Summer Bugs

"Don't look like a flower, smell like a flower, or act like a flower." Sage advice on avoiding bee stings from Richard D. deShazo, M.D. As chairman of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), deShazo gives the buzz on insect bites and stings. He adds this to our knowledge of bee behavior: "Bees are attracted to flowers, and they'll be attracted to you if you dress in bright colors and floral prints, wear strong perfumes, and walk around barefoot in the grass among the clover that bees love so much."

Bees aren't the only insects that can put the bite on your outdoor fun. Other stinging insects like hornets, yellow jackets, wasps, and fire ants along with kindred spirits of mosquitoes and "kissing bugs," are plentiful from late July through September. While annoying to some, more than a half-million folks actually wind up in hospital emergency rooms each year because of allergic reactions to insect stings or bites.

Dr. deShazo cautions, "People who know they're allergic should never be without an emergency kit containing epinephrine. If you experience any symptoms of an allergic reaction for the first time from an insect sting or bite, get to an emergency right away." And what are those symptoms? Hives, itchiness, swelling in areas other than the sting site, difficulty breathing, dizziness, a hoarse voice, and tongue swelling.
If you don't like the sound of the cure, how much better to take the prevention. Here are a few tips from the ACAAI.

Keep food covered when eating outdoors.

Don't drink from a soft drink can--bees are attracted to the sweetness and may crawl inside for a sip.

Keep your rig's door and window screens in good repair, and drive with your windows closed.

If you have a prescribed insect emergency kit, keep it handy and use it if needed.

If you've had an allergic reaction to an insect sting, see an allergist for evaluation.


All information was found on:

http://www.rvtravel.com/publish/illness_demaris.shtml

Organic Coffee

View the video on the Discovery Channel. It's Dirty Jobs so it's sure to be entertaining.

http://dsc.discovery.com/video/player.html?bctid=1522827923





Organic coffee is grown with the environment in mind.Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third party certification organizations verify that organic farmers abide by the law.

In order for coffee to be labeled as organic in the U.S. it must meet some standards and certified by an agency accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Requires include farming without synthetic pesticides or other prohibited substances for three years and a sustainable crop rotation plan to prevent erosion, the depletion of soil nutrients, and control for pests

Organic Trade Association data shows that organic coffee sales in the U.S. amounted to approximately $110 million in 2006, up 24 percent from the previous year.

Organic coffee is grown in 40 countries including Boliva, Brazil, and China.

Organic coffee products now on the market include decaffeinated, caffeinated, flavored and instant coffees, organic coffee ice cream and yoghurt, coffee sodas, hard candies, and chocolate covered beans.

Most conventionally produced coffees are decaffeinated by using toxic solvents such as methylene chloride (probable human carcinogen, harmful to central nervous system) or ethyl acetate (harmful to central nervous system, kidneys and liver). Organic coffee, however, must be decaffeinated using a certified organic decaffeination process to maintain the organic integrity of the beans. One of the most popular organic decaffeination processes is the SWISS WATER(R) process, using only water to remove caffeine.

All this information and more can be found at:

http://www.ota.com/organic_and_you/coffee_collaboration/facts.html

Blister Bummers

Blisters are a common problem for everyone, especially in the summer. Those who play sports tend to get them. After a couple of months and years of wear and tear (AKA friction and/or pressure) from blisters on your feet the skin becomes thicker and develops callus. This can lead to infections.

At this point it still is possible to develop blisters. Using lotion on the feet or even on hands will make them softer, but will also make them more prone to blistering.

What specific ways you can develop callus is by weight lifting without gloves. This can cause callus on your upper palms. Shoes, as another example, can affect the feet with callus. String instruments are known to cause callus on the players fingers. However, callus isn't necessarily bad. Thicker skin prevents blisters and help alleviate pain. For the string instrument player callus helps alleviate the pain from the tension of the strings and make playing easier. For dancers dancing barefoot can make performing turns less difficult.

A person that has callus can still develop blisters. Blisters in general are small pockets of fluid with the upper layers of the skin. They can either be filled with blood (AKA blood blisters) or with pus (infection). The most common blisters are filled with a clear fluid called serum that resembles water. Serum is the part of the blood that remain after red bloodcells and clotting agents have been removed.

Blisters form because of the outer layer of skin had become damaged. Fluid collects underneath, cushioning the tissue underneath to protect it from further damage and allowing it to heal.

A blood blister usually forms when a small blood vessel close to the surface of the skin breaks and blood leaks into a tear between the layers of skin. This can happen if the skin is crushed, pinched or squeezed really tightly.

When you encounter having a blister do not pop it. But if they are painful and you feel you just have to pop them, be sure to use a needle that has been sterilized in flame. Drain the fluid in the blister and leave the top layer of skin intact. This protects the area underneath from infection. If the top layer of skin does come off, clean any exposed skin with soap and water, and apply antibacterial ointment and a nonstick bandage.

Max Heart Beat Myth

Ever checked your heat beat while working out?
If you have, you probably think getting a higher heart beat means you are doing more work. Wrong. According to the New York times in a article called "The Flutter Over Heart Rate" the heart will pump less the stronger it becomes.

If you do end up in a gym and wish to work at your maximum heart rate to achieve a maximum workout, find it first. The old way to discover the maximum heart rate was 220 minus the age you are. Now, the more accurate is 208 minus age times 0.7. You can find it on the chart below:

Age	Old formula	New formula
20	200	194
30	190	187
40	180	180
50	170	173
60	160	166
70	150	159
80	140	152
90	130	145

Though, if one is not able to reach their target heart rate goal it is not unusual. Maximum Heart rates vary widely so to compare one rate to another is basically meaningless. Overall it is best to try and find your own by either looking up a method on-line, such as at http://www.howtobefit.com/determine-maximum-heart-rate.htm, or using the chart above.


