It’s summer time once again. The school is out and the weather is fine. There is just no stopping your kids from enjoying the great outdoors. However, it is important to stay alert at all times while watching them play.

Andrea Becker shares how to have a healthy and happy summer for you and your kids.

“Toddlers have an unending sense of curiosity that can often get them hurt. The summer months present unique risks for toddlers. Careful parents need to be aware of these summertime health risks for their toddlers and take precautions to keep their little ones happy and healthy.”

Medpie also shares kids’ top 5 summer health hazards that may catch you and your child unaware.

1) Summer weight gain: Hiding indoors and eating: the riskiest behavior of all
2) Dog bites: More frequent in summer, and the likely culprit is the dog you live with.
3) Trampoline injuries: Don’t even think about letting your kid get on one without a safety net.
4) Lawn mower accidents: Alarmingly common and often require hospitalization.
5) Falls: From where? The tree house, rope swing, and unsecured window.

Image by Edwin Dalorzo.

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The 4th of July is an important holiday for Americans. Everyone is out to celebrate this special day. But what’s a celebration without food?

Try this low fat menu by Cooking Light.

Our American Hero
Potato Salad 101
Raspberry Lemonade
Fire-and-Ice Melon Soup
Chocolate-Cherry Bombe with Cherry Sauce

Of course, this holiday will not be complete without the fireworks. So here are a few safety tips from Lani Paulson to keep everyone safe while you are all having fun.

Always supervise children.

Keep it legal.

Stay alert.

Know how to operate fireworks.

Plan ahead.

First aid.

Think about your pet.

Image by BL 1961.

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Its symptoms include redness and swelling of the throat and tonsils, sometimes accompanied by fever.

Wikipedia defines strep throat this way:

Streptococcal pharyngitis or streptococcal sore throat (strep throat) is a form of group A streptococcal infection that affects the pharynx and possibly the larynx and tonsils.

eHow suggests the following as homemade remedy for strep throat:

• apple cider vinger
• buttermilk or yoghurt
• garlic and onion
• sage

Buzzle.com lists additional home remedies for strep throat:

• plenty of rest
• foods that can be easily swallowed
• use of humidifier
• salt water gargle
• fenugreek
• herbal tea
• honey and lemon
• cinnamon

Watch this video that will show you how to prepare a cure for strep throat using honey and lemon.

Image by shaletann.

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EatingWell talks about staying cool and healthy with their whimsical chilled drink recipes.

“Drink to your health in more ways than one with these pleasing potions. They’re loaded with antioxidant-rich ingredients, such as watermelon, green tea, coffee, blueberries and grapefruit. And one recent study suggests that adding alcohol to fruit may increase its antioxidant power. But if you prefer to drink a virgin cocktail, we’ve given nonalcoholic “mocktail” versions for some of these recipes, so either way: cheers!”

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No matter how much we love to stay under the sun, it can cause undesirable effects to our body and skin such as dehydration and sunburn. It is important that before we expose ourselves to the sun,  we know what to do when we get a sunburn the natural way.

The gel inside the Aloe Vera plant is the number one cure for sunburn because it is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.

Here are the important things to remember when treating a sunburn:

• Do not apply lotion.
• Take a cold shower before applying the Aloe Vera gel.
• Place a washcloth that has been soaked on ice water mixed with vinegar on the burns until it feels warm to the touch. (optional)
• Apply 100% Aloe Vera gel.

Here is a video that will show you how to cut and extract pure Aloe Vera gel:

Other than Aloe Vera, there are also other natural remedies to treat sunburn at home. They are:

• Potato mask
• Ice
• Cold, raw milk
• Coconut oil
• Cold tea bags
• Cucumber paste
• Boiled cabbage leaves
• Green gourd paste
• Honey and lime
• Vinegar
• Sandalwood paste

Just make sure you are not allergic to any of these products. In case you are already feeling dizzy and nauseous from excessive sunburn, consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Image by A.M. Kuchling.

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Spanish Paella is usually made with seafood and sausage. If you are vegan or just prefer a vegetarian meal you can substitute with seasonal vegetables like cauliflower and artichokes or fennel and artichoke hearts.

I like especially like this Vegan Paella recipe from Vegalicious. The recipe is uncomplicated and easy to follow.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice (white or brown)
• 350 grams frozen mixed vegetables
• 100 grams black olives
• 1 can (240 grams) artichoke hearts
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1&1/2 cups water
• 1 tbs. oil
• 1 tsp. saffron
• 1 tbs. basil pesto
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the oil in the bottom of a large pot or pan.
2. Add the cup of rice and cook until the rice becomes glassy.
3. Add 1 cup of water, the vegetable bouillon cube, the saffron and the basil pesto.
4. Bring the rice to a boil.
5. Add the rest of the water and the frozen mixed vegetables.
6. Add the black olives.
7. Cut the artichoke hearts into halves or thirds, depending on how large they are.
8. If more liquid is needed, you can add the liquid from the artichokes.
9. Add the artichokes to the cooking vegetables.
10. Cook without a lid, for 10 minutes until the level of liquid comes “just” above the rice and vegetable mixture.
11. When the liquid gets down to the level of the rice/vegetable mixture. Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot.
12. Allow the rice and vegetables to continue cooking and absorbing the rest of the liquid, for about 10 minutes longer.
13. After 10 minutes remove the lid and check on the meal, fluff the rice and vegetables up.

