Sun Protection Simplified

Make sure you’re protecting your skin from dangerous UV rays.

With summer in full swing it is a great time to get outside and enjoy the weather while participating in healthy activities like running, hiking, and biking. While these are great ways to get exercise it is important to protect yourself and your family from harmful UV rays. Here are a few important things to keep in mind when selecting and using sun protection.

• Dermatologists suggest using a sunscreen that is an SPF of at least 15. Fair skinned individuals should opt for a sunscreen with a higher SPF.
• It is best to choose broad-spectrum sunscreens that protect against both UVA and UVB radiation.
• It is important to look for UVA filtering chemicals like sulisobenzone, and Parsol 1789 aka avobenzone as ingredients in sunscreens to ensure that the product blocks UVA rays as well as UVB rays.
• It is safest to avoid oxybenzone, as it can be absorbed through the skin into the blood stream.
• The above chemicals are important because the SPF rating only reflects the products ability to filter UVB rays and not UVA rays!
• Avoid super high SPF ratings ie: 70 because they can leave you exposed to UVA rays.
• Even though aerosol sunscreen sprays are convenient, they pose an extremely high inhalation risk. They also make it easy to apply too little or miss spots when applying.
• Sunscreens expire and lose their protective properties, so make sure to check the expiration date.

Keep these few things in mind and you will be able to enjoy the summer sun without worry about the sun’s damaging rays.

Being Healthy This Summer

Now is the perfect time to get healthy.

Maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and summer is the perfect time to start thinking about making positive health changes.  With the weather being warmer, it is a great opportunity to go on a walk, run, or a bike ride.  Try finding a friend or family member to exercise with to make it more enjoyable.

Currently one-third of Americans are overweight and another third is obese.  There are many risks that increase with being overweight or obese such as the risk for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and many other conditions.  You can reduce these risks by being active and eating a healthy diet.

You can find out if you are in the underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese category by using the Body Mass Index calculator found on The National Institutes of Health website. The website also has many more resources such as tools and tips on controlling your weight, eating right, and being physically active.  Try using the menu planner to calculate the calories in your meals or the recipes to make healthy meals for you and your family. Try the amazingly fresh produce at your local farmer’s market and ask the farmers how to cook something if you have not cooked with it before.  Cooking as a family can also be great so everyone learns to cook and be healthy together.  So take advantage of the summer to make some great meals and have some enjoyable workouts!