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Beware of Fake Emergencies

by

Carol Kando-Pineda

Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education

“I lost my wallet and ID. I’m stranded — please wire money.”

“Your grandson is being held in jail. He needs bail money right away.”
Scammers try to trick you into thinking a loved one is in trouble. They call, text, email, or send messages on social media about a supposed emergency with a family member or friend. They ask you to send money immediately. To make their story seem real, they may claim to be an authority figure, like a lawyer or police officer; they may have or guess at facts about your loved one. These imposters may insist that you keep quiet about their demand for money to keep you from checking out their story and identifying them as imposters. But no matter how real or urgent this seems — it’s a scam.
If you get a call or message like this, what to do?

• Check it out before you act. Look up that friend or family’s phone number yourself. Call them or another family member to see what’s happening. Even if the person who contacted you told you not to.
• Don’t pay. Don’t wire money, send a check, overnight a money order, or pay with a gift card or cash reload card. Anyone who demands payment in these ways is always, always, always a scammer. These payment methods are like giving cash — and nearly untraceable, unless you act almost immediately.
• If you sent money to a family emergency scammer, contact the company you used to send the money (wire transfer service, bank, gift card company, or cash reload card company) and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible.
• Report the message or call at FTC.gov/complaint. 

For the complete article and a link to a video click here scammers-create-fake-emergencies-get-your-money?

Does Your Family have a Communication Plan for Diasters?

Storm season can bring on a variety of Natural Disasters.  Is your family ready?  In our area, we could have flooding, tornados, and wildfires!  We are often without electricity.  How can you get word to family members if you are caught in a disaster?

Today we have more ways to speak with one another than ever before. We are used to staying in touch with cell phones, internet, and email, but disasters can change things. These devices may not be available. Cell phone towers quickly become overloaded with people trying to reach friends and family. If the power is out at your home, cordless phones, internet, and email will not work either.

Phones with cordless handsets won’t work in a disaster because they need more electricity than they can get from the phone jack. Old fashioned phones with a cord connecting the handset to the base will work even in a power outage. Make sure you have at least one phone with a cord in your home in case of a power outage.

Keep a car charger for your cell phone in your vehicle. If the power is out in your home, you can still charge your cell phone in your car.

If you don’t have a landline and you use a cell phone as your home phone, remember that cell phone towers may be tied up with calls in an emergency. However, a text message from your cell phone may get through when a phone call doesn’t. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to send and receive text messages.

Develop a plan so you can stay in touch with your family in a disaster. Include phone numbers for all family members and those who can give you extra help, such as caregivers. Also include all work, school, and daycare phone numbers, if applicable. A wallet-size form you can use to write down this information can be found at www.ready.gov. Be sure each family member has a copy of your communication plan. Post the communication plan by a phone in your home, and include it in your go bag as well.

Local phone calls and long distance calls work on different circuits. When local circuits are overloaded, you may still be able to make long distance calls. Choose someone outside of the local calling area to be your “outside the area” contact. Make sure all family members carry this phone number with them. If something happens when your family is not together and you are not able to reach each other, each family member can call the “outside the area” contact and leave a message for the others.

If you are hurt and can’t talk, first responders and hospital staff may not know how to contact your family right away. If you have a cell phone, you can provide the phone numbers for your emergency contacts to first responders and hospital staff.
1. Create a new contact in your cell phone’s phone book.
2. Name the contact ICE.
3. Enter all phone numbers for the person you would like to have notified in a medical emergency.


Information from the Do One Thing monthly newsletter

Sheet Pan Alaska Halibut with Zucchini Mushrooms and Tomato

Sheet Pan Alaska Halibut with Zucchini, Mushrooms and Tomato

Light, tasty and healthy, Alaska Halibut is perfect for any summer meal. It only takes a few minutes to cook and packs protein, B vitamins and minerals like potassium and selenium. Plus, fish is a staple of several dietary patterns also linked to lower cancer risk, such as the Mediterranean diet. This one-pan recipe features Alaska Halibut, fresh zucchini and flavorful tomatoes for a delicious, quick and healthy meal.
 
Ingredients:

• 4 Alaska halibut filets (about 4 - 6 oz. each)
• 6 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium zucchini (about 8 oz.), sliced
• 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp. minced garlic (around 4 cloves)
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 320 calories, 15 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 10 g carbohydrate, 38 g protein, 1 g fiber, 580 mg sodium.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Arrange the halibut and vegetables on a large baking sheet.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Brush over the halibut and drizzle the rest over the vegetables. Toss the vegetables so they are evenly coated, then arrange in as flat a layer as possible on the sheet around the halibut.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the halibut is opaque, flakes easily, and is just cooked through. Serve the halibut with the vegetables

Convert this recipe to the grill by wrapping all of the ingredients in a pouch made of heavy duty aluminum foil and grilling for 15 minutes.

Halibut Recipe

Have Your Coffee and Sleep Too

Timing and moderation allow you to enjoy coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages without disturbing your slumber.  Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. An estimated 85% of Americans drink one or more caffeinated beverages per day, with coffee as the main choice, followed by tea, sodas, and off-the-shelf energy drinks. Americans consume an average of 180 milligrams of caffeine daily—roughly the amount in two 8-ounce cups of coffee.

