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Hints for Summer Fun
by Dr. David Ramaley

With the summer days upon us, many of us are ready to go outside and enjoy the sun and try to shed a few of those extra pounds we subtly — or not so subtly — put on over the winter. Here are a few ideas to help enjoy the summer:

Sunburn prevention and treatment: Be sure to get enough essential fatty acids like flax or fish oil. These oils help prevent sunburn. About two to three grams a day is sufficient. If you sunburn easily and will be in lots of sun, take three wheat germ oil (WGO) capsules a day several days before exposure.

If you do get sunburned, poke a hole in a WGO capsule, squeeze out the oil and apply directly to the sunburned area. You'll notice a cooling sensation within a few minutes. You can also take one WGO capsule every hour for up to 24 hours to decrease the symptoms. Aloe vera gel or juice is also excellent.

Another method for treating sunburn, taught to me by a chiropractor many years ago, has rescued my own skin, and that of my family, many times. Have the sunburned person place his or her hand on the sunburned area. Have an assistant place his or her hand on the back of the sunburned person's neck, about two inches from the base of the skull. While the sunburned person takes a deep breath, the assistant should tap on the neck three times on inspiration and three times on expiration. Do this one time for each sunburned area. This procedure helps the immune system recognize the sunburn.

Gardening injuries: It's surprising how many people I see who have hurt themselves gardening and doing yard work. This includes weight lifters and athletes. The absolute best way to prevent injury is to warm up! Almost 80 percent of your blood is being utilized by your organs and glands at rest, meaning there is only about 20 percent immediately available for your muscles. Going from your couch to pulling weeds, raking, etc., requires a fair amount of blood to the muscles. If the blood isn't there, the muscle goes into spasm and bingo, you are lying on the ground wondering why you didn't have the 16-year-old kid down the street do the job.

Before any type of yard work, walk 15 minutes at a brisk pace to generate the proper blood supply to the muscles. Stretching or simply going for another walk after the outdoor activity is also very helpful. You can also take one to two thousand milligrams of magnesium in the morning to help the muscles relax.

Weight loss exercise: We all want to lose those extra pounds, but what is the best way? Clearly, decreasing your caloric intake helps a lot, as well as proper exercise. Find an activity that you really like. Get your heart rate up after a 12 - 15 minute warm-up. To determine your fat-burning or aerobic heart rate, follow this "180" formula:

1. Subtract your age from 180 (180 - age).
2. If you have, or are recovering from, a major illness (heart disease, injury, operation, etc.) or if you are on regular medication, subtract 10.
3. If you have not exercised before or if you have been exercising but have been injured or are regressing in your efforts, or if you often get colds, flues, allergies, etc., subtract 5.
4. If you have excercised at least four times a week for up to two years without any injury and if you have not had colds, flues or allergies more than twice per year, subtract 0.
5. If you have been exercising for more than two years without any injury, have been making progress and are a competitive athlete, add 5.

For example, if you fit into category #3 and you are 30 years old, your optimal heart rate would be: 180 - 30 = 150 - 5 = 145 beats per minute. This is the ideal range that you want to be in, give or take 5 on each side of 145 (140 - 150). Stay within this range for at least 15 minutes, three to four times per week. You should add a warm-up and cool-down time of 5 - 7 minutes.