REACH

Contributed by Sherrie Yarbro
School Health Coordinator

Protecting Your Skin

Summer is just around the corner, and the American Cancer Society has offered some helpful tips for protecting your largest organ – your skin – from the sun’s harmful rays. Although exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays is said to be the most important factor in the cause of skin cancers, about 70 percent of American adults do not use sun-protection measures. It is expected that 60,000 individuals will be diagnosed with melanoma this year.

Skin cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the skin cells and accounts for 50 percent of all cancers. While most skin cancers appear after age 50, skin damage from the sun begins at an early age. Therefore, protection should start in childhood to prevent skin cancer later in life.

In addition to wearing sunscreen and protective clothing when working or recreating outdoors, the American Cancer Society suggests the following method of self-examination to help aid in early detection of suspicious moles or skin cancer:

In front of a mirror, examine your body front and back, then the right and left sides, with your arms raised.
Bend your elbows, looking carefully at your forearms, the back of your upper arms, and the palms of your hands.
Look at back of your legs and feet, spaces between your toes, and the soles of your feet.
Examine the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror.
Check your back with a hand mirror.
Become familiar with your skin and the pattern of your moles, freckles, and other marks.
Be alert to changes in the number, size, shape, and color of pigmented areas.
Follow the ABCDE chart – asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and evolution – when examining moles of other pigmented areas and consult your physician promptly if you notice any changes. More information on the ABCDEs of melanoma can be found at www.skincancer.org.

For more information on skin care, including preventing and treating sunburn, early detection of skin cancer, and scientific studies on the dangers of tanning, visit www.skincancer.org.

Nurse's Station

Contributed by Cindy Hogg, RN, BSN
Nursing Supervisor

American Stroke Month

May is American Stroke Month, and the American Stroke Association has launched the “Give Me 5” campaign to increase awareness among Americans of stroke symptoms.

Stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot receive the supply of oxygen and nutrients that is necessary to function, and brain cells begin to die.

This loss of brain function may cause impaired ability with movement, speech, thinking, memory and other vital body functions, and can result in paralysis, loss of speech, or even death.

“Give Me 5” is a quick check for stroke symptoms:

WALK – Is their balance off?
TALK – Is their speech slurred or face droopy?
REACH – Is one side weak or numb?
SEE – Is their vision all or partly lost?
FEEL – Is their headache severe?

If any of these stroke symptoms occur suddenly, call 911 and get to the emergency department.

Visit www.strokeassociation.org for more information on stroke awareness, risk reduction and treatment.

Nutrition News

Contributed by Henry Glass
Foodservice Supervisor

Regular or Flavored? The Benefits of Milk

Getting children to drink more milk is a big issue for parents. If you're struggling to convince your children to drink more milk, try adding flavor to it. Research has shown that students who drink flavored milk have higher calcium and milk intake and lower sugar-sweetened beverage intakes. Like unflavored milk, chocolate and other flavored milk supplies calcium, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin and vitamin D that people of all ages need.

For chocolate milk, the only difference from white milk is an additional 60 calories per 8-ounce serving from the added sweetener, and chocolate or cocoa. For most people, the health benefits outweigh extra calories the milk may contain.

For adults, the Food Guide Pyramid recommends consuming two to three servings daily from the Milk Group and three to four servings daily for teens.

(From the American Dietetic Association)

Fruit to Boot

The variety of fruits available from near and far increases every day. The more variety you can add to your fruit choices, the more nutrients you'll consume. So this season, think outside of the fruit box. Look for these and other unusual fruits in the produce department of your grocery store or summer farmer's markets.

Lychee: A pink or red exterior gives way to a sweet, white center, similar to a grape.
Starfruit: Its flavor varies from sweet to tart, but the most interesting thing about it is, upon being cut, it is the shape of a star.
Ugli: This fruit is a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine. From the outside it looks like a small grapefruit, but it is sectioned on the inside, like a tangerine.

The amount of fruit you need to eat depends on your age, gender and level of physical activity. Visit MyPyramid.gov to find how much is right for you.

(From the American Dietetic Association)