Coffee and other caffeinated drinks can provide some important benefits. Caffeine is a potent wake-up call in the morning and a pick-me-up later in the day. In some people, it enhances concentration and short-term memory. A recent review in Prehospital Emergency Care of caffeine’s effects on emergency medical personnel found that caffeine boosted alertness, agility, reaction time and coordination. And, of course, coffee and tea are centerpieces of social interactions in many cultures.

The benefits can come at a cost. Too much caffeine late in the day tends to disturb sleep. But even in people who go to sleep clinics for frequent insomnia, a surprising number of them don’t fully appreciate the effect of caffeine, even when it’s consumed fairly early in the day. What’s more, some research suggests that older adults may be more prone to the effects of daytime caffeine on sleep than younger people.  “You would think most people would be aware nowadays, but I would say a quarter to a third of patients we see with insomnia do not realize that their caffeine intake habits are affecting their sleep,” says Khalid Ismail, MD, a pulmonologist and director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Tufts Medical Center.

Lingering Effects: Caffeine’s effect on sleep depends not only on how much you ingest, but when you do so. Caffeine persists for a surprisingly long time in the body. According to one study, participants had brainwave patterns characteristic of shallower sleep up to 16 hours after ingesting the amount of caffeine in a double espresso—even though the level of caffeine detectable in their saliva had fallen to zero by the time they went to bed.  The implication of that study is clear for those struggling with insomnia.

For people who say they have trouble sleeping, the recommendation is no caffeine at all after lunch time.  But for people without obvious sleep problems, it’s harder to make a general recommendation on what time of day to curtail caffeine. It peaks in the blood about 2 hours after ingestion on average. But the time it takes for the body to break down just half of that caffeine ranges from 3 to 7 hours.
The bottom line: It may be fine for some people to have an after-dinner caffeinated beverage—as long as they can still sleep restfully.

Sleep Quality Counts: Difficulty falling asleep is just one effect of caffeine. Controlled sleep studies, which carefully monitor the brain and body through the night, show that caffeine can trigger repeated nighttime “arousals,” in which a person briefly wakes up briefly without necessarily being fully conscious of having done so. Arousals fragment sleep, which means a person spends proportionately less time in the deeper, most restful stages of the natural sleep cycle. So even though total sleep time remains steady, the quality of that sleep may suffer. The results include grogginess, reduced mental sharpness and slower reaction times.

What Should You Do? Occasional insomnia is not necessarily a cause for concern, especially during stressful life periods like moving, starting a new job or illness in the family. But if you are having sleep problems more than once or twice a week, and it’s persisted for months, talk to your doctor, who may refer you to a sleep specialist, rather than immediately opting for over-the-counter sleep aids or prescription sleeping pills.

Help avoid insomnia by adjusting the amount and timing of caffeine in your diet.  Switch your afternoon and evening options to decaffeinated beverages and water, and see if you notice a difference.


But you don’t necessarily need to ban caffeine entirely. “If consumed in moderate amounts, caffeine can be very useful,” he says. “But don’t depend on it just to function, because that can lead to problems.”

Caffeine Without Sleeplessness

Kichen Hacks to Liven Up Your Vegetables

In a fruit and vegetable rut with the same old banana for breakfast, apple for lunch, and green beans for dinner? That is not too bad. But consider that you can shake it up a little with the kitchen hacks shared here in perfect time for farmers' market season.

Cooking greens will surprise you with their versatility and nutritional pedigree!

Cooking greens have bold flavor and impressive nutrients including: beta carotene, vitamin C, iron and calcium. While these can be found year-round in your grocery store, quality is at its peak during the spring and summer for most greens.

Beet greens are the green tops of this root vegetable and are more nutritious than the beets, providing over 120% RDA for vitamin A, 50% RDA for vitamin C, over 20% RDA for iron and 15% RDA for calcium per 3½ ounces raw greens (which is 2-3 cups).  They are delicious steamed and sautéed with garlic and olive oil cooking spray. Finish with  fresh lemon juice to bring out the beet flavor.

Collards are a cruciferous vegetable and a member of the cabbage family. They have a mild, cabbage-like flavor and can be sliced thin and mixed in with a variety of dishes such as salads, soups and stir-fry dishes.

Dandelion greens are tender when young, with a taste similar to chicory. They are second to turnip greens in their amount of calcium (187 mg. per 3½ ounces raw greens). They can be added to salads, veggie burgers, sandwiches and pita pockets for variety in texture and flavor.

Kale comes in two varieties: Scotch (with yellowish-green leaves) and Blue (with blue-green leaves). Kale is high in vitamins A, C and E and a good source of iron and calcium while being low in calories. Slice it thin and add it to slaws or salads for variety in flavor (which is like cabbage) and texture. Or slice it thin and add to pasta dishes so it looks like chopped spinach or basil.

Mustard greens have a strong bite so you want to find ones which are young and tender. A small amount added to tossed salads adds a zip about the intensity of a radish. Turnip greens are similar to mustard greens in their sharp flavor but are not in season until the fall. They also go very well with pork chops or roasted poultry.

