As the mother of a fair-skinned child who loves to go to the beach, I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on the topic of sun protection for children. I personally am not comfortable slathering my son with most sunscreens, since the skin absorbs what is put on it and most sunscreens (even those designed for children) contain questionable ingredients. Here are a few tips that I have found to be helpful:

• The single most important factor regarding sun exposure for long-term skin health is to prevent the incidence of sunburn, so make this a priority.
• Regular, moderate sun exposure (around 15 minutes for most children) is important for producing Vitamin D, which is protective to the skin and important for overall health. For this reason, you will occasionally see a naked toddler streaking through my backyard in the morning while I’m working on the computer on the patio.
• When playing outdoors, try to have your child play in an area where there is shade available from trees, playground structures, or a beach umbrella rather than in direct sunlight.
• If possible, try to plan beach and pool trips or other sunny outings outside of peak hours of sun (12 to 2 p.m. tend to be the sunniest times in most areas).
• When your child has to be in direct sunlight, cover sunburn-prone areas with loose-fitting cotton clothing. When they’re swimming, use a rash guard or sun shirt to cover their trunk.  Hats are also great (especially for younger children who don’t have much hair yet) and I feel lucky that my son thinks hats are an exciting accessory to wear—the bigger the brim the better!
• Occasionally you will need to use sunscreen when the above measures aren’t enough, so look for a natural sunscreen containing zinc oxide as its active ingredient. Conveniently, zinc oxide is also the active ingredient in most diaper rash creams! In my beach bag I actually keep a tube of diaper rash cream which I slather on my son’s face and shoulders when we’re on a longer beach trip. Other parents might think you’ve confused tubes of cream, but when you explain to them that zinc oxide is the same skin protecting ingredient in both sunscreen and diaper cream they are usually appreciative to know they can pack fewer items in the diaper bag!
• Last but certainly not least, it’s important for parents to know that they can protect their child from the inside out by feeding them a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. Phytonutrients (plant nutrients) have been found to protect skin from sun damage and also keep eye tissues safe from UV damage. Green vegetables, orange vegetables such as yams or carrots, and berries tend to be the richest in these types of phytonutrients. If your child has an aversion to these foods or is going through a phase when they are more picky (don’t worry, they usually grow out of it if you keep offering them a variety of foods and don’t make a big deal of it), try adding a whole foods supplement such as PureNutrition to their food or drink. It works well mixed into foods such as oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies. If they are put off by the green color, try using PureNutrition Red

For many people, July is the most sun-filled month of the year. Most of us know to protect our skin from the sun by limiting amount of time in direct sunlight, covering up, and using natural sunscreens if needed. However, many of us are not aware that we can protect our skin from the inside out by including certain phytonutrients (plant nutrients) in our diets! Here are a few highlights of sun-protecting phytonutrients that can be found in our PureNutrition Red formula:

• Mangosteen and Acai contain phytonutrients which have been found to protect against aging of the skin caused by sun exposure.
• Silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, has been found to protect DNA from UV-light induced damage. It was also found to reduce the overall level of oxidative stress caused by UV-light exposure in skin cells.
• Green tea extract helps to protect skin by delaying the sunburn response and preventing DNA damage in overexposed skin.
• Hibiscus has been found to exert a protective effect against the initial formation and proliferation of skin cancer cells.
• Resveratrol (also found in red wine) is a potent anti-cancer phytonutrient that induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in skin cancer cells.

We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new product: Ultimate DHA Eye! This formula contains concentrated DHA from deep-sea fish oil as well as Lutein and Zeaxanthin, two phytonutrients that are vital to eye health. Here are a few more facts on Lutein and Zeaxanthin:

• They both play an important role in eye health by filtering out UV rays that can damage eye tissue. In fact, their UV filtering ability is so great that increased intake of these nutrients has been found to help prevent sun damage to skin.
• They protect the retina from damage and help to preserve function despite age.
• Regular intake of these two nutrients is associated with decreased risk for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
• Supplementation with Lutein and Zeaxanthin has been found to improve night vision.
• The human body cannot produce Lutein and Zeaxanthin, so intake has to be through food or supplements.
• The average intake of Lutein and Zeaxanthin is 2 mg per day, but most studies find that at least 6 mg per day is needed to reduce the risk of cataracts. Eating six servings a day of brightly colored vegetables and leafy greens is enough to supply this amount.
• Spinach, kale, and collard greens are particularly rich sources of Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

Summer is just around the corner and gardens are in full bloom!  I wanted to share with you an article I found that lists different flowers that can be eaten.  Edible flowers make a beautiful addition to any dish but especially salads and desserts.  As an added bonus, edible flowers are not just visually pleasing – they also supply the nutritional benefit of phytonutrients similar to those found in colorful fruits and vegetables.
Here is the chart – enjoy!
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm