove
Make this holiday season a memorable one with family and friends for all the right reasons. Keep these simple guidelines in mind whether you're hosting or attending holiday parties this month:
- Avoid making alcohol the main focus of the gathering. Guests can enjoy music, food, game and conversation to spread their holiday cheer.
- Provide plenty of non-alcoholic drink choices such as water, sparkling water, and 100% fruit juice for the one in three adults who prefer a non-alcoholic beverage.
- Stop serving alcohol well before the party ends and instead serve coffee, non-alcoholic beverages, and desserts.
- Make sure that everyone has a designated driver. Even if you think you've had just a little bit to drink, you could still get an OUI or be involved in a crash. Plan ahead - a sober driver is an essential way to end a night.
- Make sure that alcohol is out of reach to anyone under 21. They're underage, their brain is still developing, and it's just not smart to allow teens to drink.
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Access Health
66 Baribeau Drive, Suite 7
Brunswick, ME 04011
Phone: 207-373-6957
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