Cool Off Watermelon and Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:
2 cups variety of fruit (strawberries, kiwi, berries, peaches, etc.)
1 seedless watermelon (or other seedless melon of your choice)
1/4 cup bottled sangria or sparkling white grape juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Slice the melon of your choice into 4 pieces 1/2 inch thick and refrigerate. Cut fruit into small bite sized pieces. To make the salsa combine fruit pieces in a bowl with sangria or white grape juice. Toss together, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 5 hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle lemon juice over melon slices and top with salsa.

5 Reasons to Use a Sunless Tanner

It is well-known that over-exposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause skin cancer. It is also a known fact that tanning beds emit more UV rays than the sun, and are more likely to cause skin cancer, as well. In order to avoid developing skin cancer via sunbathing or tanning beds, here are five reasons sunless tanning is better for you.

1. According to the American Cancer Society, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime. Ultraviolet rays and tanning beds can all cause skin cancer. In fact, they estimate that five or more sunburns more than doubles your risk of developing skin cancer.

2. According to the Academy of Dermatology, the sun’s rays are more damaging today than in recent years. One doctor related that most people associate bronzed skin with good health. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

3. Sunless tanning can be done in the privacy of your own home. It is important to test the product first. The last thing you want to do is to reveal an “orange” tan. Apply the sunless tanning lotion you’re going to use to a small area on your skin and wait 24 hours to see how it works.

4. Sunless tanners are perfectly safe. Before applying the tanner, use exfoliates to remove dead skin. Experts say it will remove any scaly patches and make the application of the tanning lotion more effective.

5. Sunless tanning can be accomplished over a period of time, no matter what time of year. Don’t go full out for the bronzed look, but a little over time will give you the desired results.

Sunless tanning lotions are in. Whether lotions, gels, foams, creams, sprays, or the many varieties available today, there is no need to risk getting skin cancer anymore.

*Please remember your new bronzed skin is still susceptible to the sun's rays - always use sunscreen whenever outside and exposed to the sun!

11 Tips to Help Keep Your Skin in Shape this Summer

While we all have different complexions, summer is a time when we have to be extra careful when exposing our skin to the sun.

Here are tips to keep your skin in shape this summer:

1. Use Sunscreen - This is the most effective way in which to shield your skin from the sun’s rays. Use SPF30 sun block and apply it every 20 minutes.
2. Seek out Shade - Whether at the beach or sunbathing in your backyard pool, try to stay out of the sun when the heat is most intense, between the hours of 10 am to 4 pm.
3. Take Cover - Wear brimmed hats and light colored clothing to cover your arms and legs.
4. Use Mild Soaps - Do not use strong abrasives on your skin. Cleanse your skin with warm water and mild soap.
5. Use Natural Products - For sensitive skin, try not to use harsh products whose chemicals can cause irritation to your skin.
6. Use a Moisturizer - You can use baby oil which will not only protect your skin put prevent it from becoming too dry.
7. Sunscreen the Sensitive Parts - When sunbathing, use the sunscreen particularly on the most sensitive parts of your body such as shoulders, back of your legs, and neck as these areas are most vulnerable.
8. Protect Your Eyes - Wear sunglasses when exposed to the sun to help protect your eyes.
9. Be Gentle When Removing Makeup - Gently remove makeup with cotton balls so as to not to irritate the area around your eyes.
10. Be Gentle When Drying - When bathing or showering, it is important not to completely rid your body of its essential oils. Therefore, don’t vigorously dry your body with a towel, but simply pat it dry and add moisturizer afterwards.
11. Beware Razor Burns - Before you prepare to shave your legs and underarms, use any of the shaving creams or lotion products available. The last thing you need is to expose your legs to the sun if they have razor burns.

If you follow these tips to keep your skin in shape this summer, you will no doubt avoid any further damage to your skin and be able to enjoy the summer activities you have planned.

Natural Sunburn Relief

While there are many over the counter topical creams and anti-inflammatory medications you can use to alleviate the pain and soreness associated with sunburn, there are natural sunburn relief products which can relieve the discomfort as well.

Try some of these to get that relief you need:

• Aloe Vera, which is used in the treatment of burn victims, is quite effective in the treatment of sunburn. Simply apply a thin layer to the affected area and repeat the application every hour. Aloe Vera plants are beautiful and easy to use, just break off a part of one of the leaves and use the soothing ointment inside to rub on your sunburn.
• Herbal teas can offer a respite from the discomfort of sunburn as well. Non-herbal black tea is one of them. Steep six bags in four cups of hot water, cool, and apply it to the affected area with a cotton cloth. In fact, tea bags have long been known to alleviate puffiness and burns to the eyes as well. Place a cooled teabag on each closed eyelid, lie down, and let the tea do its work.
• Try an herbal bath using either chamomile or lavender essential oils. This is another effective means by which you can relieve severe sunburn symptoms. You may want to try tea tree oil, which helps heal skin burns and other skin irritations, and products rich with it can be helpful as well.
• Apply cold compresses by using cool tap water on a cotton towel and apply it to the affected areas. A cool bath is also recommended. Do not shower as the pulsating water on your sunburned skin will cause further pain.
• An oatmeal bath will not only relieve the itchiness accompanying dried sunburned skin, but sooth and alleviate the burn as well. There is powdered oatmeal available with which you can add to a tub of cool bathwater.

