UC experts share holiday survival tips in local news report

One poor choice could lead to lasting health effects. That's why experts at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine recently offered advice to Local 12 to keep everyone safe and avoid an emergency during the holiday season. From food poisoning to children swallowing a button battery, there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

"I would never eat food that's been sitting out at a party for longer than two hours or so," said Eric Zgodzinski, DrPH, public health sciences adjunct assistant professor.

Zgodzinski said bacteria, such as e-coli or salmonella, can grow quickly if food isn't kept chilled below 70 degrees or heated at more than 125 degrees.

Parents need to keep an eye on kids if they're around anything with a button battery.

They can burn and scar the digestive system if a child swallows one of them.

"I would never let a child near toys or especially Christmas ornaments that contain button batteries without being absolutely sure that they have a child-safe closure on the back," said Whitney Bryant, MD, clinical emergency medicine associate professor.

Meriden McGraw, director of workplace mindfulness at the Osher Center for Integrative Health, said meditation can help people manage seasonal stress.

"While our body is there, if our mind is not, we're not actually fully participating in the experience. And what mindfulness allows us to do, or invites us to do, is to slow one down and to bring our mind into the present moment," said McGraw.

She said it's also ok to set boundaries when dealing with difficult people.

Read the full article for their complete advice from Christmas Eve.

Featured image at top: Natalya Vilman.