Surviving Summer: healthy steps to get through the season

Nirala Jacobi, ND

Although it is just mid-spring, we are all beginning to anticipate another hot

summer just ahead.  Surviving a drought ridden Montana summer takes some

hard earned skill and experience.  To have an enjoyable time in the extreme

heat is almost impossible

but it can be done!  Here are some suggestions that can make a difference.

Dehydration:

            Surprisingly, a very common condition. Besides sagging skin turgor,

dry lips are often a sign of chronic dehydration.  It makes sense to re-hydrate

a body primarily made up of water but too often people reach for sugary drinks

loaded with caffeine and sodium.

 This can lead to a further depleted and dehydrated state.  Living in a desert

 requires re-hydration!  A good rule in normal conditions is drinking about 2/3

of your body weight in fluid ounces. 

 A 200 pound person would need about 70 ounces or a little over 2 quarts

of non-dehydrating liquids per day.  Dehydrating liquids are drinks containing

caffeine such as ice tea and coffee as well as sodas. 

A day spent outdoors doing yard work or hiking requires almost double

that amount of liquids.  The best re-hydrating liquid is water! 

It is also good to add electrolytes (charged particles) to assist with delivering the

water to your tissues.  Good electrolytes contain magnesium, potassium and a

little sodium—I like adding some EmergenC powder to my water. 

This also adds Vitamin C, a nice anti-oxidant and immune stimulant. 

Fruit is another good way to re-hydrate because it contains natural enzymes

and nutrients. Melons and other juicy (versus starchy) fruit are best. 

Green ice tea is a nice alternative to the black tea variety.

Sun Exposure

            We all know the serious consequences of getting sunburned. 

 Skin cancer is all too common and is a preventable disease!  Most people

receive 80% of their lifetime sun exposure by age 18! 

Sun burns and total UV ray exposure adds to lifetime risk of developing skin

cancer and premature aging.   Using a daily face cream with at least spf 15 

and Vitamin C is good practice regardless of the season.  Sun protective

clothing is good—it prevents UV rays from penetrating through to skin level. 

Anti-oxidants like vitamin C and E, as well as Vitamin A are helpful in

 mitigating some of the effects of radiation damage but are no guarantee.

Mosquitoes

            Mosquito season is upon us.  Rather that using very toxic chemicals

found in most commercial insect repellents, natural products are often quite

effective.  Products containing essential oils such as citronella are good as

well as clove, rosemary and cedar.

Concentration of the oil is key for effectiveness so frequent re-application is

necessary. Mosquitoes are alsorepelled by a  higher B vitamin 

blood content especially by B1 (thiamine).  So start taking a

B complex as it takes a while to work.  Mosquitoes are primarily attracted

by carbon dioxide that you give off via breathing and perspiration. 

“Mosquito Magnets” are carbon dioxide producing products that lure the

insect away from you. Though quite pricey they are nice for back-yard

barbeques.  

 Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic
720 North 30 Street
Beautiful downtown Billings, Montana

Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655

ync@180com.net

Dispensary
406·254·9682

dispensary@yncnaturally.com