![whole-grain cereals pour from a glass jar into a pile, with other piles nearby, on a flat, empty tabletop. [credit: pixabay.com, angelica vaihel]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/08/2024_FCS_grainsWholeJarCereals_pixabayAngelicaVaihelCROP1650x470.png)
Did you know that September is Whole Grains Month? And, did you know that the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans tell us that at least half our grains should be whole grains? And, do you know the parts of a whole grain? Or, the nutritional ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Work & Life![in a computer-generated image, a man holds his nose while standing in fron of an opened refrigerator. [credit: adobe firefly]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/08/2024_FCS_refrigeratorOdorsMan01_fireflyCROP1650x470TINY.png)
Have you ever opened your refrigerator only to be hit by an unpleasant odor? Sure, that might be the onions you forgot to cover the night before. But, it might be bacteria, mold, leaking containers or expired foods lurking somewhere in your ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Home Management, Work & Life![a digital meat thermometer reads 165.3 degrees fahrenheit while checking chicken on a barbecue grill. [credit: uf/ifas, tyle jones; edit: uf/ifas extension sarasota county]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/07/2017_FCS_foodsafetyGrillingThermometer01UPDATE165F_ifasJonesTyler_CROP1650x470.jpg)
Have you ever heard of the "Temperature Danger Zone"? If you're like many, the term might be new to you. So, let's take a closer look. I have written several blogs on food safety and how to avoid a foodborne illness. But, in this blog, ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Work & Life![a refrigerator shelf lined with fresh and processed foods. [credit: unsplash.com darrien staton]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/06/2024_FCS_foodRefrigerator01_unsplashDarrienStatonEDITS1650x470TINY.jpg)
With hurricane season upon us, it's important to know how to prepare our perishable food supply if the power goes out. Knowing how to keep our food supply safe to eat is just as important as gathering your hurricane supplies and creating a ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Work & Life![a man holds his aching stomach, with food on a table in the background. [credit: pxhere.com]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/06/2018_FCS_blogFoodSafety01_pxhereEDIT1650x470TINY.png)
A foodborne illness can affect anyone who eats food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, or other substances. The actual number of those who succumb to food sickness is unknown, but a 2011 report by the Centers for Disease ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Work & Life![fresh fish on ice in cooler. [credit: uf/ifas]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/06/2019_FCS_foodsafetyColdHot01_pixabayGardnerScottCROP1650x470TINY.jpg)
More and more often, we hear news of an outbreak of a foodborne illness or food recall. Has something changed? Well, yes... actually, several things. There are several reasons why we hear of more food recalls. One reason is better surveillance ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Work & Life![closeup of a mound of fresh cucumbers. [credit: pixabay.com, renee olmsted photography]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/06/2024_FCS_cucumbersFresh01_pixabayReneeOlmstedPhotographyCROP1650x470TINY.jpg)
Cucumbers believed to be contaminated with salmonella have been recalled in Florida and 13 other states, including Illinois and New York. If you recently purchased cucumbers at your grocery store, it's important to take the time to contact ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Work & Life![Hurricans Irma, Jose and Katia line up across the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean in 2017. [CREDIT: NOAA]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2022/06/2020_FCS_factsheetHurricanesIrmaJoseKatia20170908_noaaCROP1650x470TINY.png)
As we approach hurricane season, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30, now is the time to create your disaster plan and assemble your supply kit. As you do, keep in mind that Florida legislators have created two 14-day sales tax holidays for ... READ MORE
Category: Disaster Preparation, Work & Life![two older men walk away from the camera along a brick path through a park. [credit: pixabay.com, Steve Buissinne]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/04/2023_FCS_agefriendlyEldersWalkingPark_pixabayBuissinneSteveCROP1650x470TINY.png)
In this Aging Healthy series, we took a closer look at what it means to age healthy. We talked about key elements of our lives that factor into aging, and changes we could make (or approaches we could maintain) that can help lead to a healthier, ... READ MORE
Category: Health & Nutrition, Work & Life![two women sitting side-by-side on a park bench share a laugh. [credit: unsplash.com, dario valenzuela]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/04/2024_FCS_aginghealthyWomenSmilingParkBench_unsplashDarioValenzuelaCROP1650x470TINY.png)
Our last Aging Healthy series post looked at our mental health and provided strategies for managing stress and loneliness. In today’s post, we’re going to discuss cognitive health. As you might have guessed, the way we think, learn, ... READ MORE
Category: Health & Nutrition, Work & Life