Healthy through the summer

Strawberry
A topper, the strawberry, especially when it comes to vitamin C and folic acid. The latter is interesting, because folic acid is one of the vitamins that the Dutch do not always get enough of. 300 micrograms per day is recommended and a 100 gram container of strawberries already provides 65 micrograms.

In comparison: a kiwi provides 23 micrograms, an orange 18, a banana 16 and an apple only 3. Folic acid is especially important for the production of red and white blood cells.

Blister
Breaking up a blister right away is a big mistake, says Jeanette Heerschop, a ‘walking injury’ teacher at the Red Cross. Once the blister is broken, there is a risk of infection and that is not gone until the blister is dry. Do you still want to pop a blister because you are halfway through a long walk and it is bothering you too much? You reduce the risk of infection by pricking (at the bottom and at the top of the blister) with nail scissors or pins that you first hold in a flame and then disinfected with, for example, betadine. Then you put betadine and a plaster on it. After walking, remove the bandage – don’t mess with the blister – and it will be dry the next day.

lemon ice cream
Nice Italian ice cream. Keep in mind that lemon ice cream contains much fewer calories than, for example, hazelnut ice cream. That depends on how the ice cream is prepared. Riccardo Talamini, ice cream maker in Enschede and chairman of Ital (Association of Italian ice cream makers in the Netherlands): “We make all fruit ice cream on a sorbet basis, in other words, the base is made from water and sugar. Fats are not in it. Neither are artificial additives, by the way: pure nature.” A scoop of sorbet ice cream provides 40 kcal, comparable to an ice cream cone. For comparison, a few popular factory ice creams: Cornetto 190 kcal, Viennetta Vanilla 250 kcal and Magnum 260 kcal (per 100 grams).

Thirst
The older you get, the more prone you are to overheating in a heat wave. Your body’s temperature regulation will become less effective and some medicines, such as diuretics, affect the fluid balance. In addition, the feeling of thirst, which is normally strong enough to prevent dehydration, diminishes with age. Make sure you drink enough (about 1.5 liters per day), even if you are not thirsty. Every year, about four thousand people over 70 end up in hospital because of dehydration. Half of them die; the greatest risk of this are the elderly with a serious concomitant disease (eg pneumonia).

Englishmen
‘Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’, according to an American proverb, based on a theater song from the 1930s. In other words, it’s not smart to go outside in the hottest part of the day. Is it necessary? Even if you stay in the shade as much as possible, it is best to apply sunscreen. Because in the shade you can also burn. On the beach under a parasol all the way, because the sand and water reflect the sun’s rays.

Fresh
Glass of fresh? That causes more thirst than it quenches thirst: it contains a lot of sugar and to remove that sweetness, the body uses the water supply. For the same reason, it is better to drink tea and coffee with little or no sugar in the summer.

Green
The healthiest greenery can be found in your own garden. That is, if you grow your own vegetables, herbs and fruit. Completely healthy if you use organic garden soil, guaranteed without pesticides. Tip: plant sunflowers, because the seeds are full of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Great for heart and blood vessels!

Herring
There is almost no healthier food than herring: packed with omega-3 fatty acids (good for cholesterol levels) and a whole range of vitamins. And it is also a real summer fish, so great for those who like to eat seasonal products. In addition, a herring is quite salty. And that is not unfavorable when it is really hot, because a little extra salt ensures that the body loses moisture less easily.

insects
In the Netherlands, three hundred to six hundred people return every year from a long journey with malaria. They are among the 10 to 20 percent of people who travel without protection against malaria. For all tropical diseases together, that percentage is even 50, according to research among travelers at Schiphol. Especially the elderly, singles and people who go to visit family and friends are casual. Get good advice from the GGD in advance about the prevention of mosquito bites and other tropical pathogens.

jet lag
A lot has already been devised to prevent jet lag. But most methods – including no food from 16 hours before departure or light therapy before departure – are (unless they have been proven) quite a hassle. The measures afterwards are a lot easier. Is your biological clock upset after a long flight? Then go along with the day and night rhythm of where you are as quickly as possible. On average, it takes one to two days before the clock is equal again.

Cool box
Would you like to barbecue during a picnic? Buy the meat as soon as possible in advance, so that you only need the cool box for a short time. In general, a cool box is not cool enough to store meat for a long time. Or prepare the meat in advance on the day you buy the meat. Then you can keep it in the cool box for a few hours and warm it up again or process it further by mealtime.

