Enhanced Chicken?

I rarely buy frozen chicken, but when I read an article in Consumer Reports about how some companies enhance the flavor of poultry and alter its weight by injecting it with broth and salt, I vowed to start reading labels more carefully.

Supposedly, the practice of injecting broth into poultry renders the meat tastier, juicier, and more tender...but at the cost of high sodium levels. So, those of you with elevated blood pressure, beware! 

According to Consumer Reports, by buying enhanced chicken, customers may pay up to an extra $1.70 for the added broth! I don't know about you, but I don’t feel like paying extra for chicken that has been pumped with a broth and sodium concoction behind my back. I would rather go an extra mile to get fresh, organic chicken from a local farm and know that I am getting the real thing. 

To find a local farm near you, go to: local harvest.org.

ABC of Sun Safety...

... and other tips for living it up outdoors

Monika Pis, PhD, CPNP *First published in Spring/Summer 2012 in Ready, Set, Grow magazine Playing outdoors is a healthy way to get exercise, and spending time playing in the shade is just plain smart!  Sun damage is cumulative over a lifetime, and every sunburn increases a person’s risk of skin cancer. Since we get the most sun exposure before the age of 18, it’s important to teach kids sun safety early on.  Sun Protection From Day 1  Here are tips on shielding your children from the start.  For Babies Six Months of Age and Younger  • Keep your baby in the shade as much as possible.  • Cover your child with a long-sleeved cotton shirt and pants.  • Place a broad-brimmed hat on your baby’s head.  • Sunglasses are also needed.  • Use sunscreen lotion.  For Children Older Than Six Months  • Stay in the shade, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun is the strongest.  • Wear sunscreen even on cloudy days, as 80 percent of the rays penetrate the clouds.  • Slather sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection and an SPF of at least 30 on all exposed areas of the body, and reapply it every two to three hours when outdoors and after swimming.  • Wear protective clothing: a hat, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts and pants.  Sun exposure may lead to first- or second-degree sunburn. Therefore, preventing sunburn is important to protect against skin cancer and the discomfort of the sunburn itself.  First-degree sunburn causes redness or discoloration of the skin, mild swelling and pain. These symptoms usually last one to five days. Second-degree sunburn causes redness, blistering of the skin, swelling and considerable pain. When blisters pop, the compromised skin barrier allows bacteria to enter, increasing the risk for serious skin infections. Healing of second-degree burns may take 10 to 14 days.  If you or any of your family members get sunburned, take the following steps.  • Increase fluid intake.  • Apply cool compresses to the affected skin.  • Give acetaminophen as needed for pain.  If there is no improvement or if symptoms get worse, contact your health care provider immediately.  There’s No Safe Tan  Teens and young adults should also be aware that tanning salons are not any safer than tanning outdoors. Tanning booths contain light bulbs emitting UV light, which causes sunburn, skin cancer and early skin aging. Authorities report increasing cases of melanoma and other types of skin cancer related to sun exposure (and tanning salons!) among adolescents and adults.  Though this is an alarming trend, it’s not too late for you and your family to take care of your skin.  Overexposure to UV light from the sun or tanning salons is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer. Therefore, practicing sun safety and avoiding tanning beds are crucial in preventing skin cancer, as well as skin damage and wrinkles. If you want the look of a tan, use self-tanning products and continue using sunscreen. Avoid sunscreen containing DEET.  Taking Charge of Skincare  Early detection of skin cancer leads to a cure. Everyone should check moles monthly, and your health care provider should inspect any changes in your moles. The American Academy of Dermatology advises watching for the following warning signs of skin cancer.  1 Changes in the surface of a mole.  2 Scaliness, oozing, bleeding or the appearance of a new bump.  3 Spread of pigment from the border of a mole into surrounding skin.  4 A change in sensation, including itchiness, tenderness or pain.  If any of your moles appears suspicious, contact your health care provider right away.  Leaves of Three, Let Them Be!  There are other potential skincare risks when spending time outdoors, particularly if your kids play in wooded areas. Poison ivy is a poisonous plant associated with an allergic response to poison ivy oil, or urushiol. Teach your kids to avoid the plant, which appears as leaves in clusters of three growing from one stem.  