Summer Food Safety

In prior posts, we've discussed many healthy ways to enjoy the things that make summer special. But, do you realize how much summer temperatures can impact the safety of your food? From sitting out too long at parties to improperly thawing or cooking, eating food at the wrong temperature can teach you an uncomfortable lesson!


Instead, learn more at:
- Woman's Day's 10 Summer Food Myths That Can Make You Sick (slideshow)
- Parents.com's Summer Food Safety Tips (includes grilling, road trip, & shopping tips)
- Partnership for Food Safety Education's Safe Food Handling (includes the 4 core practices)
- WebMD's Do Food Expiration Dates Really Matter? (good definitions)
- YouBeauty's What Expiration Dates Really Mean (infographic)

Are Sports Drinks Necessary?

Demand for sports drinks has continually grown. The multi-billion dollar businesses pump out eye-catching, adrenaline & athlete filled advertisements. These drinks are available everywhere-- including grocery stores, convenience stores, concession stands, & school cafeterias. But, are sports drinks really helpful or even necessary?

Sports drinks contain water, sugar, & electrolytes (salt, potassium, etc.). They often have 50 calories & 3 teaspoons of sugar (per 8 ounce serving). While light or diet versions do exist, the artificial sweeteners can upset your stomach while being active.

Water usually provides enough hydration for most workouts. Plus, the extra calories from sports drinks are often counterproductive for the average person. Sports drinks are recommended for people who participate in vigorous physical activity for an hour or more. When active in hot &/or humid conditions, they may also help replace fluids & electrolytes lost through sweat.

For more info, check out:
- Food Network's Sports Drinks: Good or Bad?
- WebMD's Drink up for Sports & Fitness
- KidsHealth's Energy Drinks: Should Your Child Drink Them?
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Consumption of Sports Drinks by Children & Adolescents
- Chicago Tribune's Sports Drinks: How to Make Your Own 

To Post or Not To Post?-- Does posting calorie counts matter?

The nutritional value of restaurant meals have gotten bad (but, sometimes, well deserved) raps! Often, these meals are far larger & have more calories, fat, salt, & sugar than recommended. There also tend to be less fruit, vegetable, whole grain, & low-fat dairy options. For more surprising info, check out WebMD's Typical Restaurant Meal Loaded With Fats, Calories (& Salt).

If eating out is an occasional treat, the excess calories can be managed with a little effort & planning. (More to follow...) However, many people eat out regularly. It becomes easy to see how the repetitive excess calories could contribute to weight gain.

On the bright side, it seems to have gotten easier to find healthy options. Or, has it? Some restaurant chains have spent a lot of money to advertise their "healthier" offerings. Although sometimes still nutritionally shudder-worthy, these foods may truly be healthier when compared to their other menu items. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Consumers' Estimation of Calorie Content at Fast Food Restaurants shows that we're really bad at estimating the calories in foods.

Perhaps it isn't our fault... ABC News' Calorie Counts: How Accurate Are They? indicates that some nutritional info provided by restaurants can be misleading or wrong.

So, is it even worth making restaurants share this info with us? Study results are mixed. People who are already concerned about their health tend to use & appreciate it. But, providing this info doesn't seem to influence everyone's choices.
- Today's Who Cares About Calories?
- WebMD's Calorie Advice on Menus Might Not Help People Eat Better
- Stanford Graduate School of Business' New Stanford Study Shows Posting Calories on Restaurant Menu Boards Lowers Customers' Calorie Counts per Visit

How Others Impact Your Weight

Many years ago, Simon & Garfunkel sung, "I am a rock. I am an island." However, this isn't necessarily true where weight is concerned. Our weight (as well as weight gain & loss) can be heavily influenced by our friends, family, co-workers, etc. Check out these articles to see how the effect can be positive or negative:
- NPR's Gain Together, Lose Together: The Weight Loss Halo Effect
- The Daily Texan's Study Reveals Weight Loss Could Negatively Impact Relationships
- Psychology Today's Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

When those around you are less excited about your healthier lifestyle, it's easy for motivation to waiver. So, be prepared with polite, assertive ways to respond. Sample scenarios could include eating out with co-workers, a food-pushing family member, or a spouse who's encouraging you to watch TV instead of being active. Remembering why you've chosen these habits can help steady your resolve. Keep reading for more tips!
- WebMD's How Couples Can Team up to Get Healthy
- American Council on Exercise's Is Peer Pressure Leading You to Make Poor Food Choices?
- NOLA.com's How Do You Deal With the Peer Pressure to Eat Poorly?

Summer Safety

As the 4th of July nears, our thoughts turn to vacations, picnics, & fireworks. Being outdoors can bring some challenges & special things to consider.

Dehydration
It's easy to become dehydrated during our NC summers. Dehydrated means that your body has less fluids than it needs. These fluids can come from water, some other drinks, & foods with high water content (e.g., fruits & vegetables). It's important to hydrate well every day-- even if you're not doing anything strenuous. Exercising or spending time in the heat & humidity will often demand even more fluids, etc. Check out the National Library of Medicine's Dehydration & Heat Emergencies pages to learn more. Scroll down below the dehydration article for related topics.

Sunscreen
Most people have heard that the sun's rays can cause sunburn & skin cancer. So, experts recommend routinely wearing sunscreen. However, there's a lot of outdated or incorrect information floating around. For example, most people don't use enough sunscreen & don't apply it often enough. The American Academy of Dermatology's Sunscreen FAQs share what you need to know. Don't forget to protect your eyes with sunglasses, too.

Stinging Insects
What a pain (literally)! For many people, getting bit or stung is merely annoying. However, some:
- diseases can be transmitted by mosquitos. For more info & ways to protect yourself, check out the NC Department of Public Health's Mosquito-borne Illness & WebMD's Chikungunya Virus.
- people can be allergic. The Centers for Disease Control's Insects page recommends how to deal with bees, wasps, fire ants, etc. (There's also advice about poisonous plants at the bottom.) If someone begins having an allergic reaction, call 911 promptly. For signs, see the Mayo Clinic's Allergies page.

On that note, some summer traditions (like swimming, small fireworks, etc.) can quickly turn from fun into danger. See what Safe Kids recommends to have safer summer fun.