While some people look forward to getting a great summer tan, bathing in the sun too long can have caustic affects. Use SPF 15 or higher sun block, depending on your skin tone, to prevent severe burning. Apply it before you go out into the sun and every 20 minutes thereafter.

The rule of thumb when sunbathing is: 20 minutes in the sun and 20 minutes out of the sun. In this way, you can acquire a tan comfortably and safely.

Banana Boat Sport Sunblock

A product which has been receiving rave reviews in the sunblock arena is Banana Sport UVA & UVB Sunblock. This product provides a broad spectrum of UVA and UVB protection. It is not only hypoallergenic, but non-greasy, and fragrance free.

For those with sensitive skin, Banana Boat Sport has the product for you. While this lotion has an SPF of 15, Banana Boat Sport comes in a variety of SPF levels ranging from 8 to 50. In fact, the makers of this product recommend that if you are light or fair, you should use SPF 50 if you intend to stay in the sun for five hours or more. It should be applied 15 minutes before sun exposure. It is waterproof and sweatproof, but should be reapplied after swimming or when drying off with a towel.

Banana Boat Sport UVA & UVB Sunblock comes in a handy tube, and has been recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as a safe and effective sun screen.

As with most sunblocks, using the proper SPF level and applying it generously will protect you from the sun’s rays. In addition, wearing sun brimmed hats, sunglasses, and light clothing are additional safeguards to protect you from the sun.

Those who have used Banana Boat Sport comment on the fact that is feels more like a moisturizer than anything else. It has a light, fluffy body to it, and it not at all oily. Very light-scented, it washes off easily and does not have to be reapplied at all because it lasts so long.
In fact, some have gone so far as to say Banana Boat Sport is the most comfortable to wear waterproof sunblock they have found. Finally, the general consensus is that this sunblock does exactly what is says it does.

As we all know, with summer approaching, protecting the skin against cancer and premature aging is of utmost importance. Therefore, if you want a product that is not only effective but gives you the protection you need, try Banana Sport Boat UVA & UVB Sunblock.

Where can you buy it? Amazon.com

Turkey and Avocado Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked and sliced turkey (you can use Rotisserie deli turkey)
1 large avocado sliced
2 red apples, cored and sliced
Bunch of mixed salad leaves

Dressing:
3 tablespoons apple juice
3 tablespoons low-fat natural yogurt
1 teaspoon clear honey
1 teaspoon mustard
2 oz of toasted pine nuts for garnish

Directions:
Place all the salad items in a large bowl and gently toss together. In a separate bowl mix all the dressing ingredients together except the pine nuts. Pour dressing over the salad and top with toasted pine nuts. To toast the pine nuts, place a little olive oil or non stick spray in a non stick frying pan and toast the pine nuts for approximately 2 minutes.

The Benefits of Fish Oil to Your Body

In the past decade, researchers have been studying fish consumption and the benefits it brings to the body. Fish and fish oils have been shown to decrease the negative effects of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the human body. The way this has been done is through the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. What are omega-3 fatty acids? You'll learn that and more on how they help to treat patients with CVD and those without who may be at risk later in life.

CVD is a big problem in this country. With obesity and diabetes amongst the population at staggering highs, it has become more prevalent. Clogged arteries are leading to strokes and death. Plaque riddled coronary arteries are leading to thromboses and heart attacks. Controlling the diet is the major way to reduce a person’s risk for these types of health problems.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found naturally in fish, their oils, and plants sources, such as flaxseed, canola, soybeans, and the oils of each. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and alpha linolenic acid (LNA). The first two mentioned have the most benefit on the heart and its health. The last omega-3 fatty acid is found mainly in plant sources. The first two are found in fish that are have a high fat content, but low saturated fat content. This is important. There are good fats and bad fats. Foods that contain fully saturated fats are worse than those fats are mono- or poly-unsaturated. These fish include: mackerel, salmon, trout, and tuna.

The recommended dose of omega-3 fatty acids is at least two to three days a week from natural sources such as those I’ve already named. Consuming fish and plant sources on a regular basis seems to reduce the risk of that person developing the precursors to CVD and its related conditions. Change in diet alone is enough if you have never been diagnosed with any heart related abnormalities.

For those individuals with a history of CVD, fish consumption is also recommended. Depending on how advanced their condition, supplements of DHA and EPA may be prescribed by the doctor. As with any supplements, make sure that you get the doctor’s okay before taking them, because they could do more harm than good if too much is used.

What the research shows to be true is the following:

• The incidence of blood clots causing sudden heart attacks is decreased
• Blood pressure lowers
• Arterial plaque growth is retarded
• The level of triglycerides in the blood is lowered
• Decreased level of cardiac arrhythmias

More research still needs to be done to investigate any other properties of omega-3 fatty acids on the body. But, for now, we know that fish and fish oil keep the heart pumping fine.