Image by kelsey *.

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Removing them by ourselves can be difficult and troublesome. But don’t let this stop you from looking good in that bikini!

Here are a few natural methods that you can use to remove unwanted hair.

Waxing – A classic method of removing unwanted hair which lasts for 6-8 weeks. Choose products made of natural ingredients.
Sugaring – Another classic method similar to waxing; less painful but may leave some stubborn hair behind.
Threading – Safe and effective way to remove unwanted hair on small areas on the face. As the name suggests, it uses a cotton thread to roll and twist along the skin, trapping hairs and lifting them out by the root.
Tweezing – Fast, inexpensive and effective method for removing unwanted hair on small areas on the face.
Shaving – The easiest and most inexpensive hair removal method. Use of recyclable razors and organic shaving cream or soap is encouraged.
Buffing – Less common method with the use of a buffing tool to rub hair off at the skin level. It does not last long but it is a good quick fix used on legs between shaving or waxing.

Watch this video that will show you how to make a home-made sugar and honey hair removal wax.

Image by Evil Erin.

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The sun helps in the production of vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin needed to have strong bones and healthy teeth. Studies have shown that vitamin D also helps in building a strong immune system that protects us from illnesses and prevents tumor growth.

Lack of vitamin D in the body is often referred to as vitamin D deficiency. This happens when vitamin D present in the body is less than the recommended levels over time. It is caused by one or several factors such as inadequate exposure to sunlight, inability of kidney or liver to convert it into its active form or insufficient absorption of the vitamin from the intestines. Whatever the cause is, vitamin D deficiency leads to bone related diseases such as rickets for children, osteomalacia and osteoporosis for adults.

So in order to avoid these bone problems, the daily recommended allowance for vitamin D must be met. Aside from sunlight exposure, vitamin D can also be obtained from food and dietary supplements. The flesh of catfishes, eels, mackerels, salmons and tunas, as well as fish liver oils is the best natural source of vitamin D. Variable amounts of vitamin D can also be obtained from beef liver, cheese, egg and some mushrooms. It is also available in bread, cereals, margarine, milk and orange juice fortified with vitamin D2 and/or vitamin D3. However, a healthful diet and a little exposure to sunlight are still the best ways to get the right amount of vitamin D and other nutrients.

So what’s the recommended amount of sun exposure to get a sufficient dose of vitamin D in the human body? Generally, recommended sun exposure is 5 to 10 minutes, 3 times a week. However, adults ages 50 and up require more exposure to sunlight due to reduced ability of the skin to produce vitamin D. People with dark skin also require more exposure to sunlight because the amount of the pigment melanin present on their skin reduces its ability to produce the said vitamin. For breastfed babies, milk alone cannot meet the vitamin D requirement. A likely source of additional vitamin D is the sun. However, infants should be kept out of direct sunlight and wrapped in protective clothing.

So step out and welcome the warm sunshine! The human skin naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet B radiation and it is said that partial exposure to the sun several times a week is enough to provide most people with their complete vitamin D requirement. It is safe to limit skin exposure to direct sunlight in spite of its importance to vitamin D production because UV radiation is responsible for the many cases of skin cancer and metastatic melanoma that caused thousands of deaths that occur in the US every year.

That’s why people who enjoy sunbathing started using sunscreen as protection from sunburn and skin cancer. However, this reduces the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D. But there’s no reason to worry. There are ways to boost your natural sunscreen to protect you while you get that vitamin D and enjoy the sunshine.

Image by nathansnostalgia.

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It is not the fish, seafood or low amount of dairy that makes the Mediterranean diet so healthy.

Several studies have found that the Mediterranean diet improves our chances of living longer. Many thought it was due the fish.

In a recent study by Athens professor  Dimitrios Trichopoulos ts was found that the most important ingredient that promotes longevity is wine.

Moderate intake of wine.

The second more important factor was low consumption of meat and meat products.

Here is the full list of the foods that promotes longevityin the Mediterreneans diet, (the foods are orders after importance):

1. moderate intake of wine

2. low meat consuption

3. high consumption of vegetables

4. fruit and nuts

5. olive oil

Professor Dimitrios recommends to eat meat twice a week.

Image by rpeschetz.

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