An allergic response occurs within 24 to 48 hours after exposure. The rash is very itchy, red, and may turn into blisters. New blisters may appear during the first two weeks after exposure, and they usually resolve in three to four weeks.  More than 90 percent of people in the United States are sensitive to urushiol. If you are among the lucky ones not allergic, note that sensitivity may develop in time.  Poison ivy oil can remain on gardening, sporting or camping equipment for weeks, causing repeated allergic reactions unless the objects are washed with soap and water. Also, pets can carry poison ivy oils on their fur, so bathe your pet after a walk in a wooded area.  Do not burn poison ivy in a campfire. Some people are sensitive to urushiol and can have an allergic reaction by inhaling the burning oil. The inhaled oil reacts with the lining of the lungs, causing extreme pain and possibly fatal respiratory distress. Ingesting poison ivy also can be fatal.  Treating Poison Ivy  Here are ways to help ease the discomfort of poison ivy.  Oatmeal Baths  Oatmeal baths can soothe itching. You can find several types at your local supermarket, or you can make one yourself. Put 1/2 cup of oatmeal into a cotton sock with 1/2 cup of baking soda, then tie the sock and toss it into the bathtub while the water is running. Note that oatmeal can make the tub slippery.  Burrow’s Solution  Burrow’s solution was invented in the mid- 1800s by Karl Burrow, an ophthalmologist. A preparation made of aluminum acetate dissolved in water, it serves as an astringent and has antibacterial properties. You can use it to treat poison ivy dermatitis by applying cold compresses of Burrow’s solution over the affected area three times a day.  Poison Ivy Wash  You can find a topical solution for treating poison ivy at your local pharmacy that actually removes urushiol from your skin. This poison ivy wash binds itself to the urushiol so it can be effectively washed away. Although a rash may still be visible for a few days, the pain and itching are relieved immediately.  Insect Safety  We can’t escape insects when spending time outside, but we can prevent being stung or bitten. Insects are attracted to bright colors, fragrance and standing water. Therefore, if you wear your favorite perfume or lotion on a camping trip, insects may mistake you for a delicious flower!  To protect against uncomfortable stings, always wear an insect repellent when outdoors. Products with ten-percent DEET will give you protection for up to three hours and may be applied up to three times a day. However, it is always a good idea to wash the repellent off after coming indoors.  Insect repellents should not be used on infants younger than two months of age, and should be used with caution on infants two to six months of age. Do not apply the repellent to the face and hands, as babies tend to rub their faces and may get the chemical into their eyes.  Insect bites may get infected: The surrounding soft tissue (cellulitis) is swollen and hot to touch after 24 to 48 hours, despite cold compresses and antihistamines. You may need an antibiotic.  Apply cold compresses to the bite as needed. Give your child an antihistamine for itching. If swelling, tenderness, or redness persists or worsens, seek help from your health care provider as soon as possible.  West Nile Virus  West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness. Experts believe that West Nile virus is seasonal, flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to avoid West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites in the first place. Insect repellents containing DEET are the only ones recommended for prevention.  West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread West Nile virus to humans and other animals when they bite. If you find a dead bird, avoid handling it. Contact your local health department for instructions.  People typically develop symptoms between 3 and 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. If you are experiencing symptoms such as unusually severe headaches or confusion, seek medical attention immediately.  For more information, contact the CDC public response hotline at (888) 246-2675, or visit www.cdc.gov.  DR. MONIKA PIS Monika Pis, PhD, CPNP is the Editor in Chief of our health, safety, and nutrition sections. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner with a doctoral degree earned at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  She has provided health care to infants, children, and adolescents for over a decade.

Natural Mosquito Repellant

Monika Pis, PhD, CPNP

My property is situated in the woods with a lake on one side and a swamp on the other. It's the perfect breeding ground for bloodthirsty mosquitoes. For years, I have been using various mosquito repellents with little results, and I always frowned on the continuous exposure to DEET, the most common ingredient of many mosquito repellents. So when a colleague of mine mentioned using a natural mosquito repellent and expressed his satisfaction with the results, I decided to do some research on the product. 