Lyme
In 2009, 22,000 Dutch people were diagnosed with Lyme disease. That is five thousand more than in 2005. Check your body for ticks if you have come into contact with shrubs or trees. If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers (with thin tips!) or special tick tweezers. Do not grab the animal by the body, but by the head, so as close to the skin as possible. The chances of getting Lyme disease if the tick is removed within 24 hours is very small.

Medicines
Are you going out and do you have medicines that need to be kept cool? Then transport them in a cool pouch, available at the pharmacy.

Nose
The nose is one of the places where basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, often develops. Not surprising, because the nose catches quite a bit of sun. Other sensitive areas: the temples, forehead and ears. There are an estimated 40,000 new cases of skin cancer every year. That is twice as much as, say, fifteen years ago. Cause: we have been sunbathing more (and sunbeds) in recent decades. So lubricate.

Eyes
Protect them from the sun, because eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration are more likely to occur due to harmful UV radiation. This radiation has an effect on the lens of the eye as well as on the retina behind it and its central part, the macula. You will usually notice too much sun on the lens within a few hours due to severe eye pain. You may not notice any damage to the retina or macula at first, but gradually it can accelerate eye disease.
See also the U.

pollen
The great pests for hay fever patients. Those who subscribe to a free text message service with the ‘hay fever forecast’ can prevent or mitigate an attack by taking medication quickly. You can register via www.hayrushtest.nl or at a Mediq pharmacy near you.

Quinoa
Fancy a summer rice salad, but without rice? Try quinoa. You can cook this grain in twelve minutes and it contains three times as much protein as brown rice (which makes it very popular with vegetarians). The taste is a bit nutty. For sale in health food and world stores, and at some supermarkets.

Lubricate generously
Many people apply sunscreen too thinly and not often enough. Feel free to use a handful all over the body and reapply every two hours.
See also the N.

Flip flops
Foot experts have long agreed: flip flops are not good for the feet. They do not provide support, which increases the risk of tendon infections and muscle strains. According to some doctors, the risk of bone fractures even increases. If you still want to wear slippers, choose somewhat firm ones, with a footbed. And don’t wear them day in and day out, but alternate them with other footwear.

tai chi
There is no exercise more suited to the languid summer than tai chi, an oriental art of movement. The slow movements are aimed at balance, both mentally and physically. So it’s not surprising that it seems that tai chi can reduce the risk of falling – the scientific evidence for this is not yet solid. In any case, an American study shows that tai chi helps with sleeping problems. Anyone can do it: a good condition or strong muscles are not necessary.

Ultraviolet
Good sunglasses have a CE mark, recognizable by a small CE sticker on the glasses. Please note that the frame is large enough so that the radiation does not have a chance to reach the eyes via the side or bottom. In fact, no sunglasses are better than glasses that are too small or one that allows UV radiation to pass through. Because of the dark glasses, the pupils are opened wider, so that the eyes in that case actually receive more harmful radiation. Without sunglasses, you automatically squeeze the eyes a bit close to bright sunlight, so that at least half of the radiation does not reach the eye.

leisure sickness
That’s the name of the phenomenon that you get sick when you relax. Headaches, colds, general malaise: according to health psychologist Ad Vingerhoets of Tilburg University, 3 percent of Dutch people suffer from it. The remedy: don’t overwork yourself just before the holiday and don’t immediately switch to idleness mode on holiday. During the first days of vacation, do some sports, get up on time and do some chores.

Wasp
Anyone who only gets a huge red bump at the site of a wasp sting is not allergic to wasp stings. The characteristic of a wasp allergy is that a sting also causes complaints in places other than the affected area, such as a rash and itching, breathing difficulties or nausea. In that case, it is wise to contact your GP to discuss possible treatment. If the reaction remains local, then there is no cause for concern.

X number
If you are reading this, summer will last for x number of days. Enjoy the summer sun while you still can! Skin doctor Han van der Rhee, one of the founders of the freckle bus, thinks we are too afraid of the sun and recently wrote the book ‘Sunning is allowed’. His motto: the sun has more advantages than disadvantages. Anyone who uses the sun in a healthy way (regularly sits in it for half an hour but does not burn) reduces the risk of all kinds of cancer. Vitamin D probably plays a major role in this protection – our skin produces it under the influence of sunlight.

Yogurt drinks
Yogurt drinks enriched with probiotics can help against traveler’s diarrhea, according to the Nutrition Center. In a distant country and no supermarket at hand? Probiotics are also available in capsule form. Handy for your travel pharmacy.

saddle pain
Women need a bicycle saddle that is wider at the back because they have wider sit bones than men. There are also women’s saddles with a recess in the middle, which puts less pressure on the labia. Such saddles are also available for men, which is especially useful for men with chronic prostate complaints: the recess protects the prostate.