The Complete Guide to Healthy Skin in Summer: From Sun-Smart Prevention to Natural Healing
"Discover how to safely enjoy the sun's benefits while protecting your skin health. Learn smart sun exposure strategies, natural sunscreen alternatives, and effective burn healing with aloe vera."
We co-evolved with sunshine. Anthropologically, it's obvious the sun shaped us—from the hair protecting our scalp to the pronounced ridge shielding our eyes. We've thrived with sun exposure for millennia without slathering on chemicals, and our skin health has historically benefited from this natural relationship. Yet somewhere along the way, we've developed a complicated relationship with our nearest star that often prioritizes fear over skin health optimization.
The Sun Exposure Dilemma: Separating Fear from Facts
Sun damage is real and best avoided through smart prevention that supports long-term skin health. While dermatologists recommend sunscreen everywhere (some even suggest it indoors in winter!), I believe sunscreen has its time and place—with caveats about ingredients and the false security it can create that can actually compromise healthy skin.
Here's the key insight: just because you're not showing a red burn doesn't mean you're not getting harmful wavelengths that don't visibly burn but still damage your skin. Think of sunburn as an early warning system—it's better to heed it than push through and risk compromising your skin health.
The statistics reveal a troubling paradox. Back in the 60s, heavy press started about sunscreen and skin cancer risks. Since then, with the introduction of sunscreens and SPF 70, there hasn't been a decrease in skin cancer deaths. Research shows that the more serious skin cancers (melanoma) are more commonly found on skin that's less likely to be sun-exposed, and in climates with less annual sun exposure.
Your Complete Guide to Optimizing Brain Health: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science
Your Brain Health Action Plan
Foundation #1: Master Your Light Environment
Morning: Get sunshine directly on your face first thing in the morning. This cues your circadian rhythm and supports healthy serotonin production - crucial for brain health.
Evening: Scale down all unnecessary lights. I even tell patients to use the bathroom in the dark (boys, please sit down!) to avoid interrupting melatonin production and the repair cycle essential for brain health.
Three immediate steps:
Enable night shift on your iPhone or blue light filter on Android - set it to activate in the afternoon
Choose low blue light nightlights for children (check out lowbluelight.com)
Consider blue light blocking glasses - your brain health will thank you
Foundation #2: Challenge Your Brain Daily
Remember when we used to print driving directions or write them by hand? That memory exercise was fantastic for brain health! We learned peoples phone numbers and we mapped our environment. Nowadays as things get “easier” we are getting dumber, uh oh.
Memory-enhancing activities:
Classic crosswords and chess
Knitting, puzzles, and learning new skills
Making games out of mundane tasks
Testing your memory instead of relying on GPS
The key is "use it or lose it" - your brain health thrives on novel challenges and learning.
Foundation #3: Move for Your Mind
Exercise doesn't just benefit your body - it's absolutely essential for brain health. Physical activity challenges and oxygenates the brain while promoting new neural connections. Exercise promotes brain derived neurotrophic factor, how cool is that? Yes please.
Walking, dancing, learning new sports - especially with family and friends - all contribute to robust brain health. The social connection amplifies the benefits even further.
The Critical Difference Between Licensed Naturopathic Doctors and Naturopaths: Is an ND a "Real" Doctor?
## The Critical Difference That Matters for Your Family's Health
Picture this: You're up at 2 AM with a feverish child. You're frantically trying to decide: Is this something you can handle at home with natural remedies? Should you call the doctor? Head to urgent care?
These moments of health crisis require BOTH medical knowledge AND natural health wisdom.
This is precisely why the distinction between a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and a naturopath matters so much for your family. When you're looking for someone to guide your health decisions, especially when integrating natural approaches with conventional care, credentials and training make all the difference.
As a mom myself, I understand the desire to find natural solutions. But as a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with over two decades of experience, I also know when those natural approaches need to be complemented with conventional care.
My extensive medical training allows me to:
- Recognize when symptoms indicate something serious requiring immediate medical attention
- Understand potential interactions between herbs, supplements, and medications
- Diagnose conditions accurately rather than just treating symptoms
- Order and interpret appropriate lab work to guide treatment decisions
- Develop comprehensive treatment plans that integrate the best of both worlds
This medical foundation isn't something you can acquire through a weekend workshop or online certification program. It requires years of rigorous training in the same basic sciences that MDs study, plus specialized education in natural therapies.
When you work with a licensed Naturopathic Doctor like me, you're not choosing between conventional and natural medicine—you're getting the best of both approaches from someone qualified to bridge these worlds safely.
Your family deserves nothing less.
Natural Remedies for Allergies and Sinus Infections: A Personal Journey and Guide
Ever had that moment where you can't tell if it's allergies or a sinus infection making you miserable? I've been there – like that time in medical school when my vintage doctor's bag (complete with charming musty smell) gave me a sinus infection that felt like an ice pick through my forehead. That painful experience taught me how crucial it is to recognize the difference between allergies and sinus infections. When your sinuses are throbbing and you're wondering whether to reach for an antihistamine or make that doctor's appointment, knowing what you're dealing with changes everything. In this guide, I'll share my personal journey with both conditions, walk you through the key differences (yellow mucus vs. clear? fever or no fever?), and offer science-backed natural remedies that actually work – from nasal irrigation to food changes that can dramatically reduce your symptoms and build long-term resilience.
A crunchy Doctor’s Guide to Natural Medicine for Modern Families: The Stuff Your Grandma Knew (But We Forgot)
When did we lose touch with the natural remedies our grandmothers swore by? As a naturopathic doctor and mother, I've seen that panicked moment when illness strikes - frantically searching cabinets while your child moans from the couch. But it doesn't have to be this way. Natural medicine isn't about rejecting conventional care; it's about reclaiming the wisdom that empowers you to handle common ailments confidently, address root causes rather than just symptoms, and work with your body's incredible healing abilities. Whether you identify as fully "crunchy" or somewhere on the spectrum, building your kitchen medicine cabinet with essentials like raw honey, quality butter, and elderberry can transform those moments of panic into calm, confident care - exactly what your grandmother would have done.