That's Fit

Still using last year's sunscreen? Maybe you shouldn't bother -- sunscreen expires, and once that date has passed, it's no longer effective.

During the summer, my son goes to day camp . It's an awesome camp -- very structured, very active, and he always comes home with stories of the fun things he did that day. Last Thursday they went on a field trip to the beach. My son came home prickly and hot from a sunburn. (They applied sunscreen on all the kids when they got to the beach, but never reapplied throughout the day. I bet there were a lot of sunburned kids that day!)

But what exactly happens to your skin when you get burned? After exposure to the sun, your capillaries dilate, causing the skin to appear pink. Then, skin cells release a chemical that triggers inflammation. Within 12 hours, skin cells begin to die and the inflammation reddens. A tan forms when your skin cells release a pigment to help block your skin from UV rays. (And, no, you shouldn't consider a tan "protection" from the sun. Burn or tan, it all boils down to one thing -- skin damage.)

So take steps to protect your skin from the sun. If you do get burned, Bethany has some tips.

My little family of four and I have already blasted through 12 bottles of sunblock since early May. At nine dollars a pop ... the cost is certainly adding up. But then I think about the investment I make each day, and the price it will prevent us all from paying some day in the future. Here's a short list in no particular order.

• Painful Sunburns -- Ouch!
• Freckles
• Moles
• Leathery Skin
• Sunspots
• Flaking
• Chemotherapy -- Not cheap!

I used to work at a large software company. There was a woman who worked in a different department and I always was impressed with her appearance. She was in enviable shape. Also, she was just always so put together and nice looking. I guessed she was in her late 50's or so. Later on I found out that she was only 31. 31! Her hours upon hours (or years upon years) in the tanning booth had wreaked so much damage on her skin that she had aged herself by 20 or more years.

Today it's common knowledge that we should apply sunscreen and practice other sun safety measures. But if you're of a certain age (ahem... my age) you remember the days of slathering baby oil on and laying out in the backyard for hours. If you used to worship the sun and your skin is showing signs of damage, there are things you can do:

• Use sunblock every day -- whether it's sunny or not.
• Apply cleansers or moisturizers with antioxidants, glycolic acids, and retinoids.
  
• Use a night repair product.
• Eat healthfully and exercise (it really can improve your skin).

If you have any particularly worrisome spots or irregularly shaped patches of darker skin, be sure to see your doctor.

In my expert opinion, yes! Disney World is the healthiest place on earth. I just returned from a five-night, six-day vacation with my husband and two children and was blown away by the amount of physical activity both offered and required of ourselves in order to indulge in the full Disney experience.

We pushed our double-stroller miles through two theme parks, climbed thousands of stairs and jumped an equal amount of waves at two water-parks, danced our tushies off to live bands at various Disney resorts, and played game after game with our children as we giggled, oohed and ahhed at all the Disney magic. As a fitness trainer, one of my biggest obstacles is convincing my clients not to trash their fitness efforts when they head out on vacation. Disney offers the perfect opportunity to not only maintain one's fitness level, but improve it.

The physical adventures are endless, and Disney World has made a deliberate effort to increase the availability of legitimately nutritious, low fat, and lower sugar foods. Fruit stands have popped up all over the theme parks, and children's dining has switched from burgers and fries to grilled chicken with carrots and grapes offered as side dishes. Soda has been dumped for low fat milk! I can't get food that "clean" in my own neighborhood, unless I cook it myself! Of course, the old junkie favorites like popcorn, fries, and ice cream are still available, but if you do care about your health and want to maintain it on vacation ... Disney makes it easy.

SELF magazine and Neutrogena are teaming up to spread the word about summer skin care. Choose from four e-card designs and send messages about sun safety to your friends and family. They're keeping a state-by-state tally of how many e-cards were sent -- more cards equals more donated money for skin cancer charities.

Stay in the shade when possible, but even when the day seems overcast, don't forget your sunscreen. Remember to wear sunglasses that block UV-A and UV-B rays as well. Wide-brimmed hats and clothing that protects your skin are also good options. Check out the gallery for more summer sun safety tips.

So I need a certain amount of direct sunlight every day in order to soak up some necessary vitamin D. But I also need to wear sunscreen at all times to protect my skin from the sun's dangerous rays. Both bits of wisdom make sense. And they don't make sense at all. I mean, if I wear sunscreen all the time, how will I get my vitamin D? And if I hang out in the sun for even 10 minutes without lathering up, I'll get burned. Trust me, I will.

