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