"Enhanced waters" are a good choice when I'm thirsty, right?

Answer: Sorry...no.

The bottled water aisle used to take up much less room a few short years ago. Now it it has become an aisle of its own. "Enhanced waters" have everything from vitamins, minerals, protein, herbs, caffeine and fiber added to it, thus the term "enhanced." Here are 3 questions you should ask yourself when you reach for a bottle:

1. Do I need the extra calories or protein or whatever is in it? Many of these bottled waters have added sugar adding extra calories (70 to 125 calories) that we don't need. Drinking bottled water with extra calories/sugar is like drinking a soft drink. As for protein, most of us get more than enough protein from the foods we eat.

2. Is the claim on the bottle "for real?" Many ingredients added to enhanced waters have murky claims - just what does "relaxed," or "more energy" mean when it's on a label? Most of us are stressed out and need more energy. When we see a label that tells us that this product will help us feel less stressed and have more energy, we want to believe it. There are few, if any, studies available to back the claims. Find more about these drinks. As for the vitamins, minerals and fiber in the water - better to get what you need from foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean meat and low-fat dairy foods.

3. Can I afford it? The cost for these drinks adds up quickly. When they are on sale, they can be as low as $1 per bottle. If you only drink one bottle a day that adds up to an extra $7 a week! Consider the cost to the environment, too. If you are concerned about less packaging, as many are these days, you are adding more plastic to the environment when buying these bottled waters even if the bottle is recyclable.

Looking for some alternatives? Here are some refreshing drink ideas.

Myth: I just read that leafy greens and tomatoes are 2 of the riskiest foods to eat. Should I stop eating them because they can make me sick?

Answer: No!

Have you read the report about the ten riskiest foods to eat? Thinking about not eating your fruits & veggies? Well, think again. There are BIG benefits to eating fruits & vegetables. As part of an overall healthy diet they may reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as well as your risk for type 2 diabetes. Fruits & veggies also may protect you against some cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon cancer. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. Eating them can help you control your calorie intake.

The report does not suggest to stop eating fruits and vegetables. Instead it highlights the concern over foodborne illness. One in four Americans are sickened by foodborne illnesses and 5,000 die each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (These numbers are likely lower than actual since many people who get sick from food don’t report it.) An increasingly globalized food supply and eating out (50 cents of every food dollar is now spent on food prepared outside the home) are two of the many reasons that we may fall victim to foodborne illness. We have less control of the food that we eat and we rely on others to make sure our food is safe. Certainly more coordination is needed to make sure that our foods are safe.

What can you do to protect you and your family?

1. Be informed. Find food safety information.

2. Know how to handle fresh produce so it is safe to eat.

3. Consider buying local. Ask your local farmer/grower how they grow their fruits and vegetables. What are they doing to make sure the fruits and vegetables they sell are safe to eat?

Myth: My child gets enough physical activity.

Answer: You may be wrong!

9 out of 10 parents believe their children are physically fit, but in reality only 1 in 3 children are.

What can you do? Here are three things you can do right now:

1. Physical activity is important for your child – it helps to control weight, build lean muscle and reduce fat and it reduces feelings of depression and anxiety. Learn more at http://missourifamilies.org/quick/parentingqa/parentingqa95.htm Hint: some of these benefits can help you too!
   
2. Model being active with your child. Put a reminder to be active on your refrigerator – download the University of Missouri Extension’s MyActivity Pyramid for Kids. Consider getting involved in walking your child to school. Oct. 3 – 7, 2009 is Walk a Child to School Week. Here is information about Missouri Walk Your Child to School events
   
3. Be aware of the physical activity recommendations for you as an adult – 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate intensive aerobic activity each week (moderate intensity is when you can talk while you are active but you can’t sing) OR at least 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous intensity aerobic activity each week (vigorous intensity is you can only say a few words without stopping to catch your breath). Do strength activities at least two times each week and flexibility activities at least two days each week for at least 10 minutes each day. Download the University of Missouri Extension’s MyActivity Pyramid for Adults to remind you to be active!

Do I need to use a hand sanitizer in my home?

Answer: No, hand sanitizers are not needed if you are properly washing your hands.

Hand sanitizers, especially alcohol-based gel sanitizers have become increasingly popular the last few years. In some cases, people are using hand sanitizers as a replacement for handwashing. For consumers, the use of hand sanitizers is not needed and they are expensive. Proper hand washing is sufficient.

Research has shown that hand sanitizers can be as effective as hand washing only in certain situations. Because dirt, food, or anything else on your hands can make alcohol in sanitizers less effective, it is important to first wash your hands with soap and water.

Some confusion occurred when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2002 guidelines "recommending alcohol-based gel as a suitable alternative for healthcare personnel in health care settings." However, the guidelines only apply to hospital and clinics. These guidelines are not appropriate for and do not apply to the general public. The reason being that the level of soil on the hands are quite different between the two settings.

For consumers, hand sanitizers should only be used in situations where traditional hand washing with soap and water are not available. In those situations, use of an alcohol gel is certainly better than nothing at all.

For more information about hand washing, visit the web site http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandWashing/ or http://missourifamilies.org/features/healtharticles/health92.htm.

Myth: I can tell when a food is done cooking by its color.

Answer: Color is not an accurate indicator of doneness.

Research has shown that hamburger will turn brown before an adequate final temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit is reached. This is dangerous! E. coli bacteria can serve the cooking process if hamburger is not adequately cooked. Judging endpoint temperature of hamburger by color is unreliable and unsafe.

The problem with cooking a food until “done” is that we do not have a standard definition for what it means. The primary reasons we cook food are to make it safe to eat and more palatable. We know from research that foods need to reach certain internal temperatures to kill off any harmful bacteria or other germs that might be present. We know from experience how long to cook a food to make it fit to eat. For example, cook a turkey too much it can get dry and tough, but if you undercook the bird it can make you sick.

What we really need is more precise way of measuring “done.” Fortunately, we have a tool that can help us. The tool is the food thermometer. With a food thermometer, you can accurately measure how cooked a food product is. Everyone that prepares and cooks food should be using a food thermometer.

There are several types of food thermometers available to consumers in stores. They range from bi-metallic-coil thermometers to more expensive thermocouple thermometers. A popular thermometer that is inexpensive is the thermistor-style thermometer. This type of thermometer uses a resistor to measure temperature and the sensitive part of the thermometer is located at the tip of the probe. The display of the temperature is digital like a clock radio making it easy to read.

If you are not using a food thermometer when you cook, you should. It will help you be sure the food is safe to eat and it can help keep you from overcooking the food. For more information about food thermometers go to the following web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Kitchen_Thermometers/index.asp. For more information about food safety in general, visit http://missourifamilies.org/