Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, July 5, 2012
To Your Health!
By Judy Hargis, P.A
THE JOYS AND RISKS
OF THE SUN
What you need to know
Most of us love the
sun. When the sun comes
out on a clear day, we
think of things like fun-
filled days at the swim-
ming pool or the beach,
playing outside and get-
ting a great tan. What could be better! The sun
contributes to our health. It is our main source of
vitamin D, which is made in our skin when we
spend time outdoors. The sun can also be prob-
lematic. It can cause aging, skin damage and,
worst-case scenario, skin cancer. It is important
to enjoy the outdoors but be aware of the risks
of sun exposure and understand how to protect
ourselves, and our families from its harmful
rays. One way to do that is by using sunscreen.
Sunscreens are made up of several ingredi-
ents that help prevent the sun’s harmful ultravi-
olet (UV) radiation from reaching the skin. There
are two types of UV radiation, UVA and UVB.
They both damage skin and can increase the
risk of skin cancer. Sunscreens were developed
to help protect our skin from UV radiation, but
vary in their ability to protect against them. Ex-
posure to both UVA and UVB radiation is harm-
ful. UVB radiation penetrates the skin more
deeply leading to wrinkling, skin leathering and
sagging, and photo aging, in addition to skin
cancer.
Sun protection factor (SPF) measures the
sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB from damag-
ing skin. It takes approximately 20 minutes for
unprotected skin to start to turn red. SPF 15
sunscreen prevents reddening 15 times longer,
about 5 hours. There are a lot of sunscreen SPF
strengths available, but most sunscreens with
SPF of 15 or higher do a great job of protecting
against UVB. Broad spectrum sunscreens pro-
tect against both UVA and UVB radiation.
Recommendations for sun exposure protec-
tion include: infants under six months should be
kept in the shade and wear protective clothing
when outdoors. Anyone over six months should
use sunscreen daily. When using sunscreen you
should apply about 1 ounce – about a shot glass
full – to your body. If you plan on a long day at
the beach, you should apply 1/4 to 1/2 bottle.
Sunscreen should be applied at least 30 min-
utes before sun exposure, to give it a chance to
work effectively. Sunscreen needs to be reap-
plied every two hours and immediately after
swimming, toweling off or excessive sweating.
Be aware that it is possible to get indoor UVA ex-
posure, especially if you work near a window.
Windows filter UVB rays but not UVA. When
purchasing sunscreen, look for the Skin Cancer
Foundation seal of recommendation.
Other recommendations include avoiding the
sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Avoid tanning and tanning booths. Use broad
spectrum SPF of 15 or higher every day. When
outside for an extended period of time, use SPF
30. Keep babies under 6 months out of the sun.
Remember that babies and children are extra
sensitive to sun exposure. In next month’s col-
umn, I will go into more depth about skin cancer.
Enjoy the sun safely this summer!
Blueberries are one of the most
beneficial fruits for your health
Few fruits are more benefi-
cial for your health than blue-
berries. USDA ranks blueber-
ries among the highest in an-
tioxidant contend, and a power-
ful ally in fighting aging and as-
sociated ailments.
Blueberries are not only a
taste treat, they are an antioxi-
dant powerhouse. The antioxi-
dant anthocyanidin found in the
bluish pigment helps neutralize
free radicals that damage cells
and protects our bodies from
developing cataracts, glauco-
ma, varicose veins and certain
cancers.
Other antioxidants in blue-
berries also show promise in
preventing diabetes, high cho-
lesterol and Alzheimer’s Dis-
ease. Scientists at the USDA
Human Nutrition Research
Center on Aging in Boston, MA,
found blueberries improved
both memory and motor skills
in laboratory animals. These
researchers are now exploring
what substances in blueberries
keep message signals moving
and improve brain function.
Researchers at Rutgers Uni-
versity found that blueberries
help reduce risk for urinary
tract infections similar to cran-
berries. They seem to prevent
Source: Lynda Johnson, R.d., nu-
trition & health education special-
ist, University of Missouri Exten-
sion
Columbia County
Domestic Abuse
Mental Health
800-294-5211
Hotline
the infection-causing bacteria
from sticking to walls in the uri-
nary tract. Their studies also
found certain compounds in
blueberries lower risk for blood
clot formation and heart dis-
ease by reducing the stickiness
of blood platelet cells.
Blueberries are available
fresh, frozen and dried, and all
forms are rich sources of an-
tioxidants. Blueberries are a
rich source of vitamins A and C,
potassium and fiber, and are
low in calories. When buying
fresh, choose those that are
firm, plump, dry with smooth
skins and a silvery sheen.
Berries stored too long will look
shriveled. Reddish berries
aren’t quite ripe, but could be
used in cooking. Store blueber-
ries covered in the refrigerator,
but do not wash until ready to
use. Use fresh blueberries
within about 10 days. Blueber-
ries can be frozen by freezing a
single layer on a cookie sheet
and then transferring frozen
berries to freezer bags. Wash
the berries later, just prior to
eating or using.
Farm Bureau seeks photos for calendar
Oregon’s Bounty is an
award-winning calendar pro-
duced by Oregon Farm Bureau
that features gorgeous photos
of agriculture, its orchards,
ranches, fields, and people.
Images for the 2013 calen-
dar are being sought. Farm Bu-
reau invites the public to submit
their own photos of Oregon
agriculture: the commodities,
the families, the production, the
landscape, the retail, anything
that depicts the beauty, tech-
nology, culture, or tradition of
farming and ranching.
Both horizontal-format, high-
resolution
close-ups
and
panoramic views are needed of
all types of agriculture in all
seasons.
Photographers with images
selected for month pages in
Oregon’s Bounty will receive a
photo credit, copies of the cal-
endar, and Farm Bureau mem-
bership if they have not already
joined the organization.
The deadline for entries is
August 1, 2012.
For photo specifications and
other contest rules, go to ore
gon fb.org/media/publications.
The state’s largest general
farm organization, Oregon
Farm Bureau is a voluntary,
grassroots, nonpartisan, non-
profit organization representing
the interests of the state’s fam-
ily farmers and ranchers in the
public and policymaking are-
nas.
For more information or to
request a copy of the 2012
Oregon’s Bounty calendar,
contact Anne Marie Moss, OFB
Communications Director, at
annemarie@oregonfb.org,
503-399-1701, ext. 313.
State Farm ®
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Bunny Girt, Agent
503-901-1705
1229 N. Adair
PO Box 543
Cornelius, OR 97113-0543
Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667
bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com
503-397-6161
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Suicide Hotline
1-800-
866-397-6161
784-2433
or
Military Helpline
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
(888-457-4838)
or
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888-HLP-4-VET