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COOL MINOR BURNS AND TREAT INSECT BITES -- Like to garden, but hate sunburn and bugs bites? Summer sun and pesky bugs will not get the best of you when you use ice therapy. Wrap an ice pack in a towel for a cold compress to gently cool sunburned skin. (But do not use on skin that has blistered. Seek medical attention for damaged skin.) Take the sting out of bug bites by using an ice massage directly on the bite for 5 to 10 minutes. It will numb pain, relieve some of the itching, and reduce swollen bumps caused by the bite.

LESS COOKED CAN BE BETTER -- In general, reduce the amount of time you cook your fruits and vegetables in order to increase the nutrients they contain. Be sure to include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet as much as possible. Although most people do not have a difficulty eating fresh, raw fruits, there are some people who cannot seem to get used to eating raw vegetables. Here are some tips on how to cook your vegetables to preserve as many nutrients as possible: 1. Obtain the freshest vegetables available and whenever possible buy high quality, organic vegetables; 2. Steam your vegetables instead of boiling them, or try grilling them slightly, which is more for taste than actual cooking; and 3. Shorten cooking times.

SOMETIMES COOKING IS BETTER -- In general, raw is good, but it is not always the best. Sometimes cooking foods can result in more nutrients being available, and an improved probability for absorption of certain nutrients in the digestive system. Researchers in Taiwan and in the United States at Rutgers University have shown that the body more easily absorbs iron from 37 of the 48 vegetables tested when they are steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or grilled. In addition, the study also showed that iron absorption from cabbage increased from 6.7% to 27% when the cabbage was cooked and in broccoli flowerets it rose from 6% to 30%. Surprisingly, you may obtain more nutritional benefits from tomatoes when they are cooked into a sauce rather than eaten raw in a salad. A study published in a past issue of the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" demonstrated that eating cooked tomatoes could improve the odds for avoiding prostate cancer. The study, completed by researchers at Harvard University, studied men who ate lots of tomato sauce contained in foods like lasagna and spaghetti. The men who ate at least 10 servings of tomato sauce every week were 45% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who ate fewer servings. More recently it has been found that the powerful antioxidant, lycopene, is more bioavailable from tomatoes when the tomatoes are cooked.

SUMMER, STRESS LEAD TO ACNE FLARES -- As many as half of all adults suffer from acne, and the combination of warm weather and stress form a disastrous duo for the skin. A recent survey shows that women who experience a lot of job-related stress are 14 percent more likely than other women to experience acne breakouts. Of those, more than 1 in 4 reported that acne plagues them at least once a month, and one-third said that summer is the worst time of year for their acne. Warm weather causes breakouts in and of itself, while sunscreens exacerbate the problem because they are oily and block pores. Acne sufferers clean and clear blocked pores and use an antibacterial product to keep infections at bay. Most dermatologists recommend applying sunscreen to ward off skin cancer and premature aging; just be sure to wash it off when the sun goes down.

INJURY TREATMENT -- For sports and overuse injuries R.I.C.E. therapy (rest-ice-compression-elevation) is the recommended method to treat muscle and joint pain, strains and sprains. Many athletes also use ice therapy as preventative treatment after a workout. Did you know that women’s risk of developing ACL injuries is four times greater then men? Always have ice therapy on hand after a marathon or off the slopes, in case your anterior cruciate ligament decides that now is the time to act up.

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WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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Q & A #1:
What is the difference between "natural" and "natural source?"

Certain phytonutrients, like specific vitamins, can be made synthetically in a laboratory. Currently, about 13 vitamins are "naturally" synthesized in labs. The word "natural" does not necessarily mean that the nutrients existed and were extracted through normal processes. It simply means it has the atom "carbon" in it. Obviously, this "natural" designation can be very misleading to the buying public, and these are what you will find in the overwhelming majority of synthetically-produced dietary supplements sold in stores - even in health food stores. "Natural source" means the compounds were derived "from plants," living sources made by God, and they number in the thousands. "Natural" synthetic vitamins are made in a laboratory from isolated chemicals, and are void of supportive phytonutrients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recognized only 13 vitamins as essential for life, for which they have assigned "Daily Values," and these are the ones usually found in many store-bought synthetic supplements.

