5 Ways To Stay Flu Free

Flu season is rapidly approaching, and now is the time to start taking action to reduce your risk of catching the flu.

The flu is a serious virus that causes serious complications in the body. Below are 5 key tips that will help you stay flu free during the coming season.

1. Always wash your hands – especially after the bathroom, before you eat, and after you cough or blow your nose.

Rub soap between your hands for a good 20 seconds (a good way to know if you have washed your hands long enough is to sing the ABC’s) and rinse your hands in warm water.

2. Cough into a tissue or cough into your elbow instead of your hands. Cover both your nose and mouth when you cough.

3. Don’t rub your eyes, nose, or mouth – this is how germs spread the fastest.

4. Avoid contact with others who are sick with the flu (because it is very contagious).

5. Get vaccinated. Contact your doctor to get a flu shot. The vaccination is usually available around September.

The symptoms for the flu are:
- runny or stuffy nose
- coughing
- sore throat
- body aches and tiredness
- fever (over 100F/38C)
- headache
- vomiting and diarrhea

Having these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you have the flu. Other illnesses can have the same symptoms… like the common cold.

If you develop these flu-like symptoms, visit your doctor especially if you are at high risk for flu complications (people older than 65, young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions).

8 Sun Safety Tips

It’s the middle of summer and everyone loves having fun in the sun. The sun is definitely good for your body and soul, but just like everything else, the sun is only good in moderation.

The two types of UV rays we should protect ourselves from are UVA rays and UVB rays. The ‘A’ rays cause aging and leathering of the skin. The ‘B’ rays cause burns and skin cancer.

Tips:

1. Apply sunscreen of 15 SPF or higher.

2. Make sure your sunscreen protects against ‘A’ rays and ‘B’ rays by checking for ingredients: avobenzone, zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide.

3. Sometimes on cloudy overcast days the UVB rays can increase in intensity. Thus, don’t be fooled and forget to protect your skin.

4. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

5. Wear brimmed hats to protect more sensitive skin areas: face, neck, shoulders, ears, and scalp.

6. Minimize the sun between 10am and 3pm. If you are in the sun between these hours, make sure you are extra protective.

7. Be extra protective when in the water and on the sand because this is where the UV rays are most intense.

8. Children need extra sun protection. If you get 1 or 2 blistering sunburns before the age of 18, your risk for skin cancer can dramatically increase.

Even with sunscreen, some UV rays can still get through. Therefore, use the other sun safety tips in addition to applying sunscreen. Have fun in the sun and remember to protect your skin!

Feeding Your Child

The Division of Responsibility, a concept created by Ellyn Satter, talks about dividing the responsibilities of feeding between the parent and the child.

The parent is responsible for what, when, and where. The child (toddler-adolescence) is responsible for how much and whether or not.

What
As the parent, you decide what the child eats. This means to limit “open kitchen” time (children eating whatever and whenever). Make sure to provide a variety of food for meals and snacks.

When
Parents need to set times to eat meals and snacks. For example, the parent can make sure that there are no snacks before dinner. This helps the child fulfill his/her responsibility of coming to dinner hungry.

Where
Eating together as a family can help children have a positive eating experience. In addition, children seem to try more food when they see their parents eat because children always want to be more like adults. Try to at least eat dinner together as a family.

How Much
Children instinctually know how much they need to eat. It’s the parent’s responsibility not to infringe.

Whether or Not
Parents also need to remember not to control what their child decides to eat and what not to eat. Parents are in charge of offering a variety of food and from that variety the child chooses what to eat and what not to eat.

This is a wonderful concept that creates good eating habits and helps children grow-up with a positive experience with food.