Swiss chard is similar to spinach in flavor and comes in two colors, white or red; the latter is beautiful with its beet-colored veins throughout the leaves. It is good when sliced thin and tossed into salads, soups or pasta dishes.  Swiss chard has a mild flavor

Tips for tasty greens include:
• choose smaller leaves with a fresh green color,
• keep them chilled as they will taste bitter if left warm,
• store them unwashed in a plastic bag for up to 5 days,
• wash carefully to remove dirt while trimming tough leaves and stems and
• cook quickly in an uncovered pot with very little broth or water to preserve color and nutrients.

More Cooking Hacks to Maximize Flavor With VegetablesUse these quick techniques to prepare delicious vegetable side dishes and entrees.

• BBQ vegetables on your grill. Slice vegetables ¼ to ½ inch thick and marinate in nonfat salad dressing briefly or overnight. Cook on cooler side of the grill.

• Microwave vegetables with small amount of broth or water. Cut the vegetables into same-size pieces. Stir or rotate halfway through cooking. For best results, remove vegetables when crisp-tender and allow to stand for a few minutes to finish cooking.

• Pouches are made easily using aluminum foil. Cut vegetables in same size pieces using a variety of colors and textures. Use sauces (bbq sauce, nonfat salad dressing or salsa) or fresh herbs for flavor. Bake for 20 minutes at 350º til crisp-tender.

•  Stove-top grilling is easy with a nonstick grill skillet designed for this purpose. Cut vegetables ¼ to ½ inch thick and use a small amount of a flavored oil cooking spray to keep from sticking.

• Sauté vegetables in a nonstick skillet with flavored broths such as chicken or vegetable or small amount of flavored oil cooking spray. Finish with chopped fresh herbs.

Include Fruit Chutneys and Salsas With Your Meals for Flavor and Variety
These simple-to-prepare, fruit and vegetable based condiments take advantage of fresh produce and add rich flavor and moisture.

• Chutney can be defined as a sweet and sour spiced fruit puree. Most commonly made with mangoes, it can be made with most any dense fruit such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and papayas. Start with 1 large or 2 small fruits, peel and remove pits or seeds. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add red onion, fresh ginger and/or spices (e.g. cardamom, ginger or nutmeg). Cook briefly until fruit becomes soft. Serve warm or cold with fish, poultry or grilled vegetables.

• Salsa is traditionally made with tomato, onion, cilantro, chile pepper and bell pepper. It can also be made with any combination of these along with the addition of fruits such as peaches, grapes, apples, pears and/or  raspberries. Choose ripe ingredients, chop fine by hand or in the food processor and serve at room temperature. Use for topping baked potatoes, chicken, burgers or fish; additionally serve as a snacking dip.

Kitchen Hack: Add Bold Flavor and Impressive Nutrients to Your Meals

Final Opportunity to Get Your Case of Cokes

Grilling and Cancer Risk

As temperatures rise, we look for more items to cook outside and avoid heating up the kitchen.  Some of us worry about the cancer risk that has been publicized.  How can we enjoy the flavor and ease of grilling and not increase our risk of cancer?  I found this article that gives us some in site.  Here are some exerpts.

Grilling (broiling) and barbecuing (charbroiling) meat, fish, or other foods with intense heat on the grill leads to formation of potential carcinogens. In lab studies these substances have been linked to development of cancer through changes to the DNA.
These substances include:
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): present in flames, these compounds  can stick to the surface of meat
• Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs): these substances form in meat when its proteins react to the intense heat of the grill.
Whether or not you grill them, the research is clear that diets high in red meat increase risk of colorectal cancer, and that even small amounts of processed meats, eaten regularly, increase risk for both colorectal and stomach cancers.

Based on this evidence, AICR recommends limiting red meat to 12-18 ounces of cooked meat per week and saving hot dogs and other processed meats (bacon, sausages, etc.) for special occasions.

Try barbecuing more plant foods. Grilled vegetables and fruits are delicious, they don’t form HCAs when cooked and they’re key elements in a cancer protective diet.  The recommendation cancer prevention is to fill at least two-thirds of your plate with plant foods. At your cookout, include plenty of colorful grilled vegetables and fruits like asparagus, red peppers, tomatoes, mangos and pineapple.

Here are five steps for cancer safe grilling:

1. Marinate: Studies suggest that marinating meat before grilling can decrease formation of HCAs.

2. Pre-Cook: If you are grilling larger cuts, you can reduce the time your meat is exposed to flame by partially cooking it in a microwave, oven or stove first.

3. Go Lean: Trimming the fat off your meat can reduce flare-ups and charring. Cook your meat in the center of the grill and make sure to flip frequently.

4. Mix It Up: Cutting meat into smaller portions and mixing them with vegetables can shorten cooking time.

5. Go Green: Grilling of vegetables and fruits produces no HCAs. So, add veggies and cut down the amount of meats.

Happy Grilling

Here is the whole article from the American Institute of Cancer Research: Guide to Safe Summer Grilling

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