Q & A #2:
What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance made by your liver. And despite its bad reputation, you actually do need it. It helps to form cell membranes and some of your hormones. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. But when you eat foods high in saturated fat, it triggers your liver to churn out more cholesterol, much more than you require. That excess cholesterol builds up in your arteries, blocks bloodflow and, if left untreated, can set the stage for a heart attack or stroke. When you have "high cholesterol," it means that the total amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream is above a certain number that experts have deemed a risk to your health. But there is more than just your total cholesterol. There are actually two types of cholesterol - low-density lipoproteins (referred to as LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (called HDL). Lipoproteins are combinations of fat and protein made by your body. They are responsible for delivering other fats, which do not dissolve in your blood, to your cells. What doctors have realized in recent years is that your LDL and HDL levels may be just as, if not more, important as your total cholesterol reading. Each type has a different action, and therefore a different impact on your heart health. LDL, often called the "bad" cholesterol, carries most of the cholesterol in the blood. When there is too much LDL, it can combine with other substances to form a plaque - a hard, thick deposit that sticks to artery walls. If a blood clot develops in the vicinity of a plaque, the reduced bloodflow can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Experts now think that the lower your LDL level, the better. HDL is known as the "good" cholesterol. It carries about one-fourth to one-third of the cholesterol in the blood, transporting it from different organs to the liver for disposal from the body. HDL may also pick up cholesterol deposited in your arteries and move it on out, preventing it from building up in your arteries.

Q & A #3:
What is the difference between being overweight and being obese?

An overweight person is one with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 29.99, or, who is between 25 to 30 pounds over the recommended weight for a person's height. An obese person is one who is considerably overweight and refers to a person with a BMI of 30 or greater, or, who is at least 30 lbs. over the recommended weight for a person's height. Note: muscular athletes, such as bodybuilders, can be overweight without being obese. A BMI reference table can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/00binaries/bmi-adults.pdf

Q & A #4:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using olive oil instead of corn oil in terms of fat content, cholesterol, etc.?

In a healthful diet, fats and oils should be used sparingly (but not eliminated altogether!). Nutritionists agree that we should increase the ratio of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats in our diet to help lower blood cholesterol levels, and thus reduce the risk of heart disease. Some research also suggests that monounsaturated fats, abundant in olive oil and canola oil, are also quite effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

No vegetable oils contain cholesterol - cholesterol is only found in animal products. However, there is a difference in the level of saturated fats found in different vegetable oils. Coconut and palm kernel oil contain a higher percentage of saturated fats than do all other vegetable products - it is even a higher percentage than meat products! Other liquid vegetable oils (corn, canola, sunflower, olive, etc.) all contain small amounts of saturated fats, but are much healthier in comparison to palm, coconut, and animal fats.

Despite the substantial variations in types of fats in foods, most people seem to have no idea which type of vegetable oil is in the cooking or salad oil they buy. Many shoppers acknowledge that they were attracted to a particular oil based on its low cholesterol content - without being aware that NO vegetable oils contain cholesterol.

Now, in regards to the difference between corn and olive oil. Both are highly unsaturated fats, have the same number of calories, and contain no cholesterol. The main difference in "healthfulness" between corn and olive oil is their levels of monounsaturated fats. Olive oil has a higher percentage of monounsaturated fats (as opposed to polyunsaturated), which some research suggests is very effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels. The exact ratios are as follows:

CORN: 59% polyunsaturated 24% monounsaturated 13% saturated 6.4:1 unsaturated/saturated fat ratio
OLIVE: 9% polyunsaturated 72% monounsaturated 14% saturated 5.8:1 unsaturated/saturated fat ratio

Basically, as long as you are using all fats and oils sparingly in your food and cooking, it would be fine to consume both olive and corn oil in moderation. The issues become price and preference. If you are however, predisposed or at high risk for cardiovascular disease, use more or all olive oil in your foods.

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