Staying Safe Over the Holidays

by Gramps, on Fri Dec 10, 2010 3:05pm PST

The holidays are a time for families and friends to come together. But they also mark a time when parents and pet owners should be extra careful. For as fun as this time of the year can be, there are many ways in which children and pets can injure themselves.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) hosts a stellar article that explains how to be prevent disasters, both small and large. The SPCA of Texas has a similar blog for furry friends. Below, some of the highlights for having a fun and safe holiday season.

The Tree
For those using an artificial Christmas tree, be sure to look for trees that are labeled "fire resistant." Even then, always keep it a safe distance from the fireplace. If you're using a live tree, the AAP suggests you check for freshness. The less fresh a tree is, the dryer it is. And the dryer it gets, the easier it will become a fire hazard.

Keep the tree stand full of water, but also make sure the tree stand is covered for the safety of your pets.According to the SPCA, tree water can be "infested with fertilizer, bacteria, and other harmful elements." You definitely don't want your pets drinking it. You'll also want to make sure cats don't climb the tree, tip it over, and possibly hurt themselves or others. Delicate and breakable ornaments should be placed higher on the tree so curious pets don't knock them down and possibly hurt themselves

Refreshments
One word: Eggnog. When the nog comes out, you gotta be careful. Kids left unattended can scoop it up and slurp it down. In fact, according to hospitals, incidents of alcohol poisoning in children rise during the holidays--in part due to more parties and half-empty drinks being left out. Same deal with dogs and cats -- alcoholic beverages are not good for pets. As for food, the SPCA writes that macadamia nuts and chocolate, both holiday favorites, can be especially dangerous for dogs, so try to keep those out of reach.

Decorations
Everyone likes Christmas lights, but hanging them from your house can be very dangerous. There's not really a sure-fire safe way to do it. The best you can do is use a steady ladder, and be safe. Hometips.com lists some helpful things to remember. Measure the length of the lights before you climb the ladder. Don't use nails to secure the lights (use plastic clips instead). And, if possible, secure the lights to the eaves of the house.

The Fireplace
It can be tempting to just throw all the used wrapping paper into the fire once the gifts are open. Don't. The AAP writes that "a flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely." The fumes can also cause sickness in people as well as pets.

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Canada's young workers

Canada's young workers: the group the economic recovery left behind

By Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – Thu, 9 Dec 11:05 PM EST

OTTAWA - Canada's falling unemployment rate is hiding an unpleasant truth — tens of thousands are leaving the labour market in frustration, and none more so than young workers.

Last week's labour force survey for November presented a distorted hall-of-mirrors picture of employment — with the jobless rate falling to a two year low of 7.6 per cent on the strength of little job creation.

For young workers in the 15 to 24-year-old category, the picture was even more distorted — the unemployment rate plummeted from 15 per cent to 13.6 per cent with virtually no new jobs added.

The mathematical disconnect comes about because Statistics Canada does not measure the number of workers against those who want jobs, but against those who are actively looking for work. There have been fewer of those.

Young people are leaving the labour force in droves. According to the agency, the youth participation rate is the lowest in over a decade.

What's more, while the economy has created over 440,000 jobs since the recession there are 228,000 fewer young people employed.

"A lot of young people are throwing in the towel, saying forget it," said Brian Bethune, chief Canadian economist with IHS Global Insight.

"There's an inter-generational imbalance happening. You have a big bulge of baby boomers who have gotten into established positions entitled to three and four weeks vacation and young people can't find jobs."

Canadian Auto Workers economist Jim Stanford says there is another "perversity" in the challenge facing youth. As governments toy with the idea of raising the retirement age, young people can't break into the market at all because older workers are tying up jobs.

Ironically, Canadians 55 and over have done the best since the recession and are the only age group that has seen the participation rate rise in the past year.

Statistics Canada can not say for certain why more young people have been leaving the workforce, although analyst Lahouaria Yssaad notes that since the numbers are not as stark in the over 20-24 age sub-category, many in the youngest cohort may have gone back to school.

What is obvious, however, is that young people were disproportionately left behind during the recession, and one year removed from the official start of the recovery, they are still having a difficult time re-connecting with the economy.

Nancy Schaefer, president of Youth Employment Services in Toronto, calls it a "crisis" in youth unemployment, and is calling on governments to offer incentives for employers to hire young workers.

YES, which has units across the country, sees the wide range of youth, from those who have never had a job to those who were laid off during the downturn; from those with little education, to graduates. Many struggle, she says, but particularly those with less than a college or university education.

Young workers like 20-year-old Chantelle of Newfoundland, who left her job as a restaurant manager in August and moved toToronto because she had been told it was a city of opportunity.

It was a decision she wishes she could take back because five months later, she has run out of money and has had to move into a homeless shelter.

"I'll take anything, but there's nothing out there," she says, asking her full name be withheld. "People say they'll call back, but they never do. I'm not going to stop looking, though, because I want to get out of here."

Single mother Huda Eldardiry, 23, went through retraining because she was unable to keep working nights as a shoe saleswoman, but has been unable to find work since October. She is not given up, however, so technically she is not yet a frustrated worker.

Unless she gets lucky, though, the data suggest the odds of her finding a job quickly are slim. Schaefer says she's seen university grads take up to a year to find a job, and in many cases they've had to settle for part-time or work outside their area of expertise.

The repercussions for the individual lives in terms of anxiety and living conditions can be severe, but there is also a societal cost to long-term unemployment, she says.

"I hate to say this, but they might find alternative means of employment — working under-the-table or doing illegal activities and that's not good for anybody."

Human Resources Minister Diane Finley's office says the government has programs to help young workers, including for training and tax incentives to employers to hire apprentices. It is unclear whether the next budget will contain any specific measures for youth, although Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has signalled there will be no significant new spending.

