Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Thyroid Health and the Adrenal Glands Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND When it comes to holistic health care 2 of the most common things to talk about are thyroid health and adrenal health. What is interesting about these 2 topics is that they are more …
How the Thyroid Impacts Weight Management Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One topic that comes up often around summertime is weight management. Everyone wants to be ready for the beach! And one part of managing our weight is by working with our thyroid. Everyone knows the …
Bug Bites and other Outdoor Irritants to the Skin
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Camping is a popular and fun summer activity! But camping and other outdoor activities can put you at an increased risk of skin concerns such as mosquito bites and poison Ivy! There is much to talk about so let us get into it, shall we?
Let us start with mosquito bites! Mosquito bites are typically small, red, raised bumps on the skin with mild inflammation and are typically very itchy. While for most people they just have a mild reaction some people can have a more severe reaction to bites. In these cases, symptoms can include those of a typical allergy including hives, swollen throat, and faintness and even wheezing. One reason that these bites are so itchy and can even trigger an allergic response is because when a mosquito bites you some of their salvia enters your blood stream. Your body sees this foreign material just like it would any allergen that it needs to attack and thus your body releases histamine. This release of histamine is responsible for your symptoms! Something else to take note of is that some mosquitos can carry certain infections. If bitten by one of these mosquitoes, you can get infected with the bacteria or virus they are carrying. Symptoms that indicate you may have an infection from a mosquito bite can include fever, headache, body aches, rashes, nausea, eye irritation, and fatigue! Certain places have higher rates of infections carried by mosquitoes. Be careful if you travel or visit these places. (1)
While bed bugs and even flea bites may resemble mosquito bites, they are different. Please see the attached picture for a side-by-side comparison of the 3 bites. (2)
The next skin concern is poison ivy. Certain plants can trigger an irritating and often extremely itchy skin rash. These plants include poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. Signs that you may have come into contact with one of these plants include a skin rash that is swollen, red and may have blisters. The rash may develop within hours-days of contact depending on your sensitivity. One common misconception about poison ivy is that it can spread from one part of your body to another part. While this may appear to be true it is more complicated. What is actually happening is new rashes are developing. Remember some rashes will develop faster than others. So, for example, 3 hours after contacting you may have a rash develop on your left hand but then an hour later it may develop on your left foot. Both were exposed at the same time it just took longer for your foot to show the rash. Another question we get about poison ivy is if the rash itself is contagious. Poison Ivy is actually caused by oil that plants produce. So now if you accidentally touch the rash, you will not get poison ivy. However, if you get the oil on your skin, you can develop the rash associated with poison ivy. Please see the attached pictures so you know how the 3 plants you need to watch out for actually look like as well as what the rash may look like! (3, 4)
What can you do?
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Summertime Blues Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND You may have heard of something called SAD or seasonal affective disorder. This is sometimes referred to as the “wintertime blues”. What you may not be aware of is that while SAD is typically associated with winter it can …
Hot Weather and the Impact on Blood Sugar? Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Everyone knows hot weather can make you feel hot and sticky and just plain old yucky! But what most people do not realize is that hot weather can also lead to fluctuations in …
Dehydration
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
One topic that seems to come up frequently is dehydration. This topic is important, especially in the summer weather because a common cause of dehydration is simply sweating. As we all know, the hot, humid weather that is typical of summer can and does impact how much we sweat and therefore can increase fluid loss and the need to intake fluid. Now I bet I know what you are thinking, but Dr. Claire, I work in air conditioning! I do not sweat profusely! Does that mean I do not need to worry about dehydration? Well, I am sorry to tell you this but even with AC you should still think about dehydration! In fact, since AC’s suck the moisture out of the room (and the moisture inside YOU) being in AC can actually increase the need for fluids. (1) How do you know if you are dehydrated? What are the possible complications and just what can you do to help prevent becoming dehydrated? Let us get into it, shall we?
Dehydration is a fancy way of saying that your body is losing more fluid than you are drinking. In addition to excess sweating, dehydration is most commonly caused by vomiting and diarrhea. In this blog we will be focusing on sweating as a cause of dehydration. (2) How can you tell if you may be developing dehydration? The obvious answer, thirst may not be the most reliable way to determine hydration because in many people the thirst sensation may not be trigged until after dehydration has begun! It can also be difficult for some infants or even young children to articulate when they feel thirsty. In both infants and young children, you should look for certain changes in behavior. You may notice a lack of tears, dry mouth and even a decrease in urination. There may be rapid heartbeat as well as skin that does not flatten after being pinched. They may lack energy. Lastly, they may have shrunk eyes, cheeks, or soft spots. (3)
Dehydration can be mild or even severe. In this blog I will be focusing more on mild dehydration since severe dehydrations is considered a medical emergency. Please seek care if a child or older adult is dehydrated or there is severe diarrhea, bloody stool, diarrhea for 3 or more days, inability to keep fluid down or disorientation. (2) How can you compare the signs of mild dehydration vs more severe? Please see the chart below. (2)
| Mild dehydration | Severe dehydration – all listed mild dehydration symptoms plus : |
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Why is dehydration so concerning? Well, it can lead to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. It can also affect our electrolytes leading to muscle spasms and this can even make us faint or in some extreme cases trigger a seizure. One of the most serious complications is shock. Long lasting or frequent episodes can damage kidneys and our urinary tract. (3)
What can you do to prevent dehydration?
Watermelon is 92% water, and it is quite tasty too. (4) You can feel free to just munch away or even use it to make popsicles! In fact, for a summer treat try the following recipe! To start with, cut up approximately 3 cups of watermelon. Add the chunks to a blender. Add 2 scoops of Reds Hx and 1 scoop of Organic Greens. As you blend add just enough water so you can pour the mix into molds and freeze overnight.
Leafy greens are another great source of water! (4) feel free to use your favorite greens to make a delicious salad. For example, take your greens of choice with cooked beets, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado (reliable source of potassium!). To this delicious summer salad, you can add a dressing made with ¼ cup olive oil that is mixed with 2 scoops Greens Hx and the contents of 1 Aged garlic.
Citrus fruits are 88% water! (4) Feel free to add 3 or 4 clementine’s to a blender (do not forget to peel them first lol). Add 1 cup of carbonated or fizzy water and 2 scoops of Oranges Hx plus 1 scoop of Collagen Hx. Blend for a fancy summer drink!
Strawberries are a family favorite! They are full of water! (4) I like to make a spread that is like jam! To a saucepan add 2 cups of cut strawberries. Add ¼ cup water and cook till it gets to 220 degrees. Now I will be honest here, I usually just wing this step and simmer for about 10 min after the mix starts to boil. Like most people I am doing 10 things at a time. I have no time to sit and “baby the berries.” Lol – remember this should be fun not just a chore you hate. Anyhoo back to the spread! After it is done cooking add 2 scoops of Reds Hx and 2 scoops of Organic Greens! You can mix it with a fork or carefully use an emersion blender to blend everything together. Feel free to use on toast or a frozen dessert! You can even use it in yogurt!
Feel free to just make a smoothie mixing any of your favorite invite powders!
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