Summer Health - bugs, sun and Vitamin D
by Lynn Hinderliter CN, LDN |
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Enjoying summer used to be the
most natural thing in the world, particularly for children.
Fancy free, not a care to worry about, running in and out of the
house, going to the pool, playing summer games, breaking now and
then for an ice-cream, some juice or a barbecue.
Things are
certainly not so simple now, neither for children nor for adults. From the totally
natural state I mention above, fear of the sun gradually moved us to
a state of being chemically protected, misunderstanding the
risks of chemicals put us in conflict with nature, and that has led
us , finally, to an awareness of
the risks of being completely unnatural..
Bugging Out
We have all heard of the downside of DDT, but
how about DEET?
Fine if you don't need your brain cells! Or other popular
chemical sprays for insects, such as Black Flag,
containing pyrethroids - do not be misled because they have a
natural counter-part, pyrethrum -
they are a man-made poison.
What are our more natural options to fight the
insect world?
There is some evidence that making the
blood a little less tasty to the mosquito palate can help
repel those flying pests. Less sugar in the diet, high
levels of Vitamin B and Garlic can help achieve this, and
there will actually be other positive health effects as well.
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Failing that, there are a number of pleasantly fragrant and
relatively inexpensive Essential Oils which can
repel insects. They need to be diluted in a carrier oil such
as almond or grapeseed before use:
CEDARWOOD (Juniperus mexicana)
CITRONELLA (Cymbopagon nardus)
LEMONGRASS (Cymbopogon citratus)
PENNYROYAL (Mentha puleglum)
TEA TREE OIL ( Melaleuca alternifolia)
GERANIUM (Pelargonium graveolens)
CATNIP (Nepeta cataria) - contains nepetalactone,
supposedly
10 TIMES more effective at repelling mosquiotoes than DEET.
EUCALYPTUS OIL (Eucalyptus globulus) - Some
allergies reported:
patch test before using on your skin. Keep out of mucus membranes.
Their only draw-back is that they have to be re-applied more
frequently than the chemicals.
Splendor in the Sun
Remember the days of innocence, when the function of
sun oil was to make you tan more quickly? Then came the news
that the sun was our enemy, and we needed to protect ourselves
against it it all times. Of course, we were not advised simply to
wear a hat and protective clothing - we were presented
with a bewildering range of information about SPF numbers on
products we had to buy. This is where the law of unintended
consequences stepped in!
- In March 2008, the
Centers for Disease Control revealed that 97% of Americans are
contaminated with a widely-used sunscreen ingredient called
oxybenzone that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption,
and cell damage.
- Consider that since sunscreens began
to be recommended in the 1960s, skin cancer rates began to
climb, not fall. For example, melanoma rates doubled from 6
to 13 per 100,000 people since 1973. Today, skin cancer
diagnoses surpass all other cancer, with over 1.3 million new
cases each year, with new melanoma diagnoses to be close to
48,000 in 2002, according to the American Cancer Society.
- You are also drinking your sunscreen:
a team of scientists reports
high concentrations of two
sunscreen ingredients in fish tissue samples taken from rivers
in northern Switzerland. The findings imply that on a hot summer
day, chances are that if people are wearing sunscreen, it’s also
likely to be in their drinking water or fish dinner too.
- Children using sunscreen
developed more moles, which are predictive of melanoma
-
Rickets is re-appearing as a childhood problem in the United
States
-
The
National Osteoporosis Foundation is linking sunscreen use,
inadequate sunshine and osteoporosis
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What are the alternatives to the chemicals? First, note
that some exposure to sunshine is essential for proper Vitamin D
status, and therefore to health. The
trick is to limit yourself to timing that does not burn. The
first line of defense is to cover up with a hat (or even a parasol)
I have found a zinc oxide product on Amazon which I can recommend -
you will find it in the column to the left - and below, you will
find a recipe
for a natural sun lotion.
