Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Get a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more and use caution before applying sunblock zinc oxide.
Before you stash sunscreen in your beach bag, tennis bag, glove compartment or wherever you keep it for upcoming sunny days, take a minute to check the label to be sure you’re applying ultimate protection. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised the requirements for sunscreen labeling last year, and the changes take effect this summer. Consumer Reports gave top ratings to Banana Boat Sport Performance, Coppertone Sport Ultra and CVS Fast Cover Sport for protection in the SPF 30 category. In the SPF 40 and SPF 50 categories, Consumer Reports ranked No-Ad (with Aloe and Vitamin E) and Equate Baby as the top performers. Here’s what you need to know and look for when purchasing sunscreen: Broad-spectrum protection. This means the …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Save some money and make your mom a personalized gift.
Instead of splurging on an expensive gift this Mother’s Day, why not simply make one yourself? It’s a lot easier than you may think and the gift’s handmade quality and love will give it a more sentimental meaning. With that said, here are some fabulous and simple gifts for your mother to enjoy this year: Homemade Gel Candles: Gel candles can be used in the office or at home since they are useful, decorative and smell great. You can easily personalize them as well by using your mom’s favorite scents, colors and flowers. Here is what you will need: (All materials can be found at your local crafts store) Step 1: Fill the bottom of your glass container with some rock salts or small stones as a base. Then, place your candle wick in the center…
Monday, May 7, 2012
An FDA-approved vaccine cuts risk of the painful infection by 70 percent.
I wasn't planning to think about shingles all week, but couldn’t avoid it. It started with an email from a close friend saying she had the painful skin rash, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. I winced, recalling my own bout of shingles, when I drove to and from work every day, steering with my right hand and holding the seat belt away from my torso with my left, because the pain from having the belt touch the rash on my rib cage was intolerable. A day later, I came across a 2011 Institute of Medicine report on chronic pain. One of the leading causes? Post-herpetic neuralgia, the nerve pain that sometimes follows shingles, and which can last anywhere from weeks to years. The shingles theme continued the next day when I saw my …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Inexpensive and easily accessible, it contains 62 percent ethyl alcohol. Downing the liquid can be dangerous.
The latest way for teenagers to get drunk apparently is with something you might least expect—ethanol-based hand sanitizer. Yep, it's that same bottled cleanser you use to help rid yourself of unwanted germs after grabbing a grocery cart handle or touching the knob of a public restroom door. I use the stuff whenever I cannot get to a sink to wash my hands. In fact, I actually carry a bottle in my purse. But the new way to catch a buzz? The Los Angeles Times recently reported that as many as six teenagers have shown up in two San Fernando Valley emergency rooms in the last few months with alcohol poisoning after drinking hand sanitizer. Some of the teens used salt to separate the alcohol from the sanitizer, making a potent drink similar to …
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
With less than eight weeks to go in the school year, it is already time to start planning out the summer for your kids.
It is hard to believe that in less than two months, your child will be on summer break. Once school is out, parents have a new dilemma to face. It is called, "What will I do with my child this summer!?!" If you work full-time, you will need to make arrangements for someone to watch your children during the day. There are daycare facilities or any number of groups offering full-day summer camps for kids. The choices are endless, but some of the best ones start filling up fast. So if you have not been looking, you need to get moving! Consider programs through private day-care providers, licensed preschools, the YMCA or YWCA, and the Boys and Girls clubs to name a few. If you are not familiar with the program, go in person to meet the staff…
Monday, April 30, 2012
Unless you consume nearly 2 pounds of dairy products daily, you may not be getting enough calcium. But there are alternatives.
Have you eaten your 1.75 pounds of dairy products today? If you’re like most Americans, that’s your share. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans consume 630 pounds of milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream every year, a number that could increase when the agency updates its report in July. Dairy products, particularly low-fat varieties, can be excellent sources of protein, calcium, and vitamin D. But there are other choices for people who don’t like dairy, follow a vegan diet, or are among the 60 percent of adults worldwide who can’t digest milk products. Plenty of nondairy food sources deliver the calcium you need to help keep your bones strong. How much calcium is enough? If you’re older than 50, you need 1,200 mg of …
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Twelve ways to be kind to your pet.
You see them on your calendar or splashed across a banner at a local business: Pancake Week, National Hairball Awareness Day (fur real), Sibling Appreciation Day. From Asparagus Month to World Book Day, there’s a celebration or commemoration period for just about everything. Perhaps one of the best known is, "Be Kind to Animals Week" (May 6-12 this year), which was created in 1915 by the American Humane Association to celebrate the human-animal bond and recognize the value of all living creatures. Being kind to animals is something we should do year-round, of course, but it never hurts to take a moment—or a week—to think about some of the best ways to do that. Here are some ideas to help make your dog or cat’s life better—not just for a …
Monday, April 23, 2012
Hints to improve your digestion and your overall health.
Americans feel it in their guts. Poor health, that is; the combined consequences of an unwholesome diet, stress, aging, and not drinking enough water. Every year, more than 90 million Americans seek help from a doctor for gut-related problems such as acid reflux, pancreatitis, gallstones, and irritable bowel syndrome, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. With a few simple and straightforward steps, you can improve your GI tract function, boost your overall health, and perhaps avoid being one of those 90 million in the doctor’s office. Your gut not only digests your food, but is integrally linked to brain function, hormones associated with sleep and thinking, sex drive, the heart, the body’s muscles, and immune function, …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
High School junior Dani Skolnick is inspired by family to help others.
Dani Skolnick, 16 School: Skolnick is a junior at Aliso Niguel High School What She Has Done: Skolnick and her family are regular volunteers with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Skolnick assists with many of their fundraising activities and assists in the office with special projects when office organization is needed. For several years she has volunteered as a teacher's aide with summer classes for young children. Currently, she is a member of the ANHS Wolverine Swim team and she is a classroom aide for an anatomy teacher. One Way She Has Received Special Recognition for Her Efforts: She was given an "Espirt de Wolverine" award at Aliso Niguel after being nominated by one of her teachers. Her name has also been seen on …
Monday, April 16, 2012
Can't remember to take your vitamins? A vitamin B12 deficiency may be to blame for your poor memory, poor balance or poor heart health.
Be sure you’re getting enough vitamin B12. The stakes of a B12 deficiency are high as is the rate at which B12 deficiencies go undiagnosed. You need vitamin B12 to form red blood cells, keep your brain sharp, and fuel your energy levels. Vitamin B12 also regulates the level of the amino acid homocysteine in your body. High homocysteine ups your risk for heart disease, so adequate levels of B12 are important for your cardiovascular health, too. With less than the recommended 2.4 mcg daily for adults, the symptoms of low B12 can range from simple fatigue and brain fog to serious changes in vision and balance. Children need B12, too, between .9 and 1.4 mcg a day, depending on their age. Most of us can get enough B12 from food sources, which …
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10:55 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Thank you all for your heartfelt replies..I indeed know I have an Angel in Heaven taking care of me, I am at peace now, but there are still days, when "ouch". But I contribute getting shingles due to the stress and heartache as the clinical depression set in, I lost weight and went down to 93 pounds! I am healthy once more and credit my health to my strong belief in the good Lord up above. The … more ›