Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Winter 2017

8 VITALITY Winter 2017 COMMUNITY From Yule logs to Hanukkah candles, oil lamps to luminarias, fire lights up many winter celebrations. To safely enjoy the glow: Decorate with candles wisely. Place them where drafts, children or pets can’t topple them—and well away from anything flammable (like curtains). Stow matches where kids can’t find them. Man the lights. Turn decorative lights off whenever you aren’t home and before going to bed each night. An electrical short in a string of bulbs could start a fire. Declutter the fireplace. If you open gifts near a fireplace, clean up after you’re done. Paper, ribbons, bags and bows can ignite near a flame. The winter holidays warm hearts, but they can also trigger anxious feelings. To help keep stress to a minimum: Be honest with your kids and other family about your gift budget, particularly if money is a little tight this year. Ask for help. Holidays are more fun when everyone participates. Be lighthearted. Look for humor in the inevitable holiday muddles. A perfect dessert is nice today, but you’ll laugh for years about the time the whole pumpkin pie fell on the dog. When you meet holiday challenges with humor, your kids receive an invaluable gift: a life lesson in flexibility and resilience. Finally, turn down the lights at a reasonable hour and get a good, long winter night’s sleep. What’s a holiday without delicious (and often fattening) food? Mind your family’s waistlines by serving plenty of fruits and vegetables along with smaller portions of traditional treats. Also, reduce the risk that an unwanted guest—food poisoning— will visit after you’ve cooked and served that fabulous fare: Make sure kitchen helpers wash their hands often, and remind them to keep all surfaces squeaky clean. Don’t follow Grandma’s example of thawing meat on the counter— thaw it in the refrigerator instead. Close down the buffet after two hours. Perishable foods need to be packed up and put in the refrigerator promptly at that time. Whatever your winter holiday celebration—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the winter solstice—chances are you’ll be brightening the days with lots of lights, food and good cheer. Help keep those times festive and fun with these suggestions for a safe and healthy season. 10 tips to make them merry, healthy and safe No. 1 Thanksgiving is the annual peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Sources: American Psychological Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 20% The annual percentage of home decoration fires that occur in December. 51% The annual percentage of December home decoration fires started by candles. Source: National Fire Protection Association We wish you a wonderful holiday season. If you need us, our emergency department is always open. The holidays AROUNDYOUR HEARTH AROUNDYOUR TABLE AROUND YOUR HEART 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 NUMBERS TO KNOW HEALTHY HOLIDAYS