A Health Newsletter Serving the North Coast Schools Medical Insurance Group
Vol. 26, No. 12 | December 2018
In this Issue: Director’s Note | Holiday Health Hazards | Recipe: Triple Apple Pie
Director’s Note
Stacy Lane, JPA Director
December Odds & Ends
December is the end of our benefit calendar year for our Medical and Dental plans. This is the last month you can take advantage of your current year deductible and out-of-pocket amounts for Medical. Starting January 1, 2019, it resets and you will need to restart your 2019 deductible. December 31st is also the last day to take advantage of your Gaurdian insurance calendar year maximum limit. Your new annual maximum will also restart on January 1st.
Reminder: You have 60 days to add a newborn dependent to your plan, and 31 days to add any other type of dependent. For more information, feel free to call Blue Shield or our office. If you miss this deadline, your next chance to add your dependent is during our May Open Enrollment, with an effective date of July 1, 2019.
Did you know you can change your Medical plan due to certain qualifying events outside of Open Enrollment? Check with your district Benefits contact to see if you may qualify to change your plan.
Please note our office will be closed for the holiday observances on December 24th and 25th, and January 1st. We will remain open 8am – 5pm throughout your school recess.
Holiday Health Hazards
Turkey Deep Fryer
Deep-frying the turkey has been a popular option for many since the late 1990s. However, the Underwriters Laboratories (a U.S. product safety certifier) cautions that turkey fryers caused over 138 accidents between 1998 and 2007. If you insist on the tradition of deep frying your holiday bird, read and adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. And never operate your fryer indoors or leave it unattended, particularly around pets or small children.
Treacherous Toys
A beloved Christmas toy can be the gift that keeps on giving during the holidays, but it can also pose several hazards for small children and adults alike, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recent CDC statistics claim that roughly 6,000 individuals suffer minor cuts, wounds, and stabbings attempting to dislodge toys from hard plastic clamshell containers. Metal twist ties and tiny toy parts can also pose a choking hazard.
Home Decorating Dangers
Most of us enjoy gussying up the house for the holidays. However, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 17,465 individuals were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for holiday-decorating-related falls with 43-percent of those injuries caused by decorating-related falls from ladders. Take extra care when stringing exterior lights and decking the halls with boughs of holly by using a sturdy, fully locked in place and level ladder that is free of floor obstacles; keeping your feet planted on the rails (not reaching or lifting one foot to reach heights).
Decorative Plants
Poinsettias (or euphorbia pulcherrima) make a lovely hostess gift. They add a crimson Christmas red to many a mantle and holiday table. However, the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) warns that poinsettias can be toxic for both cats and dogs, and mildly toxic to small children. If your pet ingests a poinsettia, call your veterinarian immediately. Small children may experience mild itchy rash, stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting, and eye irritation if they come into contact with poinsettia sap and have an allergic reaction. The Mayo Clinic suggests that those with an existing latex allergy stay away from poinsettias as they share a similar protein.
Choking Incidents
According to statistics from the National Safety Council, roughly 3,000 Americans die due to a choking incident each season on holiday favorites—from shelled nuts to cocktail wienies and from candy canes to Mandarin oranges. I know that it’s difficult to keep your safety in mind when you’re scarfing down Grandmas famous gingerbread cookies. However, chocking risks increase with the more you eat, including eating while socializing.
Diabetes Superfoods
There are many foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber that you can make part of your daily eating plan that are good for your health. Some of these include non-starchy vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. “Superfood” is a term used by many food and beverage companies as a way to promote a food thought to have health benefits; however, there is no official definition of the word by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA regulates the health claims allowed on food labels to ensure there is scientific research to support the claims. The list of foods below are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber that are good for overall health and may also help prevent disease.
Christmas Coronary Crisis
According to the University of California San Francisco’s Emergency Department, heart attack risk spikes during the oh-so-merry-time-of-year. In fact, cardiovascular-related fatalities rise by roughly 5-percent during the holiday season—with fatal heart attacks at their highest risk on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Consider that during the holidays we suffer a lot of physical and emotional stress, due to increased salt, sugar, and fat intake, overeating, overdrinking, family drama, financial stress, social obligations, missed medications, and ignoring chest pain in fear of fear upsetting the holiday for loved ones.
Recipe of the Month: Triple Apple Pie
Ingredients
-
2 (9-inch) refrigerated whole-wheat pie doughs (such as Wholly Wholesome)
-
Cooking spray
-
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-
1 tablespoon water
-
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
-
2 tablespoons whole milk
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1 (10-oz.) Braeburn apple, peeled and grated
-
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
-
1 1/2 pounds Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 12 wedges each
-
1 1/2 pounds Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 12 wedges each
-
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll 1 dough into a 13-inch circle on a floured surface; fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Chill until ready to use.
-
Heat sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon water, and salt in a skillet over medium-high; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and vanilla. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.
-
Combine grated apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a bowl. Add apple wedges and remaining 3 tablespoons flour; toss to coat. Pour sugar mixture over apples; toss. Nestle apple mixture into piecrust in pie plate.’
-
Roll remaining pie dough into an 11 1/2-inch circle on floured surface. Place over apples in pie plate. Fold dough edge under, flute edges, and trim off any excess. Brush egg white over crust. Cut 6 to 8 (1-inch-long) slits in crust. Bake on bottom rack at 375°F for 1 hour or until browned and bubbling. Tent with foil after 40 minutes to prevent overbrowning, if needed. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Cut pie into 10 wedges.
Serves: 10 | Active Time: 30 Minutes | Total Time: 2 Hours