Environmental Working Group is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. There is TONS of good info on their website (EWG.org). Today we want to share their findings on sunscreen. This Sunscreen 101 article helps you find the right sunscreen for you and your children (Yes, they are different!) and how to properly use the sunscreen.
It’s Time To Celebrate A Safe 242-Year-Old Birthday!
We have a long tradition of celebrating our country’s birthday with firework displays…and for good reason. Fireworks dazzle us with color, sound and light. It’s a great time to savor our freedom.
It’s also a time to be careful.
With the 4th of July nearly here, we need to remember that fireworks are not toys. Improperly handled, they cause a lot of trauma. In fact, the most recent report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states fireworks caused nearly 10,500 eye injuries – 1,300 of which were treated in emergency rooms.
You might think this is caused by handling the explosives, and that’s a factor. However, bystanders suffer nearly half of the injuries reported.
Avoid these problems by not letting young children play with fireworks of any type. If you do handle them, wear protective eyewear. Better yet, leave the lighting of fireworks to trained pyrotechnicians and give them lots of room.
For more about eye safety from fireworks and other causes, www.aao.org/eye-health is a comprehensive site for preventing any kind of eye injuries.
BOOST AND PROTECT YOUR MEMORY
Researchers have found that the process of dementia can start 20 years before behavioral symptoms occur which is why it is important to do these 4 things to boost and protect your memory – to prevent, if possible, or at least delay the onset of dementia.
- EXERCISE! Even just walking 30 minutes 3 times a week keeps the brain engaged with the rest of the body to keep muscle memory strong.
- SLEEP! Important events happen during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. There’s a “cleanup crew” (acetylcholine) that goes and removes the debris in your brain (plaques and tangles).
- DIET! What you eat matters. Dementia has been called type 3 diabetes. The brain uses 20% of your body’s blood sugar. It prefers to run on ketone bodies.
- Include coconut oil. Its medium chain triglycerides turn into ketone bodies.
- Follow the Mediterranean Diet (reduces inflammation).
- USE IT or LOSE IT! Just as your muscles stay firm and functional by using them, so your brain function stays robust by using it and by generating new neural pathways.
- Puzzles of any type (though I hate sudoku)
- Learn to play a musical instrument or chess
- Learn tai chi or qigong – a two for one (muscle memory and new neural pathways).
Carol Becker, CCHt is a dementia therapist, hypnotherapist and life coach. Learn more at her website – ResourcesByBecker.com
Can Sunglasses Prevent Eye Cancer?
When it comes to taking care of your health, don’t “overlook” your eyes… literally. Temporary blindness caused by sudden exposure to bright light can’t be helped. But continued over-exposure to bright lights… especially sunlight… increases your risk of permanent damage including cancer.
Here’s what you need to know.
Eye disease starts to manifest during middle age (40 to 60). Even if you have no symptoms, getting a baseline eye examination at 40 can save your vision in later years. And you don’t have to wait until then. It’s not a bad idea to have your family’s eyes checked periodically as they grow.
In the meantime, practice good eye protection with broad-brimmed hats and sunglasses. Just don’t settle for bargain sunglasses. Look for glasses with 100% UV-blocking capability. These moves don’t guarantee cancer prevention but they do contribute to keeping eyes healthy.
And protect your children’s eyes early, starting as early as infancy. Help them develop good habits now that will benefit them for a lifetime.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (www.aao.org/eye-health) lists numerous ways to keep your eyesight as healthy and keen as possible.
How A Good Night’s Sleep Fights Diabetes
When it comes to diabetes, information tends to focus on diet and exercise. But did you know the quality of your sleep is just as crucial as what you eat and how much you move?
You see, sleep problems and diabetes often go hand in hand. Diabetes is known to cause sleep loss. Now there’s evidence that poor sleep increases your risk of developing diabetes. Here’s how it works…
Your body uses sleep time to restore and repair muscle and tissue. Glucose is the food and energy to accomplish this. In order to reach the cells, it needs insulin to “transport” it around your body. All this works best when your body is completely relaxed. However, lack of good sleep hinders insulin production and as a result, glucose levels build up. Eventually it gets to the point where it harms your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.
Good quality sleep allows your body to do its best work; therefore getting enough of it every day is one of your best defenses against diabetes.
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