A Health Newsletter Serving the North Coast Schools Medical Insurance Group
Vol. 27, No. 12 | December 2019
In this Issue: JPA Notes | Oral Health | Holiday Food Safety | Recipe: Crab Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
JPA Notes
From the JPA Office
It’s difficult to believe that we are already well into the 2019-2020 school year and December is now before us! As we mentioned in the November 2019 Vim & Vigor Newsletter, we will be giving the Vim & Vigor a well-deserved face lift in the New Year. What better time for a refresh? Remember, this newsletter will begin being distributed quarterly, effective January 2020. Be on the lookout for formatting updates, but still expect a valuable and informative tool from the JPA Team!
If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet one or all of our helpful staff members, we encourage you to reach out to our office if you are ever in the neighborhood or have a quick question that you’d like to run past us via phone or email.
Our team is here to serve our members Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm, year-round. We take great joy in assisting our member school districts and their employees and take satisfaction in being able to accommodate and resolve the many inquiries that we receive on any given day. We are even available on school breaks, so please, stop in for a hello!
Oral Health
The health of the teeth, the mouth, and the surrounding craniofacial (skull and face) structures is central to a person’s overall health and well-being. Oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions include:
- Dental cavities (tooth decay)
- Periodontal (gum) diseases
- Cleft lip and palate
- Oral and facial pain
- Oral and pharyngeal
(mouth and throat) cancers - Xerostomia (dry mouth)
The significant improvement in the oral health of Americans over the past 50 years is a public health success story. Most of the gains are a result of effective prevention and treatment efforts. One major success is community water fluoridation, which now benefits about 7 out of 10 Americans who get water through public water systems.
Why Is Oral Health Important?
Oral health is essential to overall health. Good oral health improves a person’s ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and make facial expressions to show feelings and emotions.
However, oral diseases, from cavities to oral cancer, cause significant pain and disability for many Americans.
Practice good oral care at home ― proper brushing and flossing daily are crucial in preventing as well as minimizing gum disease. In addition, ask your dentist if you should use an antimicrobial mouth rinse.
Good self-care, such as brushing with fluoride toothpaste, daily flossing, and professional treatment, is key to good oral health. Health behaviors that can lead to poor oral health include:
- Tobacco use
- Excessive alcohol use
- Poor diet
Get regular dental checkups ― visiting your dentist regularly for recommended dental exams and professional cleanings in addition to brushing and flossing at home is important. Each year get the necessary number of dental exams and professional cleanings recommended by your dentist. Periodontal screenings by your dentist shows how well you are caring for your teeth and provides recommendations to improve your oral health.
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/oral-health
Holiday Food Safety
Ready-to-Cook Foods: Follow Directions to Keep Your Holidays Happy
Eating ready-to-cook foods right out of the package, without cooking, could make you sick!
Cookies are a holiday favorite – and this season is a good time to remind ourselves that ready-to-cook foods of all kinds, including raw, packaged cookie dough, do need to be cooked. Eating these kinds of foods right out of the package, without cooking them, could make you sick from bacteria. Cooking them according to the package directions before you eat them kills bacteria that could make you sick.
Whether it’s packaged cookie dough, a frozen entrée, pizza, or any of the other ready-to-cook foods we use for convenience, cook or bake them according to the directions on the package, to help keep your holidays happy.
Most people who get sick from bacteria in ready-to-cook foods that are not cooked properly will get better by themselves, although foodborne illness isn’t a very pleasant way to spend the holidays. But anyone, of any age or health condition, could get very sick or die from these bacteria. This is especially true for people with weak immune systems; for example, the very young, the elderly, and people with diseases that weaken the immune system or who are on medicines that suppress the immune system (for example, some medicines used for rheumatoid arthritis).
Pregnant women also need to be especially careful to follow cooking directions on packages, since some bacteria are very harmful or deadly to unborn babies.
It’s a good safety tip to keep in mind all year, not just in the holiday season: Follow the directions on your ready-to-cook food packages to help keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.
When you prepare meals and snacks for yourself, your family, and your friends, it is important to follow simple food safety tips to help prevent foodborne illness, also known as “food poisoning.”
Follow the 2-Hour Rule. For safety reasons, do not leave perishables out at room temperature for more than two hours, unless you’re keeping it hot or cold. If the temperature is above 90° F, food should not be left out for more than one hour. Also, remember to refrigerate leftovers within two hours.
Happy holidays and remember to be food-safe!
Recipe of the Month: Crab Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 20 button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack, divided
- 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 oz. lump crab meat
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, artichoke hearts, garlic, crab, green onions and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper and stir until fully combined.
- Stuff mushrooms with mixture and transfer to a small baking sheet.
- Bake until mushrooms are cooked and mixture is warmed through, 25 minutes. Broil if desired.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a56735/crab-artichoke-stuffed-mushrooms-recipe/