What's It Take to Burn off the Calories From a Thanksgiving Dinner?
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Food and food safety pros have numerous tips for preparing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but, other than washing hands before and after the meal, recommendations for diners are few.
Until now, that is.
According to Mary Meck Higgins, a Kansas State University Research and Extension nutrition specialist, a modest Thanksgiving dinner, with 3 ounces of skinless roast turkey; 4 ounces (one half cup) of mashed potatoes; 2 tablespoons of gravy; 4 ounces of green bean casserole; 4 ounces of honey-glazed carrots; dinner roll with two teaspoons of soft margarine; relishes (including a stalk of celery, 1 ounce sweet pickle, 1 cinnamon-spiced apple ring, 1 tablespoon black olives, and 3 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce), and a slice of pumpkin pie with a tablespoon of whipped topping will have about 1,100 calories, 38 grams of fat, 150 grams carbohydrate and 40 grams of protein.
With food, fellowship and gratitude the goal for the holiday, Higgins also recommends moderate physical activity to help burn the extra calories, rather than tipping the scale upwards.
She recommends waiting 30 or more minutes after eating to allow time for digestion before moderate physical activity.
A person weighing 154 pounds should plan on about four hours of walking at 3-1/2 miles per hour or 2 hours of jogging at five miles per hour to burn all of the calories consumed during the sample holiday meal.
Mary Meck Higgins is the state leader for K-State Research and Extension nutrition education programs. For more information about food, nutrition and health, contact the county or district K-State Research and Extension office or check the following Extension Web sites: www.ksre.ksu.edu ,www.ksre.ksu.edu/humannutrition/, www.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety/.
November Nitrogen Helps Cool-Season Turfs Through Winter, Spring
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- November is second only to September as the most important month to feed tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass lawns.
That may not seem logical, even for cool-season turfs. Their top growth almost stops in late fall.
“But, the plants are still making food – carbohydrates – through photosynthesis. And, they’re storing up everything they don’t need for growth right now. Nitrogen in November helps boost those photosynthesis and storage rates,” said Ward Upham, horticulturist, Kansas State University Research and Extension.
In turn, Upham said, the benefits for cool-season turf plants can extend for many months, including:
* Improved root growth and shoot (density) development until the lawn enters winter dormancy.
* Improved winter hardiness.
* Carbohydrate reserves that help turf green up as early in spring as the weather allows.
* Reserves that sustain growth into May without a nitrogen application in March or April.
“Nitrogen applied in early spring is riskier because it can lead to excessive shoot growth and reduced root growth -- just as cool-season turfs should be toughening up for summer,” he said.
K-State recommends applications of 1 to 1 ½ pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn in November. Upham noted that this is not the same as pounds of fertilizer, because only a certain percentage of most fertilizers is nitrogen. For example, achieving 1 pound of nitrogen requires four pounds of a 25-4-4 fertilizer.
“Because the growing season is nearly over, you need to use a water-soluble or quickly available nitrogen carrier, such as urea or ammonium sulfate. Or, you should look for turfgrass fertilizers that contain soluble nitrogen,” he advised.
‘Tis the Season to Beware of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- As sunlight hours dwindle and give way to chilly fall and winter days, people often turn to auxiliary heat sources. Whether this source is an old fashion wood stove or a modern furnace, if it involves combustion it brings the risk of carbon monoxide.
“Carbon monoxide is an odorless colorless toxic gas that results from the incomplete combination of oxygen and carbon during combustion,” said Kansas State Climatologist Mary Knapp. “Common sources are unvented gas or kerosene space heaters, leaking furnaces or fireplaces, back drafts from gas water heaters or gas stoves, generators, or exhaust from car engines.”
Knapp, who oversees the Kansas Weather Data Library, based in Kansas State University Research and Extension, encourages Kansans to make certain that any heat source is properly maintained, operated, and ventilated.
“Keep the car away from your building when running,” she said, adding “It is also a good idea to make certain that the chimney is clear and in good shape before lighting that first fire of the season. A bird's nest blocking the flue can result in more than just a headache.”
Information about Kansas weather is available on the Weather Data Library Web site: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/wdl/. “Weather Wonders” audio reports are available on the K-State Research and Extension News Media Web site at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/.
More information about emergency preparedness is available on the Kansas EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network)Web site: http://www.kseden.ksu.edu.
Southeast Kansas Forester Named ’09 Tree Farm Inspector of the Year
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Connie Robinson-Clemons has made history this year as the first-ever Kansas forester to be named the North Central Region’s Tree Farm Inspector of the Year. She and the nation’s three other regional winners received their award at the 2009 National Tree Farm Convention in Washington, D.C.
Robinson-Clemons represents the Kansas Forest Service (KFS) in the state’s southeast district, working out of Iola, Kan. She was competing against hundreds of foresters in the region’s other, more woodland-rich states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
“Inspections can be the least of what these folks do,” said Larry Biles, KFS state forester. “Outreach and education are central. In Kansas, inspectors also let landowners know about cost-share programs. They provide systematic plans and technical support for riparian area plantings, for tree stand and wildlife habitat improvements, and responsible tree harvests.
“Connie’s only been a Kansas inspector since 2003, yet she’s already enrolled 44 landowners into the American Tree Farm System.”
For almost 50 years, the not-for-profit American Tree Farm System has been recognizing Kansas landowners who both manage and protect their woodlands and other natural resources, Biles said. The program has evolved, however, into today’s forest certification system with local inspectors as the program’s on-site representatives.
To become a certified Tree Farmer, landowners must meet internationally accepted standards of stewardship. Kansas now has 140 landowners who’ve been certified as “green,” due to their efforts in practicing sustainable forestry, Biles said.
“You’ll recognize their well-managed holdings by diamond-shaped, green-and-white signs that say either ‘Certified Family Forest’ or ‘Certified Tree Farm,’” he said. “Tree Farmers also can label wood products from their certified land, to let customers know those products come from someone who believes in and practices superior forest management. As Connie would be the first to say, certified woodlands offer both environmental and financial benefits.”
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