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Category Archive for: 'Environmental'
Sunscreen – to wear or not to wear

Sunscreen – to wear or not to wear

When I was diving into my research of purchasing a “healthier” sunscreen a few years ago, I found it daunting in all honesty. Luckily I found the organization EWG which stands for the Environmental Working Group. This group has been around since 1993 shining a spotlight on outdated legislation, harmful agricultural practices, and industry loopholes that pose a risk to our health and the health of our environment. I found so many of their articles useful and they opened my eyes to the skin care industry, more importantly sunscreen. The EWG verified mark on sunscreen products indicates that a product has met their full criteria to ensure it adheres to their strictest standards for efficacy, ingredient safety, and transparency.

A SUNSCREEN CAN BECOME EWG VERIFIED IF IT:
  • Meets EWG’s criteria for overall product hazard score
  • Is formulated to provide balanced UVA/ UVB protection
  • Does not contain any ingredients on EWG’s “Unacceptable” list
  • Discloses all ingredients, including those in fragrance.

Below you will find a link to EWG’s sunscreen guide for 2024. There is also a place to input a specific sunscreen and see the “hazard” rating from EWG. The  hazard score ranges 1-10 reflecting hazards linked to the ingredients.

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/

There are many other options for sun protection besides utilizing only sunscreen. Before I share these other options, I would like to briefly chat about UV light, abbreviated for ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelengths than visible light, but has longer wavelengths than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight, and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the sun. There are three different type of UV rays UVA, UVB, and UVC. While UVA and UVB rays are transmitted through the atmosphere, UVC ray and some UVB rays are absorbed by the earth’s ozone layer. Both UVA and UVB rays can cause damage to your skin. Sunburn is a sign of short-term overexposure, while premature aging and skin cancer are side effects of prolonged UV exposure.

There are shirts, hats, and pants that shield your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. On days when there is a higher UV index, choose to spend time outside in the early morning or evening hours when the sun is lower in the sky. There are numerous apps that you can download on your phone to check the daily UV index for your specific location. I enjoy using the app UVIndex to find out my specific daily index. Sunglasses are great for UV protections for your eyes. Be sure when purchasing sunglasses you see the labels UV400 or 100% UVA & UVB Protection.

I love spending time outside both in the sun and shade. For example, go on a nice hike or walk and afterwards have a picnic lunch in the shade, out of the sun. Enjoy sitting by the ocean or a lake with the shade of trees or umbrellas.

Some folks will argue that wearing sunscreen is not good for you. Unfortunately we do know that too much sun may cause skin cancer. Though I do agree that for 10-30 minutes per day, depending on the time of day with the height of the sun in the sky, you should not wear sunscreen and allow your body to soak up the natural vitamin D3 from the sun.

Enjoy getting outdoors in the sun and shade, it is great for your overall health, body and mind. Do your research on sun protection products and decide what products work best for you!

Gratitude

Gratitude

Gratitude is the positive state of being grateful; an overwhelming feeling of appreciation and thankfulness, and the desire to return kindness to others. The holiday season is a time of year many of us feel grateful for the people and things in our lives. It is a wonderful thing for all of us to express these feelings of gratitude towards one another. These expressions may be in the form of gifts, kind words, hugs and a simple thank you. It is important to continue throughout our daily life with acts of gratitude.

“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” is a quote by Mary Davis. These words resonate with me as they are true every time. When I feel in a dark or negative space, I take a moment to breathe and feel grateful for the things and people in my life, my negative space turns itself into a positive space! Even during our darkest times we can be grateful for something or someone if we open our hearts. Grateful for my breath and the air we breathe. Grateful to be alive today. Grateful for a family member, pet, friend, member of my community. Grateful for sunrises and sunsets. The gratitude we express to ourselves does not have to be life changing, it is in the simplicity that we see what truly matters in life.

If you are in need of feeling grateful volunteering is a great opportunity to accomplish this! Get in touch with your local food bank or shelter, if you love animals your local humane society, if you love kids look into reading stories at the library, working with our elderly population is wonderful as well! Spending time in nature to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us every day will also inspire gratitude. Comment below what your gratitude rituals are and what and whom make you feel grateful!

