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One of the easiest ways to stay healthy is to wash your hands—especially after touching public handrails, doorknobs, and money. Keep a small container of hand sanitizer in your bag or pocket, just in case a sink isn’t nearby.
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If you are between 50-64 call 1-877-933-3060. You may qualify for a free mammogram or pap test. Participating Meditech clinics are at 7208 N Sterling Ave., Tampa; 4714 N Armenia Ave., Suite 100, Tampa; or 1783 S Kings Ave., Brandon. For appointment, call toll-free, 1-877-933-3060.
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EDUCATIONAL
Arts Council of Hillsborough County offers free or low cost classes:Visual arts, pottery,jewelry-making, drawing,painting, yoga, meditation,photography and more…
Special Interest Classes Hillsborough county Free or low cost
Free Events and Classes Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative
Hillsborough Adult Classes and Interests Everything from Knitting to Computer Skills
Hillsborough Nutrition Home Canning Solar Cooking Storm Prep and more
Parenting and Divorce programs Hillsborough
EMPLOYMENT
WorkNet Pinellas OJT programs healthcare and more
Pinellas County Jobs economy-businesses- resources
Pinellas County Online Jobs Center
LOW COST OR FREE THINGS TO DO
4H after school program Hillsborough
Arts Council of Hillsborough County offers free or low cost classes:Visual arts, pottery,jewelry-making, drawing,painting, yoga, meditation,photography and more…
Special Interest Classes Hillsborough county Free or low cost
Free Events and Classes Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative
Hillsborough Adult Classes and Interests Everything from Knitting to Computer Skills
Hillsborough Nutrition Home Canning Solar Cooking Storm Prep and more
Parenting and Divorce programs Hillsborough
Pinellas County Recycling Information guide ♥
Hillsborough County Recycling guide ♥
Hillsborough County Computer Recycling ♥
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Feeling a little « FLUFFY » ?
You can lose about 1 pound every two months by achieving a caloric deficit of only 60-100 calories a day. Here are four really simple, fun and delicious changes in habit that will get you there easier.-
1. Beware the burger blast. Make your own burgers at home with a cut of beef called round or a round steak (the butcher can grind it into hamburger for you). The best part? It’s as lowcal as skinless chicken. Or use lean ground beef (95 percent lean or better) for a skinny burger with 400 instead of about 500 calories for standard ground beef. Try a ground chicken, turkey or fish burger for a change!
- 2. Add the whipped cream. Instead of ice cream (350-500 calories per cup), combine a cup of fresh or frozen sweet pitted cherries with 1/4 cup canned whipped cream for a sweet, creamy dessert with just 140 calories.
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3. Eat more pizza. Instead of ordering takeout pizza , fill your freezer with healthful frozen pizzas containing no more than 600 calories and 10-15 grams of fat per pie. Make your own and control the fat content.
- Drink up. Have a glass of water with lunch or dinner every other day instead of a soda or an alcoholic drink and you can lose 7-15 pounds a year. To stay full, eat plenty of foods high in water, including fresh fruits, vegetables and healthful (lowfat, low-sodium) soups.
- 5. Fish for health. Instead of a 6-ounce steak (550 calories), enjoy tuna (250-300 calories) or salmon (350 calories). If you eat fish instead of red meat four times a week, you’ll save 200-300 calories each time, or up to 1,200 calories a week. Besides being lower in fat, seafood is also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which lower cholesterol and reduce risk for heart disease. Choose grilled, broiled or steamed fish and avoid fried or blackened versions, which pack in extra fat.
- 6. Snack more for fewer calories. People who snack all day find it easier to lose weight because they actually take in fewer calories. Enjoy healthful snacks like apple slices spread with 1 tablespoon peanut butter (about 160 calories) or 1 ounce lowfat cheese with a piece of fresh fruit (about 130 calories.) Both snacks provide natural sugars to satisfy your sweet tooth plus fiber and protein to keep you full. Opting for healthful, filling snacks that keep you away from vending-machine versions packing 250-500 empty calories each will save you thousands of calories a month.
- 7. Mine sweep for calorie bombs. Losing weight is not about discipline or willpower, it’s about taking charge of your environment. So get rid of all that high-fat, high-calorie junk in your kitchen and replace it with healthful, lowfat fare.
- 8. Cook with nonstick pans and spray. Make every meal in a nonstick pan, and you’ll automatically save 100 calories every time by eliminating the butter, margarine or oil used to grease the pan. When sauteing or frying, simply coat nonstick pans with a spritz of vegetable oil cooking spray (0 calories). Always use fresh, full-flavored ingredients, and you won’t need fattening butter or oil to add flavor. Talk about a painless way to lose weight!
- 9. Savor each bite. Eat more slowly to let satiety register — it takes your stomach 20 minutes to send “full” signals to the brain. You’ll save 100 calories each time you stop eating when you’re almost full instead of eating until you’re stuffed (about 200 calories a day).
- 10. Eat by the clock. Believe it or not, the biggest cause of binging is under eating. Your body gets hungry every three to five hours, so you need to eat five to six healthful, lowfat mini meals daily to stay full and curb cravings. Cut nighttime snacks and say adios to 15 pounds a year; have a fruit snack instead of a vending-machine snack and subtract 20 pounds; plan meals ahead and knock off 22-30.
- 11. Use the dilution solution. Love regular soft drinks but hate the pounds the sugar packs on? (A 32-ounce soda has about 400 calories!) Cram your cup with ice every time you have a soda, and you’ll drink at least half as much. By making this one simple shift from soda to water, cut 400 calories a day.
- 12. Defrost the freezer. Forget all the nasty things you’ve heard about frozen dinners! Supermarkets stock hundreds of lowfat and delicious frozen meals — from meatloaf and mashed potatoes to Thai and Indian cuisine. Just add vegetables and fruit to boost nutrients. You’ll save 300-500 calories every time you prepare a frozen dinner instead of ordering fast food or cooking a high-fat meal. Enjoy four frozen dinners a week and lose a minimum of 18-30 pounds a year.
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13. Shop by the book. Make weekly shopping a habit by setting a specific day and time when you can always go. Without healthful foods on hand, you may be tempted to improvise by hitting fast-food and convenience stores, where nearly everything is high-fat and high-calorie. Good grocery-shopping skills are the flip side of good meal-management skills. Make a list and stick to it!
- 14. Keep “happy hour” at home. Spend a few hours at a bar on Friday night, and you could easily consume 3,000 calories in drinks (300 calories per mixed drink) and snacks (an order of nachos has 2,100 calories)!
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*Disclaimer: Medical information provided by SPHF is not the equivalent of a visit with a health care professional and must be considered educational advice only. Information received through the website or through e-mail should not be relied upon as a medical consultation. This website is not designed to replace a health care provider’s independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure for a given patient. SPHF will do its best to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.
The Sonia Plotnick Health Fund is a 501(c)3 charitable organization and all donations and sponsorships are tax deductible. ♥