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>The Latest in Summer Fashions: Sun Protective Clothing

>Summer Food Safety Tips

Tighter weaves and additional layers provide greater protection.

The Latest in Summer Fashions:
Sun Protective Clothing

Next time you go clothes shopping, you may be looking at more than the price tag and size. Imagine asking the shop clerk for something in a size six and an ultraviolet protection factor of “50.”

Floppy hats and skin-covering swimwear are all the rage in Australia, where government agencies and nonprofit groups have been warning of the dangers of exposure to the sun for more than a decade. Now the fashion idea is spreading to the United States.

Coolibar, Solartex, Shady Lady, Solar Eclipse, Sportif USA—these are just a few of the brand names of sun-protective clothing items that carry ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) ratings like the SPF number on a tube of sunscreen you might buy at the local supermarket. Older, more established sportswear companies such as Columbia, REI and L.L. Bean also are getting into the act. 

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and one of the fastest growing conditions.

“Of course, the best protection of all is not to be out in the sun during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” says Vernon Sondak, M.D., chief of the Cutaneous Oncology Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa. “But if you do have to be out, put on a hat, wear long sleeves and use sunscreen on the parts of the body that aren’t protected by those things.”

You can’t always find these items in boutiques or department stores, but Google the words “sun protection clothing” and you will discover a growing number of products, from sun suits and hats for toddlers, to surf shirts for teens, to clothing for fishing, golfing, kayaking, hiking and windsurfing. One company offers a special sleeve for driving. Another sells UPF-rated laundry detergent.

Although some products are treated with chemicals that absorb or diffuse the sun’s radiation, there is no magic formula. Tighter weaves are better than looser weaves. Darker colors are more protective than lighter colors. Fabrics that have a lot of stretchiness may be less protective, and a dry shirt is better protection than one that is wet or damp.

Light colored clothing is not as protective as dark, and hats are recommended as well as sunscreen.

And Dr. Sondak is quick to point out that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on designer sunwear to protect your skin from ultraviolet radiation. “A heavy blue serge work shirt, like you’d see a mechanic wearing at a gas station, is a very protective piece of clothing,” he says. “No sun is going to get through that. At the other extreme is the white cotton T-shirt right out of the bag. That offers minimal protection, the equivalent to putting on some tanning oil.”

Then again, not everyone wants to wear a heavy work shirt. Sun protection products are designed to be a little more stylish and a little more user friendly. Golf shirts, for instance, may have more “give” in the arms. Swimwear is made of quick-drying fabrics. Fishing shirts have pockets for lures and hooks, etc.

One of the biggest advantages of sun protection products is the fact that they are known quantities. If you wear a shirt with a UPF rating of 50, it will shield you from 50 percent of the sun’s harmful rays. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a UPF of 15 to 24 provides “good UV protection,” 25-39 is “very good,” and 40 to 50 is “excellent.” Any number greater than 50 is not thought to provide significantly increased protection.

Fashions change over time. Until the 1920s, skimpy clothing was not a fashionable look, and a deep tan was considered gauche. “I’d love to see a shift in people’s attitudes where long-sleeve shirts and floppy hats were really in,” says Dr. Sondak. “It can happen here, because it already has happened in Australia.”

Article courtesy of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. For more information on cancer care, research and prevention, please visit www.MoffittCancerCenter.org  or call (888) MOFFITT (888-663-3488).

Summer Food Safety Tips

Summer picnics can be a haven for food-borne bacteria. Keep your family healthy this summer with these key safety tips.

Wash your hands and cooking surfaces often. If clean water is not available, bring water from home. Or pack moist towelettes and paper towels to clean hands and surfaces.

Keep raw meats, poultry and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods. Securely wrap raw meats, poultry or seafood to prevent the raw juices from coming in contact with ready-to-eat food. Wash plates, utensils and cutting boards that touched the raw meat or poultry before using them again. Don’t use raw eggs for preparing homemade ice cream, uncooked desserts or salad dressings.

Prevent cross contamination from marinades. Always marinate raw meat in the refrigerator, never on the counter. If you want to use the marinade as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion before putting the raw meat or poultry in it. If you forget, boil the marinade before pouring it over other food.

Cook to proper temperatures. Raw meat must be heated long enough and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. Always check the internal temperature with a food thermometer:

• T-Bone Steaks—145 °F
  
• Hamburgers—160 °F
  
• Hot Dogs—165 °F
  
• Chicken Breasts—170 °F

Keep cold food cold. Store perishable foods in an insulated cooler packed with ice, ice packs or containers of frozen water.

Refrigerate leftovers. Follow the 2:2:4 rule. Food left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours (one hour if it’s 90°F) may not be safe to eat. Store leftovers in a container—about two inches—and use them (or freeze them) within four days.

Article from The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), an organization focusing on health and nutrition issues. For summertime recipes, click here.

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