Summertime! The park! The beach! The campground! Uh oh! The bee sting! The sunburn! The knee scrape! Summer brings lots of outdoor fun but also the possibility of outdoor injuries. No need to keep the kids inside, just follow these environmentally-friendly tips. Recommended products are available at Whole Foods Market.
It’s time for back-to-school scrambling which usually includes shopping for brand new school supplies. But which school supplies are safe for your kids? Last year, a report was released by Environmental Defense and the US-Based Center for Health, Environment and Justice outlining guidelines for purchasing safe back-to-school products. Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC is found in many common school supplies and other children’s products and is of key concern in the report.
For most children, summer months mean long hours of play outside in the sunshine. But a few months in the sun can lead to compromised eye health later on if proper UV protection isn’t part of children’s summer routines. The British Columbia Association of Optometrists urges parents to foster good UV eye-protection habits in their children at an early age by encouraging them to wear sunglasses all summer long. Even babies and toddlers should be wearing sunglasses when outdoors.
Q – My lips are chapped and dry and I’m sick of just wearing lip balm. Can you recommend a gloss that will help with my dry lips?
As excited as new moms are about the birth of their baby, they also can’t believe the body that’s been left behind. Our round, voluptuous body that seemed so beautiful while pregnant is completely transformed! What makes matters worse is that new moms 1) don’t have time to do traditional exercise and 2) shouldn’t be dieting.
Q – I am 2 ½ months pregnant and for some reason I have an increased amount of acne. I don’t normally suffer from it and it has been just since I have become pregnant that it is happening. Is there something that I can do to reduce it?
Q – I have read in 3 different pregnancy books that you should not sleep on your back when you are pregnant. Why is this? I am 7 months pregnant and that is pretty much the only position that is comfortable for me! Can you tell me what the deal is?
Garlic broth works well during cold and flu season. This is a general cure-all and stomach settler for babies and young children throughout the lands of the Mediterranean, thought this particular version is from Provence.The brew is also good for indigestion and general discomfort when you are pregnant. Garlic, modern chemists say, is antibiotic and antifungal – which might explain why it figures in fairytales as a defense against witches and other undesirables, particularly vampires and things that go bump in the night!
- 6 garlic cloves, skinned and crushed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups of spring water
- 1 sprig of sage
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Simmer the garlic and oil in the spring water for 20 minutes. Five minutes before the end of the cooking, add the sage: it’ll give the soup a delicate amber tinge and wonderfully medicinal fragrance. Season it with a little salt. For older children and adults, stir in a handful of vermicelli – they’ll only take 2 – 3 minutes to cook and whisk in an egg yolk in after you remove from the heat.