How Healthcare Works, LLC

The Fourth of July was always a fun time for my family. From the moment we woke up in the morning until we went to bed at night, there was something fun planned all day on the Fourth of July. Yes, my family started the day off with a plan. We usually knew what was happening and the order in which it was going to happen. Here are some tips for you to plan to have a happy, healthy Fourth of July. Image courtesy of Pixabay.com 1. Remember the water. Many Fourth of July activities happen outside at parks, picnics, carnivals or even outdoor vacation areas. Like any other summer day, it's important to stay hydrated and make sure that water is available for family members and pets. Even if you aren't participating in the family softball or volleyball game, simply sitting in the sun all day can make you dehydrated. Dehydration can make you feel tired, give you a headache, and may even make your muscles feel sore. The best drink choice for hydration is water. 2. Cook and cool

A few years ago, I attended a seminar called "Traumas of Summer."  Several different topics were covered including mechanism of injury, biking safety, accidents in children, and even emergency response. However, the part of the training I remember the most, the part that is still the most vivid in my memory were the horrifying images when people did not practice water safety. The state trooper who ran the session showed picture after picture of people who had been caught in boat rudders. Their bodies were mangled almost beyond recognition. The rudders had turned their bodies into almost human sausages. The sad part is that those events happen on the waters in our state and around the country every day. The accidents may be prevented if people practiced more water safety. Photo by Jeanette R. Harrison 1. Wear a lifejacket. Some people think that when boating, "I'm a good swimmer, so I don't need a lifejacket." You may still need a lifejacket. What

I'm sitting here now red-faced, wishing that I, in fact, had not forgotten the sunscreen today. The weather where I live was not particularly hot, although it was sunny with very few clouds in the sky. I felt my face was hot when I stopped by the fountain to splash some cold water on my face and head and to take a drink. It wasn't until I looked in the mirror, red-faced with white circles around where my sunglasses had been, that I realized I forgot to put sunscreen on my face. Now, I will get to spend the next few days with a sunburn, and the summer with a "who is that masked woman" tan on my face. I do use a moisturizer on my face every day that has SPF 15 protection. That is the minimum sunscreen protection that is recommended for sunscreen. I also use the same moisturizer on my lips for sunscreen protection. I find that it works better than lip balms or lipsticks, which tend to rub off easily, clog the pores in my lips, or exacerbate cold sores or mouth blisters