It's controversial, this sun vs. sunscreen predicament. The National Institutes of Health suggests we get five to 30 minutes of sun, free from sunblock, a few times per week to avoid vitamin D deficiencies. It keeps bones strong, helps prevent heart disease, and may ward off cancer. These are biggies. But wearing sunscreen every day is big too. It's the only way to keep skin cancer at bay.

Err on the side of protecting your skin, says popular opinion. Just count on getting your vitamin D from walking to and from your car, the grocery store, your mailbox a few times a week. You can get it from food sources too, like fortified breakfast cereals and milk, or from a dietary supplement. And if you're concerned you may be vitamin D deficient, consult your physician.

The Environmental Health Perspectives journal recently published a paper claiming that certain ingredients in sunscreen are killing coral reefs. National Geographic, among others, picked up on it, and now beach-goers the world over are worried that the sunscreen they use to protect their skin is damaging coral reefs.

The Beauty Brains were asked about this last week, and they broke the issue down into an easy-to-understand format, explaining exactly what the concern was (certain chemicals found in sunscreen can cause bleaching in the reefs). The fact is that, yes, there are chemicals found in sunscreens that are detrimental to the environment, but the quantities listed in the paper failed to take a number of factors into account, such as those same chemicals being present in pollution as well as in sunscreen.

Their final opinion was that sunscreen use is not likely as big a culprit in the death of coral reefs as the paper indicates. However, if you're concerned because you swim near reefs (or just because you don't want to use sunscreen that could be damaging to the environment), you can look for natural sunscreens, or look out for the ingredients The Beauty Brains list as problematic.

Today, a client of mine told me she didn't wear sunblock all the time, because "sunblock is too expensive". I told her then, and I'm telling you now. Sunblock is cheaper than chemotherapy.

It's all too easy to lose track of time when having fun in the sun during this time of year -- the time flies and before you know it you've burnt yourself to a crisp and not only are you suffering for days afterwards but there's the worry of what permanent long-term damage you've done to yourself in the way of wrinkles and risk for skin cancer. But becoming that neurotic person that re-applies sunscreen every 5 minutes and watches the clock all day is no fun either, so here's a good solution: get a watch that will automatically notify you when you need to reapply sunblock or get out of the sun -- that way you can relax and have fun and forget! Well at least until the alarm goes off.

The SunTimer is the ultimate UV detector in the form of a watch that you program with your skin type and SPF level, which it then uses to track your sun exposure to let you know when you've had enough. It has handy features like a lightening/darkening display according to light levels, and all the usual features like stopwatch and alarm.

I just returned from a short beach vacation with my family and had a little epiphany. As I walked along the gorgeous coast on a perfectly clear day with a bright sunshine, fluffy clouds and lovely breeze I thought about what a wonderful gift the ocean is. The enjoyment one could have on a day like that is endless.

With fitness never far from my mind it made me a tad sad to think that anyone would feel stress at such a beautiful place. So many people work so hard to 'prepare' for swimsuits. I understand that, because it's nice to feel proud of your physical accomplishments. What I'd hope though, is that all of the folks who don't adore their bodies can just let it go for the day.

We are NOT our bodies. We are great minds, big hearts, and helpful friends. We are entitled to just forget about flat abs and just have fun. So please do that. Next time you're fortunate enough to visit the beach enjoy yourself. Pretend that no ones watching! The people that are with you would prefer to have unrestrained fun with you, and the people you don't know don't count anyway!

The season of sun and summer fun is almost here, and the season of new peely sunburns is here now. The aisles at the drugstore are filling up with sunscreens of every type, and making sure you get stocked up is as important as ever. It is also important to understand the factors that put you at particular risk for getting a sunburn so you can take necessary measures to protect yourself. As humans we are all at risk of getting burned by the sun if we aren't careful, but special risk factors to consider are:

• Babies and children with fairer and more delicate skin.
  
• Adults with fair skin tones (although remember: everybody can burn!)
• Spending time outdoors during the peak hours of 10am to 4pm
• Using a tanning bed
• Spending time near or on reflective surfaces like sand and water
• Using certain medications that increase your sun sensitivity, like some birth controls and antibiotics