Jul 052018


Summer-time is a great time of year. The kid’s are out of school, families take vacations, and there are a lot of family gatherings, picnics, barbeques and games. There is swimming, fishing, boating, biking, hiking, gardening and so much more.


Along with all this fun in the sun comes the responsibility (everything has a price) to ourselves and our families safe from the dangers of too much sun exposure.


Get the EPA’s Guide to SunWise Behavior

The UV rays from the sun penetrate to the deepest layers of our skin. They can cause our skin to sag, age and spot. 95% of the rays from the sun that reach the earth are UVA radiation. Unlike UVB rays, UVA rays hit in a steady stream during each day. The critical hours for sun exposure are from 10 am to 4 pm.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. According to an article published by the New Mexico State University, “three types of skin cancers make up 99% of skin cancers.”

One in five Americans will have a form of skin cancer.

Some of the symptoms of skin cancer are:



What can you do?

Protect your skin with sunscreen.

Choose sunscreen that:

  1. Has an SPF of 30 or more;

  2. Is water resistant; and

  3. Provides broad spectrum coverage.


  1. Wear wide-brimmed hats;

  2. Protect your eyes with sunglasses; and

  3. Use sun unbrellas and wear long-sleeved shirts.

Have fun out there this summer, but don’t risk your health or that of your children and other loved ones to do it. Preach safe sun havits over and over again, and then practice what you preach. You will see the benefits.





Picture credits: Beach scene : Gvictoria – Dreamstime.com; http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_i/I106/



Martha is owner of RobardsHealthyLifestyles.com, a health and wellness website that promotes healthy lifestyles, ideas and products for physical, mental and emotional, financial and natural/spiritual wellness. Martha’s work consists of opening accounts, presenting, speaking, mentoring and coaching and people building. You can reach Martha at 505-750-7847, by email at marthapmintl@gmail.com, on Facebook, here on LinkedIn, Twitter, or through her websites at RobardsHealthyLifestyles.com, here, here, or ProfessionalMentorsInternational.com.