Tips for a healthy summer

Tips for a healthy summer

Sunblock products can only do so much. Supplements and certain foods can actually help provide sun protection from the inside out.

by Dr. Paul Stallone — 

For us Arizonans, summer has already begun. We may not be dealing with 115 degree temperatures yet, but we will be soon. Below are some suggestions for a safer, healthier summer.

Many people wait until the week before bathing-suit season to worry about those extra “winter” pounds. Gaining five to 10 pounds in the winter is actually a fairly common occurrence. Whether it is from overeating during holidays or medicinally using food to combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), extra pounds can adversely affect your health.

Detoxing is an amazing way to lose a few pounds and support your overall health. Toxins are stored in fat cells and slow down the body’s metabolism. Completing a detox program can help shrink fat cells, restore vitality, clear skin and improve brain function.

To take your health to a whole new level, try consulting with a naturopathic physician. This type of physician can better evaluate your needs by supervising your detox or weight loss program. A lot of information is available on the Internet, but not all is safe or effective for certain individuals. Detoxing too fast can have negative effects, and a naturopathic physician can help you avoid complications.

Skin cancer is on the rise despite an aggressive sunscreen campaign. Your body requires 20 minutes of daily sunlight on a large part of the exposed body, like the back, to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D. By slathering on the sunscreen, you are hurting your immune system in two ways — blocking a vital nutrient and allowing numerous sunscreen chemicals to be absorbed into your body via your bloodstream.

The FDA has approved 17 ingredients for sunscreens. Fifteen of the ingredients are clear chemicals that absorb UV light, and the other two “physical” ingredients are minerals that stay on your skin to reflect UV light. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the safest ingredients to look for when purchasing sunblock. Some of the clear chemicals (9 out of 15) are known endocrine disruptors. They can be detected in urine, blood and breast milk for up to two days after one application.

Sunblock products can only do so much. Supplements and certain foods can actually help provide sun protection from the inside out. If you want a customized plan to help you and your family avoid sunburns, which are major contributors to skin cancer, speak with a knowledgeable physician who can provide appropriate doses of effective supplements, such as astaxanthin and vitamin C, which can help prevent burns in the first place.

A never-ending list of things exist that we have to complete on any given day. Yet, we often ignore true priorities like our health. Dehydration is a chronic state for so many people that they have come to think of it as normal. Mild symptoms of dehydration can include headaches, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, chills and reduced appetite. More severe symptoms can include pounding headaches, muscle cramps, nausea, increased heart rate and neurosensory disturbances. Water is needed to carry out every single biological function, and persistent dehydration can have a significant impact on your life.

If you do not like drinking water, there are endless ways to make it more enjoyable. Adding combinations of lemon, mint, cucumber, fruit and teas are great ways to make water tastier and healthier. Remember this rule of thumb — drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces of water daily (200 pounds equals 100 ounces).

Properly hydrating yourself can quickly provide energy, stamina, defense against disease and a host of other benefits. Drinking water throughout the day is a great start, but for those wanting to take hydration seriously, there are hydration IVs. Quick, affordable and very beneficial, hydration IVs are an excellent way to receive nutrients directly into your bloodstream and bypass the GI tract, which can destroy certain vitamins.

Many patients report improved well-being for days to weeks following treatment. Summer would be an excellent time to try a hydration IV. The results range from increased energy to defense against disease and aging.

Paul Stallone, N.M.D., founded the Arizona Integrative Medical Center, located in Scottsdale, Ariz. He combines natural, alternative and conventional treatments to best fit each patient’s needs. drstallone.com or 480-214-3922.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 33, Number 3, June/July 2014.