As you get together with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday, ensure it’s a happy – and healthy! – time of year filled with positive memories. Here’s how.
Healthy Holiday Swaps in the Kitchen
This season, try the AHA’s five easy swaps in the kitchen. Don’t worry, all the flavor and festivity are still in the mix!
- Use herbs and spices such as rosemary, rather than salt, on your turkey.
- Choose lower sodium broth or stock to make gravy.
- Whip up some mashed potatoes with low-fat or skim milk and soft tub margarine.
- Season veggies with herbs and bake, grill or steam them – instead of frying.
- Swap equal parts no-sugar-added applesauce for butter when baking.
Be Prepared for Minor Injuries: Cuts, Scrapes & Burns
With a houseful of rowdy kids or adults packed into a kitchen, you’ll want to keep overall safety top of mind. That means being well-prepared for minor injuries, including cuts, scrapes and burns.
Have a first aid kit on hand. Include adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes along with tape, gauze, latex gloves, antiseptic wipes, hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment and hydrocortisone cream.
Also include some basic over-the-counter medications including ibuprofen, acetaminophen and antihistamines, as well as a thermometer.
Stash an ice pack or two in the freezer, or have the instant version on hand, for those unexpected bumps and bruises.
Take a Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Course
Did you know that 74 percent of cardiac arrests happen in the home? Wondering what to do with a multigenerational houseful of family in the days before or after Thanksgiving? What better time to take a Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course than over the holidays when everyone’s in town and together.
Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED is available in two different training methods, blending learning and classroom training. Both are geared toward anyone with little or no medical training who wants to be prepared for an emergency in any setting.
One more option to consider for the family: Heartsaver Virtual, a convenient training kit and app solution allows you the flexibility to take courses and complete a virtual hands-on skills session with an instructor 100% online.
Download the Free AHA CPR & First Aid App
Available for download on Apple Store or Google Play, the AHA has developed an array of apps dedicated to bringing science right into the palm of your hand. Check out the free CPR & First Aid App so you can be prepared to act in an emergency.
The app’s key features include easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for adults and children ages 10-plus, so get the kids involved too. Use it to learn CPR and first aid for some of the most common emergencies to occur not just during the holidays, but year round. The course covers choking relief, bleeding and bandaging, heart attack, seizures, Hands-Only CPR, CPR with breaths and much more. The fun and informative format includes video, animations quizzes and games for the whole family.