Here's a 6 minute video for visual and audio reference. Note that he says to minus 225, this is the old belief, look back to the chart to find Maximum heart rate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1b5IX5WmmM

For more reference visit the New York article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/health/nutrition/10BEST.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition

You H2O

Water is very important for the body. Most people I find drink water in Prothro here at Sweet Briar, however there are those few who still drink sodas. Before one decides to pick soda over water again, and even those who pick water anyway, it's best to know what you drinking and why. Here are two videos on YouTube that provide good information on what and why you drink it:

Why Should You Drink Water?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlUHY2FhroU

5 Things: Water Myths (The first thing can be debated by experts on whether or not it is true)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJf6dV2hXts

Lastly, have you ever thought about the word running out of water? If not, you should. Water is becoming more and more scarce. This video gives information on how our treatment of water is effecting global climate change.

Could Drinking Water Scarcity Lead To Ecological Crisis?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMRyBVdhZ7s

The picture below is of the process of water treatment:

Darker Side of Tanning

With spring season just around the corner people are already thinking about the beach, their backyard or any place where the sun beats down. In other words: Tanning season. However, dangers such as UV radiation are involved that pose a trade off between darker skin and health.

There are two types of UV radiation. Ultraviolet B, UVB, is the first and is associated with sun burn. The second is less known, Ultraviolet A, UVA, that has been recognized to penetrate deeper into the skin and, as a result, causes more damage. Recently, some scientists have suggested there might be a connection between UV radiation and melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.

Though sun can be beneficial to the body by providing it with Vitamin D, biologically, only a small amount is needed. UV radiation is causing more harm than good. Found from the sun, tanning beds, and sunlamps, people are letting themselves be more and more exposure to UV radiation. Because of this increase in UV radiation, chance of cancer (UVA), premature aging (taking a leather-like appearance) and damage to ones’ immune system increases (UVB). In fact, more than 1.3 million new skin cancer cases are likely to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year.

Cancer such as melanoma is sometime not easy to cure and fatal if not detected early. The number of cases of melanoma is rising in America. An estimated 47,700 new cases and 7,700 deaths are anticipated this year.

With younger people skin aging and cancer are delayed effect that show up years after exposure. Because they are delayed, younger people tend to be unaware of the dangers of tanning.

If tanning occurs over a long period of time, say years, damage of the skin accumulates. Premature aging (wrinkles) come as a consequence because of this. It is true that people with darker skin tend to be more resilient to UV radiation. Yet, the damage could just be less apparent and take longer to show up.

Discover your skin type (types I, II, and III are at the greatest risk in the sun)

I. Pale white skin

· Always burns; never tans

II. White

· Burns easily; tans minimally

III. White (Average)

· Burns moderately; tans gradually to light brown

IV. Beige or lightly tanned

· Burns minimally; always tans well to moderately brown

V. Moderate brown or tanned

· Rarely burns; tans profusely or dark

VI. Dark brown or black

· Never burns; deeply pigmented

Tips to avoid sun damage:

· Avoid the hours between 10 a.m. and 4p.m. where the sun’s rays are most strong.

· Where protective covering: broad-brimmed hats, long pants, and long sleeved shirt, anything that decreases sun exposure.

· Apply sunscreen (SPF of 15 or higher to block both UVA and UVB) 30mins before sun exposure and reapply every 1 ½ to 2 hours.

For more info go to www.aad.org or see your local dermatologist ESPECIALLY if you find a suspicious mole, scaly patch, or a sore that does not heal.

Sleeping vs. Studying

College students commonly believe studying, or “cramming”, from night into the early hours of the morning will benefit them more than sleeping. Yet, a majority of these students would probably say that they have heard sleeping would scientifically benefit them more when test time came.

Though researchers still are unsure exactly why people need sleep, the effects of sleep deprivation are clear signs it is important. Without proper sleep, 8-9 hours, you lose the ability to concentrate, your mood slumps, and you have problems recalling memories. Researchers believed this is because neurons can shut down and repair damage done during the day. Without them, waste only builds up. Chronic lack of sleep “increases the risk for developing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and infections” (Stibich).

The truth is, even the loss of one hour of sleep can add up over several days. It can have a powerful negative effect on daytime performance. An interesting study found “people who were awake for up to 19 hours scored substantially worse on performance and alertness than hose who were legally intoxicated” (sleep). Another study, reflecting the effect of sleep on mood, was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers “found that when study subjects were only allowed to sleep 4.5 hours a night for one week, they reported feeling more stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted, with overall scores for mood and vigor declining steadily during the test period. When the subjects were allowed to get enough sleep, their mood scores improved dramatically” (Sleep). Basically, the question for college students is would you rather show up for a test tense, and emotionally overwhelmed, or in a mood that is optimistic and relaxed?

(Click on Picture for full view)

Artificial light delays sleep because it keeps you up during the night. Our natural instinct is to fall sleep as soon as the sun goes down, but due to artificial light we are able to stay awake thus throwing off our sleeping rhythm.

The best advice to get to sleep would be to drink a glass of milk (possessing tryptophan) and just relaxing.

Sources:

Stibich, Mark. "Benefits of Sleep." at: http://longevity.about.com/od/sleep/a/sleep_benefits.htm.

Sleep-Wake Cycle at: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/atf/cf/%7BF6BF2668-A1B4-4FE8-8D1A-A5D39340D9CB%7D/Sleep-Wake_Cycle.pdf or at The National Sleep Foundation website: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site/c.huIXKjM0IxF/b.2417141/k.2E30/The_National_Sleep_Foundation.htm