Vitamin D
- How much you need supplementally during the summer months is dependent on how much sun (or lack thereof) you get. Fifteen minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen five times weekly is the minimum. If you are unable to accomplish this, then stick with your current dosage. If you get the minimum sun exposure, cut your vitamin D dose in half until early fall. For those with clinically low vitamin D3 levels, it may be warranted to stay with your winter supplemental dose even with sun exposure. Refer to your health professional for individualized advice.
- It is very easy to become dehydrated if outdoors for long periods of time (especially if playing sports or exerting yourself for an extended period of time). Make sure you carry water with you wherever you go. Reusable plastic bottle are acceptable if #2, #4, or #5 (look at the bottom of the bottle). Stainless steel, not aluminum, is preferred.
- Do not swallow pool or lake water at all costs. Besides the high content of chlorine (which is toxic), public swimming areas are loaded with water-borne pathogens. A recent CDC study found that one in eight pools were shut down in 2008 because of dirty water and other problems. If you have children, reinforce the idea of keeping the mouth closed as much as possible when in the water. Pathogens are becoming more chlorine-resistant each season, and most public works departments have not installed the latest technology (for example, ultraviolet radiation machines) to adequately kill them off.
- Shower before and after entering a pool or lake. If everybody could adhere to this rule, the risk of picking up a pathogen would be much less. Not to be disgusting, but showering removes any fecal remnants from the body and does not make it into the pool. Showering after helps remove anything lingering on your skin as well as removes chlorine residue, which is especially for asthmatics.
- Do not enter a pool if you have an open sore or wound. If you do, pathogens and bacteria have an easy entry into your body and can infect the wound or fester elsewhere.
- If you have or had diarrhea recently, do not enter a pool under any circumstances. This is the easiest way to transmit a pathogen to everyone else who joins you!
- If your child has allergies or asthma, new data shows that chlorinated pools further irritates nasal and lung airways. A journal Pediatrics study found that adolescents who swam regularly had between a three to six-fold higher incidence of hay fever and allergic rhinitis.
- Do not char your food, especially animal products. That black, chalky substance contains carcinogenic substances called heterocyclic amines (HCA). A competent grillmaster can properly cook food thoroughly without HCA's. Marinating your poultry, fish, and meat will greatly reduce carcinogens because of the antioxidant effect of the herbs and spices as well as blocking acid.
- Keep grilling utensils clean. Besides undercooked meat, the easiest way to pick up salmonella/food poisoning is using dirty utensils.
- For more on Food borne Illness, click here.
Many sunscreens contain harsh chemicals that are thought to exhibit estrogenic effects. The two active, chemical-free ingredients we suggest to protect your skin are nano-free titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Please refer to Environmental Working Group's Database to find out where your brand stacks up.
Avoiding common mistakes that parents make when using sun block can help you avoid painful sunburns. These mistakes include:
- Not using sun block. This is especially common early in the spring or summer, when you don't think it is sunny enough to get a burn. People sometimes forget to use sunscreen when it is late in the day, when they underestimate how long their kids will be outside, or when it is cloudy outside.
- Not using enough sun block. The average person uses less than half the recommended amount of sun block. So apply a thick layer to each section of your child's body, to the point that it is actually hard to work it all in.
- Missing areas of their child's body when they apply sun block. Many kids, especially younger ones, don't like to have sun block put on them. This can make applying sun block quite the battle, making it easy to miss a shoulder, thigh, or nose.
- Not reapplying sun block every few hours, especially when your kids are in the water or sweating a lot. Even sun block that is waterproof should be reapplied often.
- Waiting too long to put sun block on. Remember, to be effective, sun block should be applied about 30 minutes before your kids go outside. If you wait until your kids are already outside, they will be unprotected for about 30 minutes until the sun block is most effective, which is more than enough time to get a tan or sun burn.
- If you or a family member gets sunburn, immediately apply pure aloe vera gel, which is soothing and incredibly healing.
Preventing mosquitoes is job one: Control starts at home.
- Avoid shaded areas where mosquitoes may be resting.
- If possible, schedule your activities to avoid dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
- If you have a deck or patio, light it using General Electric yellow “Bug Lights”. These lights are not repellent, per se, but do not attract mosquitoes like other incandescent lights.
- Mosquitoes are relatively weak fliers, so placing a large fan on your deck or patio can provide an effective low-tech solution.
- Wear protective clothing such as long pants and long sleeve shirts when outdoors.
- Taking 100 mg. of vitamin B-1 orally has been shown in some cases to be a preventative.
- Use insect repellents properly. Besides DEET, which we do not suggest because of toxicity in addition to the yellow fever mosquito recently developing a resistance to it, Picaridin and Oil of Lemon-Eucalyptus are proven to be the most effective. We have heard accounts from clients that Skin-so-Soft by Avon is effective as well. Limit the use of chemical repellents as much as possible.
- Check your door and window screens for holes and tears that mosquitoes can use to enter your home.
- Eliminate all standing water on your property. Don't forget to remind your neighbors, too. Their mosquitoes may also be your mosquitoes.
- Don't use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
- Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.
- If bitten by an insect, immediately apply peppermint essential oil. It only works if applied very soon after the bite occurs. Crushed fresh garlic is also occasionally suggested as an anecdotal, if not smelly, topical.
- Check yourself before going back into the house (humans as well as pets) after being outdoors. Scrutinize your hair and scalp, in particular.
- If you discover a tick attached to your body, follow the proper procedure to remove it.
In a sense, helping to conserve energy will help our long-term safety by reducing the negative effects of climate change. Here are a few easy-to-implement suggestions:
- Keeps shades down during the hottest daylight hours. In turn, your house will stay cooler without excess use off the A/C.
- Turn the A/C off during peak hours of use (3PM-7PM). You'll save $ on your electric bill to boot!
- Do not water your lawn plants between 10AM-5PM. It is wasteful for water conservation. It is the worst time for your plants to receive water and it costs you the most.
- Invest in rain barrels. They usually come in 50 or 100 gallon tanks. Rain barrels catch rain water from your home's downspouts. You can use to water your bed areas, pots, or hook up a hose and water your trees. It can take a bite out of your water bill as well.
Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac
Rashes from poison ivy, oak, or sumac are all caused by urushiol, a substance in the sap of the plants. Poison plant rashes can't be spread from person to person, but it's possible to pick up a rash from urushiol that sticks to clothing, tools, balls, and pets.
- What you can do: Learning what poison ivy looks like and avoid it. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, while "leaves of three, beware of me," is the old saying, "leaflets of three, beware of me" is even better because each leaf has three smaller leaflets. Hikers who have a difficult time avoiding poison ivy may benefit from a product called Ivy Block. It's the only FDA-approved product for preventing or reducing the severity of rashes from poison ivy, oak, or sumac. The OTC lotion contains bentoquatam, a substance that forms a clay-like coating on the skin.
If you come into contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac, wash the skin in cool water as soon as possible to prevent the spread of urushiol. If you get a rash, oatmeal baths and calamine lotion can dry up blisters and
bring relief from itching. Treatment may include OTC or prescription corticosteroids and antihistamines.
- If you are at a playground with a wood apparatus, check to see if the wood has a greenish tint to it. If it does, go to the next playground. Chances are the wood is treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA), an arsenic treatment compound.
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