COLUMN: Get out there and enjoy the summer
By Dr. Brenda Gill
Now that it’s finally warming up with some of that lovely sunshine again, many of us are taking advantage of the weather and are outside as much as possible. Whether it’s walking in the woods, mountain biking, golfing, fishing, swimming or tennis, it’s better to prevent common problems and be ready for incidents as they occur. Hopefully, this should give you some useful tips! Also, for those nasty little incidents, the following should also help.
Prevention:
Protect yourself against skin damage by increasing your sources of beta-carotene either by eating more green leafy and orange/yellow/red veggies such as kale, swiss chard, spinach, cilantro, parsley, arugula and beet tops, or including carrots, squash, yams and red peppers in your diet. Otherwise, to prevent burning, consider a beta-carotene supplement. These all act as anti-oxidants that pick up free radicals that are produced when you are exposed to UV radiation and remove them from the body, thus, preventing burning and damage. Similar to beta-carotene is Vitamin A that I use in drop form.
Vitamin E, Vitamin C and other bioflavonoids are also anti-oxidants that act like a sunscreen. Vitamin E is high in fish, nuts & seeds; Vitamin C and other bioflavonoids are in any rich coloured fruit such as cherries, berries or plums. These can also be supplemented. As you know from reading my articles, it is best to have natural forms and Vitamin C needs to be a neutral source, in other words, not citrus based. If you use a citrus based Vitamin C, it will make you acidic which will decrease the body’s ability to get rid of inflammation and metabolites such as lactic acid.
Eyes are also susceptible to sun damage, which can cause lens damage over time. Consider wearing properly UV protected sunglasses when in direct sunlight. Also, Vitamin C helps to make collagen, which repairs and maintains the lens.
It is also important to have a certain amount of sunlight in the retina to help set our levels of hormones like melatonin and serotonin. Therefore, refrain from wearing sunglasses part of the time so some natural light enters the eye. It’s good to get at least 20 minutes outside everyday and the best time of day is during the early morning or late afternoon, when there is less intensity from the sun.
Try to mix one-sided sports like golf and tennis with activities that re-balance the muscles and alignment of the body like walking, hiking, swimming and yoga.
Regular stretching and a variety of activities prevent any muscle group to be strained. It’s good to rotate biking with running for instance.
Always carry sufficient water and food for the intended activity. Try NOT to depend on quick energy replacements like sugar syrups. If necessary, at least use high protein bars such as the “Organic Food Bar” or bars with high amounts of seeds or nut and seed butters and some type of protein powder such as hemp or almond. Stay away from soy protein unless it is organic, due to the genetic modification and chemicals and replace whey protein from cows since it can be inflammatory, with goat whey, other options being egg, hemp and pumpkin seed protein powder.
It’s best to eat a combination of real foods. Remember to drink ½ your weight in ounces per day: that means, if you are 140 pounds you should be drinking 70 ounces of water a day or about 7 glasses. For every hour of exercise, you need another glass.
Be prepared for changes of weather with proper clothing layers and a wide brimmed sun hat.
These should give you some helpful hints for the summer!