What's happening to youth is an indication that the government's boasts about a recovering economy are hollow, responded Scott Brison, the Liberal finance critic. He said it is clear some segments of the population are still suffering through a recession.

Analysts consider youth unemployment a the litmus test of labour market strength overall, and by that measure, Canada has still a long way to go before employment stages a comeback.

The trouble with trumpeting that all jobs lost during the recession have been recouped, as the government does, is that it doesn't take into account that Canada's population has grown by about almost one million since, and those people need jobs too, says Stanford. As well, many of the added jobs are part-time, or lower-paying service jobs.

Stanford's analysis of labour trends since the recession shows that if the lower participation among youth and also core workers, those in the 25-54 age category, is taken into account, the jobless rate would be 9.1 per cent, 1.5 percentage points higher than the official rate.

And the number of unemployed would rise to 1.71 million — about 600,000 more than before the recession..

Stanford says there are risks that if the situation persists, cyclical unemployment caused by a recession could become a permanent state of affairs for some workers.

"Sometimes long-term unemployment becomes structural unemployment," he explained. "Economists call it hysteresis where individuals get used to not working, they lose their contacts, their skills become less sharp and that makes it all the harder to get back to work when conditions improve."

The best winter fruit

What’s Fresh: The best winter fruit for your buck

It's slim pickings in the fresh fruit aisle at this time of year. It appears to be well stocked—you can find berries and melons just like you did in the summer. ...…

It's slim pickings in the fresh fruit aisle at this time of year. It appears to be well stocked—you can find berries and melons just like you did in the summer. But now that it's winter, I find summer-season fruits to be a sad and lifeless representation of what they were during the warmer months. Even if I have a hankering for my warm-weather favorites, I'd rather spend my money on fruit that actually tastes good now.

Below are my 5 favorite winter fruits, which are all good on their own as snacks and are delightful in desserts and savory recipes too. Here's how to choose the best fruit, why it's good for you and how to save money buying it at the grocery store.

Oranges

How to buy: In general, look for plump oranges that are free of blemishes or bruises. As the season wears on, you may find different varieties of oranges popping up, such as Cara Cara and blood oranges. Try them! Both of these varieties are very sweet and have a darker flesh, ranging from pink in the Cara Cara to dark red in the blood orange.

Why it's good: Oranges are loaded with vitamin C (a large orange has more than the daily recommended value of vitamin C), which may help smooth your skin. If you bite into a blood orange, you'll also be getting anthocyanins, a compound that turns the flesh red and is associated with helping to keep the heart healthy and the brain sharp.

How to save: Buy them in bulk (they may be cheaper in a bag than when sold individually) and store them in the refrigerator to extend their life by a couple of weeks. If you stumble across a few fruits with a grainy texture, use them for juicing!

Bananas

How to buy: Though there are hundreds of varieties of bananas, the Cavendish is the variety most familiar to North Americans.  Bananas are in season year-round and are different from other fruits because they can be picked while they are still far from ripe.  If you do buy green bananas, wait until the skin ripens to a yellow and the starches convert to sugars. 

Why it's good: Bananas are one of the best sources of potassium, which is associated with healthy blood pressure.  Also, a medium banana is an excellent source of cell-building vitamin B6 and is a good source of vitamin C and fiber. 

How to save: Though bananas are relatively economical—ripening bananas cost about 90¢ per pound—overripe bananas are often on sale for less. Even if banana peels have started to brown, the insides often remain sweet and ripe. Buy a bunch or two and peel the extras before sticking them in the freezer.  They will keep for several months and are excellent in banana bread and smoothies.

Pineapple

How to buy: Avoid green pineapples—they are not ripe. A ripe pineapple should smell like a pineapple. There should be a golden color present—starting at the base—and the more yellow a pineapple is, the better it will taste throughout. Some people claim that pulling leaves easily from the top of a pineapple is an indication of ripeness, but this has not been proven. Your best bet is to go with color.

Why it's good: Pineapple is loaded with vitamin C, delivers a healthy dose of fiber and is an excellent source of manganese, a nutrient involved in bone formation.

How to save: Cutting into a pineapple for the first time can be downright scary. But where your wallet is concerned, it may be worth learning how to do. Prepared pineapple chucks in the produce section cost more per pound—about 50 cents an ounce more—than a whole pineapple.

Pomegranates

How to buy: Color is not a good indicator of a ripe pomegranate. Instead, choose a fruit that feels heavy in your hand.

Why it's good: Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants, natural compounds found in plants that help protect the body from harmful free radicals (compounds in the body that damage tissues and may contribute to a variety of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, Alzheimer's and cancer). Although you don't get as many antioxidants eating the seeds as drinking the juice, you will get a bit of fiber and abundant punicic acid, a polyunsaturated heart-healthy oil.

How to save: Pomegranates aren't the cheapest fruit in the produce bin (about $2.50 each), but the good news is that one fruit goes a long way. Your best bet is to compare prices at competing stores, and buy the cheapest you can find.

Grapefruit

How to buy: Like oranges, select fruits that are free of blemishes and bruises. Buying grapefruit can be tricky—the skin color of the fruit is not always a reliable way to tell if the fruit is sweet inside. If the fruit is heavy in your hand, that may be a good indication of its juiciness.

Why it's good: Like oranges, grapefruits are high in vitamin C and are a good source of fiber. Studies have shown that the soluble fiber in grapefruit may even be beneficial in lowering cholesterol. Half a medium grapefruit has only 60 calories.

How to save: If you regularly buy organic, you may make an exception for grapefruit. According to the Environmental Working Group (a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization) it is a fruit that is less likely to be contaminated with pesticides.

What is your favorite winter fruit, and how do you use it?

By Hilary Meyer

EatingWell assistant editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.