Eight tips to prevent West Nile Virus

It’s that time of year again when West Nile Virus starts to rear its ugly head. A person can become infected if they are bitten by a mosquito that is carrying the virus. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can cause death in some cases. It’s important to recognize West Nile Virus is a preventable disease, how? By preventing mosquito bites with these tips:

Photo by Michael Jakucs; Malibu Canyon.
Image subject to copyright.

1. There is no way for you to know which mosquitoes are carrying the disease, so it’s important to prevent all mosquito bites, especially now that summer is here and most people spend more time enjoying the beautiful outdoors (like the great picture above) with activities such as barbecuing and hiking.
2. Find out if West Nile Virus is in your area (if you live in the United States) by visiting the CDC website and viewing their interactive map showing activity by state. 
3. Stay indoors when mosquitoes are most active, which generally begins at dusk (in the early evening), through the night and continues through the early morning (and sometimes during the day).
4. Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants if you’re going to be outside when mosquitoes are active.
5. Ensure that your window screens are intact, if not, have your screens replaced or repaired. 
6. Avoid having any collections of standing water near your home and in your yard. Change the water daily in items that need water such as bird baths and children’s pools.
7. If you’re spending time outdoors, protect yourself with an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) approved insect repellent that contains either, DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or IR3535.
8. Apply Insect repellents correctly and safely. They should be applied to skin and sprayed on your clothes as per the package and manufacturer’s instructions. Follow the package directions to the letter, as insecticides are a poison and can be dangerous if used inappropriately. 

5 Tips to Prevent West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus cases have rapidly increased in some areas in the United States in the last two weeks. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can cause death in some cases. It’s important to recognize that this is a preventable disease if you can avoid getting bit by an infected mosquito. Since there is no way for you to know which mosquitoes are carrying the disease, it’s important to do your best to prevent all mosquito bites.  This is especially important with the holiday weekend coming up and increased outdoor activities at back yard barbecues, hiking at parks or visiting the beach.

*Stay indoors when mosquitoes are most active, which starts at dusk (in the early evening) through the night and can continue through the early morning (and sometimes during the day).

*Keep your skin covered (long sleeves and slacks) if you’ll be out when the mosquitoes are.

*Make sure all your window screens are intact, if not, have your screens replaced or repaired. You don’t want your non-screened doors or windows open when mosquitoes are active as they can come inside your home and start biting.

*Avoid having any collections of standing water around and near your home.

*If you have to be outdoors when the mosquitoes are, be sure to use and EPA approved insect repellent (follow all package directions) for extra protection, in addition to long sleeves and pants.

See this link for more information. Contact your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your health.

4 tips for a healthy July 4th celebration

Celebrating America’s birthday is fun! However, we don’t want the use the holiday as an excuse to overeat and binge on junk food. Whether you’re hosting a back yard barbecue or you’re a guest, try these four tips so you can enjoy your day and stay on track with your health and diet. Remember that alcohol and sodas are loaded with extra calories and provide no nutritional value, so stick with water, unsweetened ice tea, club soda or unsweetened mineral water for your beverage.

1.      Fresh vegetables:  Load up on fresh vegetables such as carrot sticks, cherry or plum tomatoes, celery sticks, cucumber slices, zucchini slices and crowns of broccoli and cauliflower; these work well as low calorie, low fat  appetizers along with a healthy dip (see below). Don’t forget a large mixed green salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic or red wine vinegar, for the perfect side dish.

2.      Fresh fruits: Fresh fruit is full of water which help us stay hydrated, especially important in warm/hot weather. Fruit is great for desert too. Try melons such as watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew, these can be cut in slices or small pieces for easy serving and eating. Orange slices (quartered) and strawberries are easy to handle and a nice addition too.

*You’ll boost your health by consuming a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits every day as they contain anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and various nutrients such as Vitamins A and C, Potassium and Lycopene to name a few.

3.      Use non-fat Greek Yogurt as a base for vegetable dips instead of sour cream. You can add some honey for a sweeter version for dipping pieces of fresh fruit as a dessert. You can also add some low fat kefir to the Greek yogurt/honey mix if you want a lighter and smoother consistency. Greek yogurt contains protein, calcium and probiotics, all of which are good for you.

4.      Lean proteins such as grilled chicken breasts and shrimp skewers can round out your meal instead of high fat and chemical laden hot dogs, or other fatty meats.

Remember to use organic produce when you can, to minimize your exposure to pesticides and choose meats that  don’t contain any added hormones or fillers for an even healthier meal.

(Sun safety: If you're going to be out in the sun (and most likely you will be) use sun protection to protect yourself against skin cancer and sunburns).

Barbecue Temptations - 3 tips to prevent over-eating at parties

It’s easy to get caught up in over indulging at gatherings.  It can be done, however, with a little planning and willpower.  

1.       Have a solid protein based snack with a healthy (complex) carbohydrate about 1-2 hours before you hit the party.  Here are some good ones to choose from:  String cheese (made with skim/non-fat milk) along with 3-4 whole wheat organic crackers, plain non-fat organic Greek yogurt with some fresh organic berries, Carole’s fruit-walnut snack (with a small organic apple or pear chopped and mixed in-, see my previous posting for the recipe).  By doing this, you won’t be famished when you get to the party which will empower you to control what you eat and enable you to choose your food wisely when you do.  When we're hungry, we tend to overeat and reduce our ability to control ourselves; we consume too much, too fast and with a tendency to choose high calorie/high fat foods to fill ourselves up quickly.  

2.       Limit your alcohol intake as alcohol quickly adds calories.  (Please don’t drink and drive any type of vehicle.) Try to stay hydrated with filtered tap water or unsweetened mineral water so that if, and when you do take a drink, you won’t be inclined to gulp it down fast and you will consume less.

3.      Choose your foods wisely. If you can’t resist that home-made potato salad, then don’t eat the dinner roll (have one, but not both). If you want that gooey brownie for dessert, then have it in lieu of more macaroni salad or a 2^nd glass of wine.  Watch the chips and dips; chips are high in fat and carbs and most dips are sour cream based which are high in fat and calories.  Limit your carbohydrates to help control your weight.

Have fun with your family and friends and enjoy the party, while staying on track with healthier eating.