Mosquito Barrier, a natural mosquito repellent, is a strong liquid garlic made with garlic cloves. Turns out that using garlic as an insect repellent is not new. It has been used for years to repel mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and even black flies. The magic ingredient in garlic that makes it so effective is sulfur. Garlic is not toxic to humans, pets, and it does not destroy plants, thus it seems like a perfect product for families to use in their backyards.

Mosquito Barrier kills mosquitoes on contact, suffocates mosquito larvae in standing water such as puddles, under a deck, or depressions in your lawn, and last but not least, garlic-coated plants keep mosquitoes out of the area. 

According to the manufacturer, four applications of Mosquito Barrier should be sufficient for the entire mosquito/tick season. However, that may vary depending on the terrain of a property.

After hearing about such great results, I decided to give Mosquito Barrier a try. I mixed it with water and liquid soap in a garden sprayer according to the manufacturer’s directions and sprayed the areas of the yard that are immediate to the house, including under the deck. A distinct garlic aroma hung over the house for the rest of the night, but it was gone by morning. The following afternoon, when I took a stroll among my flowerbeds, I did not seem to be bothered by mosquitoes as much as before. I re-sprayed the yard a week later and was pleased to notice the lack of mosquito frenzy. 

Three weeks have passed now and the mosquitoes are back. It’s time to spray again if I want to enjoy summer evenings in my garden. I will continue using Mosquito Barrier because it is effective, natural, and safe around children and pets. A big plus is that Mosquito Barrier can be safely used around people with respiratory disease, such as asthma. 

More information on Mosquito Barrier is available at MosquitoBarrier.com.

Make Earth Day Everyday!

Joanna Michaels


An average American produces about 4 pounds of garbage a day. That needs to stop if we want to live in a healthy environment. Did you know than certain products, like styrofoam, never decompose? Take charge of your environment on this Earth Day. Show your children how little changes can impact their environment. Teach them respect for nature and everything that surrounds us.

RECYCLE 
About half of the U.S. population has the advantage of curbside recycling for paper, aluminum, and plastic. Others do not have such a comfort, even though they may truly want to pitch in to preserves our resources. For those who want to recycle, but have no curbside recycling in their community, and for those who would like to recycle items such as motor oil, batteries, paint, light bulbs, cleaning supplies, toys and electronics, I would like to suggest Earth911.org as a resource. Earth911 provides info on where to recycle various items in your community or in its vicinity.

SHOP WISE TO REDUCE WASTE
At the store, select products with recyclable packaging. If you have to buy a packaged item, select one with the least unrecyclable packaging. 

MAKE A COMPOST PILE
Reduce your yard waste by making a compost pile. Did you know that the leaves of just one large tree might be worth the same as $50 of plant food? It's true! Leaves are even richer in minerals than manure. Composted leaves, or humus, benefit your yard in many ways. They reduce yard waste and improve the structure of your soil. Humus improves the soil’s water-holding ability, prevents soil from drying out too rapidly, and controls evaporation. Compost acts as a good fertilizer and effectively stimulates healthy root development. It is rich in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Since it is so beneficial to your yard, why throw it out?

GO TO THE MOVIES!
Disney has released the film, Earth, today. For every ticket sold between April 22 and 28, a tree will be planted. Your ticket purchase will help replenish our quickly disappearing trees.

DONATE UNWANTED ITEMS
While spring-cleaning your house, you might find a number of unwanted items. Don’t throw them out! Instead, donate them to the Salvation Army, Purple Heart, soup kitchen, or a local shelter. 

MAKE A PROJECT
The best way to stimulate your children’s imagination is to engage them in a fun project that requires using items you already have. Items you can use for projects include old buttons, paper plates, egg cartons, and ice cream sticks. Use your imagination and have some fun! 

JOANNA MICHAELS Joanna has been a middle school science teacher for 8 years. She emphasizes ways to live an environmental friendly lifestyle in her classroom on a daily basis. For two years before she began teaching, Joanna lived "off the grid" with her husband and son. She says those two years were the hardest of her life, but also the most memorable and enjoyable. She hopes to return to that lifestyle after she receives her doctorate.