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| Greetings!
I am learning a lot about what you want in the WHH newsletter from the completed surveys . I will do my best to put your feedback into action. For instance, this month you will notice a new addition- Living Green Tip of the Month, a suggestion from a few readers. I received some great ideas for topics to cover in the the Ask Dr. P column as well. One reader suggested discussing skin care, I'll do that this month. Please send me an email with any other ideas you have for future newsletters, I love hearing from you. |
| If you haven't done so already, could you take a few minutes to fill out the short WHH newsletter survey? I appreciate your valuable feedback. For those of you that have already completed it, many thanks. Survey Link | |
WHH News
Sign up Now
WHH is offering a Women's Healthy Living Series. Topics covered in the four sessions include Healthy Eating, Separating Nutrition Facts from Fiction, Caring for You, and Herbs and Supplements for Women. For more information download the flyer on the WHH website. The four sessions will occur the first Wednesday of each month from 7-9 PM beginning September 5th at the WHH offices. The cost is $120/series or $40/session. Space is limited.
New Photos
Finally, professional photos on the WHH website! Many thanks to photographer Kathleen Harrison for doing a wonderful job photographing me and the WHH offices. For more information about her work check out her beautiful website.
Upcoming Concert
San Francisco Choral Society performs at Davies Hall. Come hear us sing the absolutely gorgeous Brahms Requiem on August 3rd and 4th at 8PM. Tickets are available through City Box Office. For more information go to the SF Choral Society website.
Upcoming Talk
Elephant Pharmacy in San Rafael Wednesday July 11th at 7:30 PM Women's Wellness: Integrative Guided Imagery. Searching for ways to manage stress? Looking for a way to tap into your inner wisdom or your inner healer? Come and check out this very helpful technique. |
| Save 25% |
If you register for all 4 sessions in the Women's Healthy Living Series you will receive a $40 discount off the price of the series. Sign up now! |
| Offer Expires: August 1st |
Ask Dr. P
Does Wearing Sunscreen Do More Harm than Good?
Does wearing sunscreen protect you against skin cancer, age spots and wrinkles? Or does sunscreen prevent you from getting adequate Vitamin D and expose you to nasty chemicals that could cause cancer? These are the types of questions women are asking themselves this summer. Let me shine some light on some of these issues (no pun intended of course).
Sunscreens and skin cancer protection. It's true, sunscreens do protect against skin cancer and skin damage. It is best to use an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher. They all pretty much work the same; SPF 15 blocks 93% of the UVB rays and SPF 50 or greater blocks about 99% of the rays. Look for sunscreens that offer broad spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB. Apply a palm-full of sunscreen for the whole body 30 minutes before going into the sun and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating. You can also cover up with clothes and hats with brims. Don't forget sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful rays and the skin around them. An expensive alternative is to buy skin protective clothing. Just know that a white t-shirt is only equivalent to SPF 15.
About Vitamin D intake and the sun. There has been a great deal of attention on Vitamin D deficiency lately in both the lay press and the professional literature. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to many health conditions including multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer. That leaves many of us wondering whether we should just forego the sunscreen and expose our bare skin to the sun to increase our Vitamin D intake. The good news is that 10-15 minutes of sun exposure per day is usually adequate for our bodies to produce the Vitamin D that we need. Unfortunately, those of us who live in Northern California are not close enough to the equator to get adequate sun exposure most of the year. So it is best to get your Vitamin D from food and supplements. Although the DRI is 400 IU/day it is probably best to get closer to 1000-2000 IU/day.
The chemicals in sunscreens. There is a lot of controversy about the chemicals in sunscreens. You may notice several brands say "PABA-free" because many people get skin reactions (dermatitis) from this chemical. It is best to look for titanium or zinc-based products. As you may know these products can leave a white residue that many people don't like. As a result the makers of sunscreen products have used nanotechnology to break these particles down so they go on without a residue. Concerns have been raised about whether this nanotechnology poses risks to human health or the environment. The Environmental Working Group has studied these issues in depth and do not feel there is enough evidence that these chemicals pose harm. You can go to the EWG website for more information about sunscreens and to see how your sunscreen rated in their safety testing.
The bottom line: Wear sunscreen. Apply it liberally to the whole body often. Look for products that contain titanium or zinc as the active ingredients. Get your vitamin D from food or supplements.
By the way, I looked up the new "natural" sunscreen by Zia I bought a while back for my face, the EWG rated it very poorly! |
Living Green Tip of the Month
Biodegradable sunscreens. If you are planning to be in the water this summer think about getting yourself a biodegradable sunscreen so you don't leave harmful chemicals in the water. Here are some brands to look for: All Terrain, Aubrey, Kiss My Face, and Jason Natural Organics. |
| For Providers
Farm Bill Activism
Many thanks to those of you who agreed to have your name listed on the Healthy Farm Bill letter created by Andy Weil and others. Decision makers in Congress need to hear from us! You can see the final letter with your name on it by clicking on this link. Here is an excerpt from the letter:
"Today's agricultural policies are inconsistent with healthy eating. They help flood our communities, including our schools, with high-calorie, nutrient poor, highly processed foods made from cheap starches, sweeteners and oils derived from grains and soybeans. These foods are a big part of the health problems we face. We must do better.
U.S. agricultural policy helps to make unhealthy foods some of the cheapest, "most affordable" to buy. It also contributes to a population deficient in healthful omega-3 fatty acids, with likely impacts on inflammation and other chronic disease - heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. We must do better.
We also care about how farmers grow our food...."
If you want to learn more about the farm bill see Daniel Imhoff's book Food Fight: The Citizen's Guide to a Food and Farm Bill. It is a pretty quick read with lots of graphs and photos.
PPI's and Hip Fractures
A large study published in JAMA found that being on a PPI (proton pump inhibitor- treatment for gastric reflux) for >1 year was associated with a 44% increase in the rate of hip fracture. Further study is needed to better understand the association but many providers believe the medication interferes with calcium absorption. The longer the use and the higher the dose, the greater the risk of fracture. To increase calcium absorption suggest the following to your patients on PPI's: do not take your PPI at meal time or with calcium supplements, increase your intake of foods rich in calcium, and always take calcium supplements with food. Here is the link to the abstract. | |
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Women's Health & Healing believes that women want to explore and understand all of the health care options available to them; conventional, alternative and complementary. Join me in empowering women to lead healthier lives- forward this newsletter to a friend.
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Priscilla Abercrombie, RN, NP, PhD
Women's Health & Healing
415-457-1451 |
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