Don't know if that meat in your fridge is safe to eat anymore?

If you have questions about how long food lasts and how to safely prepare it, you are not alone. Most Americans have been misinformed about proper food safety practices (including myself). As college students, we are away from home, where mom may have done all the cooking and taken care of the safety of our foods.

Well, now it's our responsibility to learn and food safety and create habits that are going to keep us healthy without our parents' supervision. As always, there are great websites that have all the information you will need to keep your food safe to eat. FightBac is a great and easy to use website with all kinds of information, and also resources to teach kids food safety. FoodSafety.gov is the parent site for FightBac and is easy to use. So remember to "FightBac" when you're preparing food!

BYU/Provo Health Resources

When many freshman and transfer students come to BYU and Provo, they aren't sure how to take care of themselves and provide for their own health. Here are 10 frequently asked questions about health related resources at BYU and in the Provo area:

Q1: Where can I work out and play sports at BYU?

A1: The weight rooms at BYU are free for students and are open at different times throughout the day. The schedule for the weight rooms and other sports is located at http://hhps.byu.edu/. But, visit the Richards building info desk for the most up to date schedule. There is also an indoor track in the Smith Field House open for use throughout the day.
If you want to pay for higher quality facilities and a 24 hour gym, you can visit one of 2 Gold's Gym facilities in Provo and Orem. Check out their website for their current information.

Q2: Does BYU have intramural sports?

A2: Yes! Check out the BYU Intramurals website for more info!

Q3: Where can i buy groceries here in Provo?

A3: There are 3 major grocers in the Provo/Orem area. My favorite is Macey's. They have great prices, great service, and are closed on Sundays, allowing their workers to keep the Sabbath holy. They are open 24 hours. You can usually catch up with old friends there as well. Every time I go, I see a friend of mine there.
Another place to go is Smith's. I go here often because it is the closest to my apartment. They have competive prices, but I'm not sure how they compare to Macey's or Walmart.

Q4: Where can I go to the doctor here in the Provo/Orem area?

A4: If you are a BYU student, you can go to the Student Health Center on 900 E across the street from the MTC. I personally have had little experience with the SHC. I have only gone once and the experience was a good one, although I did not know that I was going to be charged for the visit. I only went in to see if I could qualify for a beard card! A good website to find doctors in the area is RateMDs.com. I'm looking to get a better list going as I ask around, but for now, use the internet, and ask your friends who are from the area.

Q5: What kind of recreation does the Provo/Orem are have?

A5: There are plenty of things to do here in Utah County, especially during the spring and summer months. (If you like skiing or snowboarding, then there is also plenty to do in the winter months.) Check out this website for great ideas of places to go in the area and around Utah: http://www.utahoutdooractivities.com/.

Q6: Where can I get food on campus at BYU?

A6: There is the Cougareat in the Wilkinson Center which has numerous restaurants to choose from. If you are worried about eating healthy (as you should), there are healthier restaurants such as Subway. There is the Canon Center near Helaman Halls, Legacy Grill and Jamba Juice in the Student Athlete Center. Also, the Marriot School has the Blue Line. I've only been to the Cougareat and the Legacy Grill. Legacy has great tasting food, but it does cost a bit.

Q7: What health classes can I take if I'm not a health major?

A7: HEPE 129 or 105 are required classes for graduation. HEPE 105 is an online class and HEPE 129 is a class you can attend. They offer great health information and will help you get a great start as a freshman. There are many classes, but I would recommend Nutrition 100 to get a good overview of your personal nutrition. Anatomy (PD Bio 220) is also a great (although difficult) class that helps you understand your own body and appreciate it a lot more.

Q8: If I have an emergency what should I do?

A8: If you are on campus, BYU has EMS services that they provide. Call 911 or 422-2222 if you need help.



Q9: I want to lose weight. Does BYU offer special programs to help lose weight?

A9: Yes! The main program that BYU offers is called Y-Be-Fit. They do individual assessments and give counseling based on your needs. You can learn more about the program at their website. Also, BYU offers aerobics classes and other fitness classes. Check out the front desk in the RB to find out the availability and prices for the classes.

Q10: I'm struggling with depression, anxiety, or addictions, where can I go?

A10: BYU offers free counseling services to full-time students. To find out more information about the services they provide, visit the website and look under the tab labled "personal counseling".

Going Skiing? Wear a helmet!

Natasha Richardson was on a beginner's ski trail at a ski resort in Quebec this week. She had a minor fall, hit her head, and died hours later. The question now is whether a helmet would have saved her life.

Living here in Utah, many BYU students head to the slopes each weekend (or even after classes on weekdays) to get their fix of their favorite winter pastime. Many whiz down the slopes at blazing speed without a helmet. To me, that is proof of a lack of brain cells. I don't ski or snowboard, but I know plenty of people that do. I often see these people come back to school on Monday with a cast or a sling.

Sure, if we were to avoid every activity that requires some risk, our lives would be boring. But, we can reduce the risk of injury and death by wearing something as simple as a helmet!

Although helmet use has increased in recent years, still only 43% of skiers and snowboarders wear helmets according to the National Ski Areas Association. I think skiers and snowboarders should re-think with their precious brains whether it is more important to look "cool" or still be conscious to make it home and tell everyone how "cool" their day at the slopes was. What do you think?

CalorieKing: Know the Food You Eat!

CalorieKing is a great website that has tons of resources to help you lose weight safely and to watch what you eat. It has a calorie database giving you the calorie information for almost any food imaginable. It also has a tool to determine your BMI, or body mass index. Your BMI gives you an idea where you are in relation to the best weight for your height. You can also check out your optimal heart rate and take health and nutrition quizzes to test your understanding of those areas. If you want to pay a little "dough", you can become a member and have access to more tools and information. They also have health books you can check out.

Be The Catalyst

Bethecatalyst.org is a great resource for health information and also a great website to help you get involved in the fight for better health in our nation. It is a Minnesota advocacy group. It offers facts on nutrition and tobacco use. It also has a blog that has tons of health related news. You can use this website to connect to other resources! Check it out!

MyPyramid.gov: A Great Resource!

Even though many of us may not be extremely happy with our government's choices right now, there are still a lot of things that our government does for us. The US Department of Agriculture has developed what is called MyPyramid over the past couple of years. If you remember your elementary school days, you will vaguely remember the food pyramid that got mentioned every once in a while. Well, the USDA has revamped that pyramid and personalized it a bit. Through their website, www.mypyramid.gov, you can use this great tool to help you eat nutritiously. A couple of the topics include: (just click on the link to take you directly there!)

Menu Planner

Nutrition Tracker: Keep Track of your Nutrition

MyPyramidPlan: Find out how much of each food you need each day!

MyPyramid for Kids!: A child-friendly version of MyPyramid

Check out these great resources and you will find great information that will help you eat nutritiously! Remember, it isn't always easy or cheap to eat nutritiously, but it is well worth it!

Eet Smaaklijk (Happy Eating) as we say in Dutch!

Yes! It is Safe to Eat Peanut Butter! (In Jars)

Many people have been worried if any peanut butter products are safe to eat after PCA knowingly shipped out contaminated products last year. Many people have decided not to eat peanut butter at all until this whole outbreak gets figured out by the FDA. But, we can't fall into that ignorant trap! It is not fair to other good companies like JIF and Skippy, who have done nothing wrong! The FDA has stated on their website and in the included video that national brand peanut butter bought at a retail store is safe to eat! So, for the sake of peanut butter and it's lovers, eat it! If you are worried about a product containing peanut butter, check out the FDA's website.

Check out this video from the FDA about the recalls: