Five Ways to Think Like a Child

As we savor the last few weeks of summer before returning to the routine of school and activities, authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner encourage us to "hang on" to some childlike behaviors:

1. Have Fun. Enjoy the remaining days of summer. Play games, marvel at nature, eat something that is quintessentially summer (when was the last time you enjoyed a popsicle or s'mores?).
2. Think Small. Point your attention to the moment rather than the entire To Do list.
3. Don't Fear the Obvious. Allow yourself to be "fooled" by magic tricks...enjoy a riddle or puzzle...don't over-analyze.
4. Be Curious. Why DO lightening bugs light up? Don't just Google it, talk about it with the children around you. Explore the possibilities (real and imagined) before defining the answer to a question.
5. Don't Buy Into Dogma. Allow your assumptions and expectations to be wrong and enjoy the discovery of something unexpected.

Retrain your brain - read Levitt & Dubner's Think Like a Freak.

"Take a look, it's in a book...go anywhere, be anything...Reading Rainbow."
LeVar Burton, beloved host of TV's Reading Rainbow, is running a Kickstarter campaign (helpreading-rainbow.com) to relaunch the show on the web. There will be two subscription-based versions of a Reading Rainbow website (home and school) to encourage young readers. The current tablet app has been downloaded more than a million times. 

Five things Burton wants the public to know:
1. 66% of American fourth graders aren't proficient in reading. 
2. 20 minutes of reading a day can prevent a child from losing literacy skills. 
3. There's a critical window (between the ages of 7 and 9) where a child either becomes a reader or not - for life.
4. Americans read far less for pleasure than they did in 1983.
5. Insist by example (spend time reading in front of your child) so your child understands that reading is an important aspect of life.

Read Meryl Gordon's interview with Burton and see his recommended reading list at parade.com/levar

5 Things You Need to Know About Tanning

If your family plans to spend time outdoors this weekend or you have a teen who loves to tan, here are some things to consider:
1. Approximately 58% of adults from 18-29 think people look more attractive when tan - 25% of those adults were unsure if sun exposure could cause wrinkles.
2. Sun damage is cumulative - it can lead to premature aging and cancer. UVA/UVB rays are directly involved in the breakdown of proteins that maintain the structural integrity of skin and are a form of radiation that damages the DNA of skin cells.
3. If you get a tan while wearing sun block, you aren't using it correctly.
4. Self-tanning products do not provide UVA/UVB protection - you must still use sunscreen.
5. Broad-spectrum sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

To read Dr. Cameron Rokhsar's full article "Can you safely tan?", visit the July/August 2014 issue of HealthyLivingMadeSimple.com.

 

5 Steps to a Safer Summer

Tips from Dr. Daniel Spogen of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
1. The most common rashes this time of year come from POISON IVY and POISON OAK. Wear protective clothing, avoid leaves of three, and wash your skin thoroughly after spending time outside. If you develop a rash, apply ice, take an antihistamine, or rub on hydrocortisone cream.
2. Wear bug repellent and protective clothing outside. If you are bitten, rub antihistamine cream on the BUG BITE.
3. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every 90 minutes. Use "broad spectrum" sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. If you get a SUNBURN, apply cooling lotion or aloe and take anti-inflammatory medication.
4. Keep drinking fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty. If you experience dry mouth, light-headedness, or a racing heart, you may be DEHYDRATED - go to an urgent care center.
5. Water that becomes trapped in your ear can lead to infection. To dry SWIMMER'S EAR, dilute rubbing alcohol with white vinegar and put 2-3 drops in the affected ear.

Information compiled from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's Summer 2014 Healthy You: Smarter Choices for Better Living