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4A – Daily News – Monday, April 19, 2010 Vitality & health How to: Pick produce Check for blemishes. Avoid all produce with mold or mushy spots. Other no-no's: mushrooms with slimy coat- ing, lettuce with brown edges, pineapples with dark spots on the base, tomatoes with cracks and bell peppers with wrin- kled skin. Eyeball the color. As a general rule, the stems of plants should be green and the fruit should be the color you expect. Test the smell and weight. Not all fruit smells sweet, but a sour odor typically means it has started to go bad. If a piece of fruit such as a peach feels heavy for its size, you're likely making a good choice. Aim for firm. Buds, florets and caps on vegetables such as artichokes, broccoli and mushrooms generally should be closed tightly, not splayed open. Be wary of bulk purchases. Take home only as much as you'll realistically use in a few days to a week. Large bags and tubs are more likely to have spoiled items hidden inside. Pluck out bad pieces. Immediately inspect fruit at home and toss items that could spoil a whole batch. (MCT) Spring brings trips to parks and play- grounds — and slips, falls, bruises and burns that can land children in the emergency room. But doctors say there are steps parents can take to keep their chil- dren injury-free, and many involve common sense. "Don't let your kids run in front of a swing, and check the tempera- ture of the slide before kids go down it with shorts on," says Dr. Vir- ginia Keane, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Mary- land Medical Center. She added that she has treat- ed children for second- degree burns from slides. Keane says children should get in a minimum of one hour of activity to stay healthy, and spring's warmer weather helps make that possi- ble. But parents need to choose ideal play- grounds for such activi- ty, she says. The primary concern about playground equip- ment, Keane says, is the surface. She says that it should be soft, so that it gives when children fall or land, and free of glass or other sharp objects. "The biggest thing you need is to have supervision," Keane adds. "Children don't always know how to behave, and adults don't MCT photo Debbie Sedaka plays with her 3-year-old daughter, Dara, on the playground. always know how to behave around children. You want your kids to have fun on the play- ground, but make sure to keep an eye on him or her." Erin Spotte of Balti- more and Katie Burton of Perry Hall, Md., were following that advice recently while their young children played at Meadowood Park in Brooklandville, Md. They're part of a group of parents who meet each Friday at the playground, in part because its wood-chip and sand surface cush- ions falls. They also pre- fer areas that are fenced to prevent their children from wandering. And while the group allows their children to frolic freely, Burton says, "At least one par- ent always has an eye on the other's child." Her 2-year-old son, Andrew, enjoyed the monkey bars along with Spotte's 2-year-old son, Oscar. "We just keep our fingers crossed," Spotte says, "and hope no one falls." Some parents take it upon themselves to ensure their children's safety on such equip- ment by using it with them. But that's not always a good idea. Orthopedists at the Cleveland Clinic, for example, say they have seen an increase in tibia Rio Skin & Body Works Spa Deana Owens and Kelsey Maeder Now Offering Welcomes One hour Massage and One hour Facial Package Only $ 99 Open: Monday-Saturday Call 527-7762 810 Rio Street, Red Bluff Gift Certificates Available expires: 4/30/10 fractures in children who are going down playground slides with parents and grandpar- ents. Dr. Tracy Ballock, director of the Center for Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, said children sliding with adults can catch their feet on the way down the slide and break a bone. "We recommend that children not go down the slide until they can climb the ladder on their own," Ballock says. Parents can allay fears about playground injuries by ensuring that playground equipment is built to proper safety standards, said Dr. Keshia Pollack, assistant professor with the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Pol- icy. She pointed to 2009 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data that showed there were 2,691 incidents associat- ed with playground equipment from 2001 to 2008. The data showed that 67 percent of those incidents involved falls or equipment failure. While the majority of the injuries the commis- sion reported did not require hospitalization, there were 40 fatalities associated with play- ground equipment _ including 27 that were Deep tissue massage therapy specializing in chronic pain & injury relief. your giddy-up? Been pushin cattle, Working horses? Got a hitch in Corning Calif. Largest Selection In Tri-County A Better Path Located between Red Bluff & Corning Sally Eisinger, CMT 824-6860 RAHMING Quality in Home Care and Parent Helpers is currently seeking retired or current CNA’s and Caregivers. Please attend an informational presentation on joining our caring and compassionate team. Red Bluff Community Center on April 26th, 2010 at 1pm till 3pm. • Herbal Medicines • Edibles (Foods) • Clones 1317 Solano St. (530) 824-4811 www.tehamaherbalcollective.vpweb.com 2 fitness Keeping kids safe on the playground the result of hangings and other asphyxiations, and seven that involved head and neck injuries. The commission says that playground equip- ment should be age- appropriate. Children under age 2, for exam- ple, should use climbing equipment lower than 32 inches. Children ages 4 to 5 should use horizon- tal ladders 60 inches tall or lower. Spiral slides with a 360-degree turn are appropriate for chil- dren ages 5-12. The CPSC says that if bare or painted metal surfaces are used on platforms, they should be oriented so that the surface is not exposed to direct sun year-round. All fasteners, connectors and covering devices should not be loose or be removable without the use of tools. And all hooks, such as S-hooks and C-hooks, should be closed so that there is no gap greater than .04 inch (or about the thickness of a dime). "Many of these injuries come back to maintenance," Pollack says. "What happens is that playgrounds are built that don't meet consumer product safety guidelines. Parents need to be aware of hazards but also advocates of safe playgrounds." PLAYGROUND SAFETY TIPS The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission pro- vides a list explain- ing how hazards can be avoided on playgrounds. The list includes: • Children should not wear jewelry, jackets or sweat- shirts with draw- string hoods, mit- tens connected by strings through the arms, or other upper-body cloth- ing with draw- strings. • Remove any ropes, dog leashes or similar objects that have been attached to play- ground equipment. • Avoid equipment with ropes that are not secured at both ends. • Conduct frequent inspections to help prevent injuries caused by splin- tered wood, sharp points, corners or edges that might develop as a result of wear and tear on the equipment. Best BBQ Around Cooked Fresh Daily B.B.Q. FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE 5 min. from Main St. Weekdays ‘till 6pm Saturday ‘till 3pm 22825 Antelope Blvd. 528-0799 Bud’s