Consider that D is not only
essential for the absorption of calcium, but also protects against
falls by improving the ability of the cell to contract, thereby
improving muscle strength: well, as you age you are not only
going to fall, but you'll be sure to break a bone as well!
See the research here.
If you go to
www.sunarc.org, you will be fascinated, as I was, to discover
the extent that geography governs our cancer rates. Death rates for
breast, colon and ovarian cancer clearly diminish the further South
one goes. What is the significance of this? The founder of SunArc, Dr. William Grant, argues that exposure to
sunlight and Vitamin D account for the difference.
In effect, that regular, moderate exposure to
sunshine helps lower our cancer risk
These are the conclusions
of 2 studies on Vitamin D and the heart:
-
Vitamin D deficiency is associated
with incident cardiovascular disease. Further clinical and
experimental studies may be warranted to determine whether
correction of vitamin D deficiency could contribute to the
prevention of cardiovascular disease.
-
Serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with important
cardiovascular disease risk factors in US adults. Prospective
studies to assess a direct benefit of cholecalciferol (vitamin
D) supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk factors are
warranted
| Make sure through testing that your Vitamin D levels are
adequate; if they are not, schedule some careful time
in the sun for yourself, and/or supplement. Remember, the
form you need is D3, or cholecalciferol.
It appears to be the more effective at raising and
maintaining blood levels. |
Enjoy summer's gifts from Nature - the more natural way!
Production, Storage and Proper Application of Natural
Sunscreen
Avocado oil, sesame oil and shea butter contain a low SPF
sunscreen. However, they have limited VA/UVB-filtering ability and
you should not use them as your only skin protection. Only the
chemical sunscreens have higher SPFs
To keep homemade sunscreen from spoiling, use only clean utensils
for preparation and storage. Store lotions in the refrigerator,
where they will keep for about 3-4 weeks.
To achieve maximum protection, apply sunscreen to dry skin 30
minutes before exposure. Limit your sun time to under an hour.
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Natural Protection Cream Recipe
- 3 tbsp. unrefined sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. unrefined avocado oil
- 1 tbsp. unrefined jojoba oil
- 1 tbsp. walnut or almond oil
- 1 tbsp. shea butter
- 2 tbsp. cocoa butter
- 1 tsp. beeswax
- 1 tsp. soy-lecithin liquid
- 2 tbsp. aloe vera gel
- 2 tbsp. rose or lavender water
- 1/2 tsp. borax powder
- 20 drops carrot-seed essential oil
- 3-5 drops coconut fragrance oil (optional)
- Melt the first 4 oils, butters and beeswax in a double
boiler over medium heat until just melted. Add the soy-lecithin,
and stir to blend. Remove from heat.
- In a small saucepan, gently warm the aloe vera gel and rose
or lavender water, and stir in borax powder until dissolved.
Remove from heat.
- When the oil and water mixtures are still warm to the touch
and about the same temperature, set the small saucepan into a
bowl of ice. Drizzle in the oil mixture while mixing rapidly
with a small whisk; a cream will quickly form.
- Add carrot-seed essential oil and coconut fragrance oil, if
desired; blend thoroughly.
NOTE: avoid using citrus oils, such as bergamot, orange, lemon
or lime. They may cause unpleasant skin reactions when exposed to
the sun. They also reduce a sunscreen's effectiveness.
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For After-Sun Relief
- To help cool and moisturize sunburned skin, apply a thin
coat of yogurt or aloe vera gel to reddened areas.
- Spray pure lavender water or hydrosol freely on sun-damaged
skin to keep skin hydrated, prevent peeling and promote the
regeneration of cells.
- Add 2-3 drops of lavender oil to 1 tsp. of a carrier oil,
such as sweet almond oil, and massage into affected area. Or
apply diluted St. John's wort oil.
Thank you,
Ellen Lord, for this information.
.
| Keywords:
natural summer, natural bug sprays, natural sun screen, sunshine
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