Topic Of The Month: Mental health Tips for Avoiding Stress

Monthly Nutrition Tip: Healthy Eating when the Power Goes Out

The phone keeps ringing, the bills are due, and your kids won't stop fighting--life is full of stress. Unfortunately, too much stress can drain your ability to rest, feel good, be productive, think, have relationships, have fun--pretty much everything humans need to do to survive and thrive. In observance of Mental Health Month in May, here are 10 tips to help you handle stress and boost your well-being.

Preparation is a key element in eating healthy during a power outage. First on the power outage preparation list are kitchen gadgets. There are two must have gadgets: 1) a non-electric can opener for canned foods; and 2) food, refrigerator and freezer thermometers to check for proper food temperatures before consumption. Registered Dietitian Toby Smithson explains just how to manage your meals when the lights are out. You can also try this simple recipe for Black Out Tuna.

	Health News And Alerts
Food Alert	Gills Onions, LLC of Oxnard, CA is initiating a voluntary recall of 2,360 pounds of diced red onions with lot code 51RDA1A2119 and use-by-dates May 14, 15 and 17, 2012 because they may be contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes. The product is beyond its use-by-date. No illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall, and no other Gills Onions product is affected by this recall.
Food Alert	River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC of Salinas, CA is expanding its voluntary recall of retail and foodservice bagged salads, because they have the potential of being contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
	Flowers are not the only things that thrive in the spring. This month’s Healthy Lake County video (4 minutes) talks about ticks, mosquitoes, and bats, and what  residents can do to limit the consequences of close encounters with some of the County’s indigenous insects and mammals.
In the Kitchen	Most people know that breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day, yet many of us either skip it, or eat things that aren’t the best for us. Registered Dietitian Toby Smithson gives county residents some alternatives to the ordinary cereal or eggs and meat breakfast. Handout in English Handout in Spanish
Parents: New vaccine requirement for 6th and 9th graders	To address a resurgence of pertussis (also known as whooping cough), the state of Illinois has implemented a new vaccination requirement for school entry. For school year 2012-2013, all students entering sixth and ninth grades will be required to provide proof of a dose of the whooping cough (Tdap) vaccination in addition to the school physicals required at these grades. For more  resources, see our Tdap Web page.
	Mark your calendar for the 20th annual Kids 1st Health Fair, A Back-to-School Fair for Kids Health, on Wednesday, August 1 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Miguel Juarez Middle School, 201 N. Butrick St., in Waukegan. The fair is free for families meeting income guidelines and providing records of proof. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. See the flyer, in English or in Spanish, for more details. Volunteers needed.
Food Alert	FunFresh Foods, Inc. of San Clemente, California in consultation with the FDA is voluntarily recalling a single lot of its 6 ounce packages of FunFresh Foods™ World Berries™ Organic “Cacao Nibs” because they may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria (E. Coli O157:H7).  E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools.
Find Help in Lake County	Find Help Lake County is a comprehensive guide to the community resources in Lake County. It includes an overview of social services, how to obtain community services and some examples of major service providers.

Being prepared in an emergency may make all the difference when seconds count. The Emergency Preparedness office of the Health Department provides families with two information sheets to help make a difference. Select Page One/Select Page Two  
ALERT Lake County is an emergency preparedness web site developed to keep residents informed and prepared. Sign up for dependable alert information..