A mantra for your meditation: When my mind shifts, the world shifts.

FALL CLEANING – PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY

FALL CLEANING – PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY

Feeling the cool crisp air upon my skin, the leaves crunching under my feet, experiencing less light each day, are all signs that fall is here. I love this time of year, a season of change. It is a time to let go of summer and prepare for winter, physically and emotionally. Similarly to trees that lose their leaves in the fall, it is important for us to shed and let go of things and emotions that are no longer serving us.

Growing up we always did “fall cleaning”. It is a great time to go through your closets, cabinets and bins. Make piles of items you may keep, donate, repurpose, or throw away. From there, clean out the spaces you have decluttered with a natural cleaning solution such as white vinegar, boiled water and lemon juice. I experience a sense of accomplishment when I complete fall cleaning within my home. It also feels wonderful to give back to others and donate clothing and items to others in need.

Other areas of your home that are important to clean in the fall before the winter comes are your outdoor spaces, also referred to as “fall cleanup”. Clean out debris in your gutters, decks, and lawn, empty the water from your hoses and blow out your sprinkler lines if your area if it will hit freezing temps or lower.

Cleaning up our living spaces in the fall not only helps us to declutter our lives physically, it also helps us to destress. When we tidy up and clean our homes, this may lead to less anxiety for folks as they may feel a sense of control and organization within their home. Working on our overall wellness encompasses many components. Our emotional health is just as important as our physical health. As we approach the shorter, colder days, I suggest for those to be mindful of their emotions. Practicing acts of self care during these months are especially important to keep our attitudes and energy positive and happy.

Producing positive emotions like calmness and a sense of well being are some benefits we gain when we clean up our physical and emotional spaces. It is important to take the time, I suggest seasonally when autumn and spring are here to dive in and explore, declutter and recharge!

 

Vitamin D and it’s importance for your overall health

Vitamin D and it’s importance for your overall health

The optimal source of Vitamin D is from the sun, also coined the “sunshine vitamin”. The amount you receive from the sun depends on the time of day, season, latitude and your skin pigmentation. For example, during the winter months depending on where you live, your vitamin D production may be reduced or absent. This also applies for those of us that apply sunscreen regularly to prevent cancer, sunscreen may also decrease the production of vitamin D. If you do not get enough vitamin D from sunlight or dietary sources, you may need to to include a vitamin D supplement. Speak to your primary care physician about taking a simple blood test to check your vitamin D level. Your PCP may also guide you on the dosage of a vitamin D supplement you should take. Vitamin D is considered safe when taken in the appropriate doses, however taking too much of this supplement can be harmful. This is because it’s a fat soluble vitamin vs a water soluble vitamin, meaning D does not dissolve in water and is stored in your fat tissue. When shopping for a supplement choose D3 with K2, the presence of K2 helps to ensure the calcium transported by the vitamin D is absorbed by it’s bones where needed.

Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating mood and decreases risk of depression. For those of us who suffer from mood changes or depression, you may benefit from a light therapy lamp that produces UVB exposure. Studies have shown exposure to lamps that produce UVB radiation are an excellent source for producing vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D is a micronutrient your body needs for building and maintaining healthy bones, an insufficient amount is connected with osteoporosis. This is because your body can only absorb calcium when vitamin D is present. Vitamin D also helps to facilitate normal function of the immune system. When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, I had low levels of vitamin D. Over the years to improve my vitamin D levels I aim to get outside daily in the sunshine for at least 30-60 minutes and take a daily vitamin D supplement. Recently, I have been incorporating more fatty fish in my diet to achieve higher D levels. It is important to pair healthy fats such as ghee, coconut oil, nuts with your food source for best absorption of vitamin D.

Symptoms of low vitamin D may present as tiredness, depression, aches & pains, muscle pain or weakness, and stress fractures. A combination of sunlight exposure, proper dietary sources and a vitamin D supplement should get your body on track to achieve a level of vitamin D in the acceptable range, 40-60 ng/ml. Reach out to your PCP if you are not sure of your vitamin D level, put on your list to get that checked out at your earliest convenience. Get outside and enjoy that beautiful sunshine!

Reach out to Alison for support with your health journey!