The Tanning Pills Trend Has Taken Over TikTok But what’s in them & are they safe?

 July is Ultraviolet Awareness Month

For some reason, tanning is still in vogue. It isn’t healthy, it isn’t safe, and many people no longer think it looks attractive Be that as it may, people still make pilgrimages to the beach, lake, or their own back yard in search of the sun to bask in its rays and get a golden tan. To assist in that endeavor, there are tanning sprays, foams, lotions and now tanning pills.

According to Mary McGeever, tanning pills are the rage all over social sites like TikTok. These pills allegedly work because they contain canthaxanthin, a synthetic color additive similar to beta-carotene, the substance that gives carrots their orange color.  

Once swallowed, the additives in the pills are then deposited throughout the body, especially the skin, giving it a sun-kissed hue.These pills are often marketed as a way to enhance a tan but not without some concern say dermatologists.

“One potential hazard is that the ingredients in these pills offer no protection from the sun’s damaging rays,” says Dr. Alexis Young, dermatologist with Hackensack University Medical Center. “The ingredients can actually make your skin even more sensitive to sunlight, making you more susceptible to sunburn and potential skin cancers.” 

See Why Should You Wear Sunscreen? Everything You Wanted to Know about Sun Protection

Dr. Young also warns of other potential health concerns including a build up of  canthaxanthin in the liver which may result in damage to the organ as well as an accumulation in the retina, potentially causing vision problems. 

“Of all the tanning options available, I do not recommend tanning pills,” says Dr. Young. “I suggest choosing a tanning lotion with DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which is a safe and effective ingredient that reacts with the skin's amino acids to produce a brown pigment.”

This July, UV Awareness Month, Dr. Young reminds everyone that the sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can damage your skin and lead to sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer. To protect yourself, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, even on cloudy days. Apply sunscreen liberally and evenly to all exposed skin 15 minutes before going outside, and reapply every two hours, or more often if you are sweating or swimming.

For more information contact mary.mcgeever@hmhn.org

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2023’s Best Hiking Cities in the U.S.

 If someone tells you to go take a hike, where are the best places to go?

National Trails Day

To mark National Trails Day on June 3, LawnStarter ranked 2023’s Best Hiking Cities in the U.S. They compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on five categories,  factoring in hiking trail access and quality, climate, and safety, among 15 key indicators of hiker-friendliness. 

Walk through the results of the ranking here. To learn how they ranked the cities, see their methodology.

Best Region for Hiking: The West

The West is clearly a hiker’s paradise. The region makes up the entire top five, such as Portland, Oregon (No. 1), Honolulu (No. 4), and Tucson, Arizona (No. 5). That’s also true of the entire top 20 if you count Colorado Springs, Colorado (No. 9) as part of the West.

Worst Region for Hiking: The South

Southern cities, such as Pasadena, Texas (No. 199), Mobile, Alabama (No. 196), and New Orleans (No. 193), finished at the bottom of our ranking. These cities were tripped up by lack of access to already low-rated trails and sweltering, humid climes. Nashville meandered  in at a reasonable #99. 

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2024’s Worst States for Tick-Borne Illnesses

Speaking of bugs,  Summer is here and so are the ticks. Ticks are almost everywhere. Are they bad in your area? Here are the worst places for tick-borne illnesses.

Also see   2024’s Worst Cities for Bed Bug Infestations

 Where should hikers, parents, and pet lovers be on the lookout for ticks?

To mark May as National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, Pest Gnome ranked 2024’s Worst States for Tick-Borne Illnesses. 

How did Tennessee rank? Tennessee came in at # 32 close to a couple of other of our southern neighbors. 

Lyme disease is most prevalent in states like New York (No. 1), Pennsylvania (No. 2), and New Jersey (No. 30). New York recorded the highest number of Lyme disease cases in 2022, with around 16,800. Rhode Island (No. 11) claimed the highest rate of Lyme disease cases, 212 per 100,000 residents annuall Find out the 5 most at-risk (and 5 least risky) states for contracting tick-borne illnesses, followed by key takeaways. (Don’t see your state below? Check out the full ranking.)

Most Vulnerable States for Tick-Borne Illnesses Rank State 1 New York 2 Pennsylvania 3 Texas 4 California 5 Wisconsin

2024’s Worst Cities for Bed Bug Infestations

 

Where in the U.S. are bed bugs most likely to hitch a ride on your luggage or pre-loved furniture? Marking Bed Bug Awareness Week starting June 2, Pest Gnome ranked 2024’s Worst Cities for Bed Bug Infestations. They compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on 3 categories, looking at the number of accommodations, multi-unit residential buildings, and population density. They also considered access to exterminators, among 6 total metrics.  How Does Tennessee Rank? Nashville was in the top 30 worst cities at #28, followed by Memphis at #77, Clarksville at #300, Chattanooga at #312, Franklin at #321 and Murfreesboro at #347.  See the 10 worst (and 10 best) cities for bed bugs below, followed by key takeaways. (Don’t see your city below? Check out the full ranking.)

Most At-Risk for Bed Bug Infestations Rank City 1 New York, NY 2 Los Angeles, CA 3 Houston, TX 4 Chicago, IL 5 6 7 8 9 10 San Francisco, CA Miami Beach, FL Boston, MA San Diego, CA Washington, DC Jersey City, NJ

2024’s Best Cities to Walk Your Dog

 

Where can you find impressive trails and safe conditions for dog walking? To mark National Walk Your Dog Day on Feb. 22, LawnStarter ranked 2024's Best Cities to Walk Your Dog. We compared nearly 480 of the biggest U.S. cities based on 4 categories. We looked at access to dog-friendly trails and off-leash parks with paw-sitive ratings, dog walking services, and safety, among 17 total metrics. See the 10 best (and 10 worst) cities to walk your dog below, followed by key takeaways. (Don’t see your city below? Check out the full ranking.)

Best Cities to Walk Your Dog Rank City 1 Colorado Springs, CO 2 San Francisco, CA 3 Phoenix, AZ 4 Boulder, CO 5 New York, NY 6 7 8 9 10 Portland, OR Boise, ID Oakland, CA Las Vegas, NV Burbank, CA

Going to the Dogs: 2022’s Best Dog Park Cities | Christian Activities

Going to the Dogs: 2022’s Best Dog Park Cities  | Christian Activities: 

~LawnStarter ranks the best and worst dog park cities, including Nashville~

 Walking your dog is good for health and fitness. Dog walking provides many benefits. It not only gets you up and moving, but the act of caring for a pet has mental health benefits as well. In addition, walking your dog can be a social experience as you pass or meet other walkers. Dog parks are another way to give your pet some exercise while socializing with other dog lovers and moving your body, throwing a ball or otherwise playing with your pet. 

Where are the best places to take Fido to the dog park? LawnStarter has come up with their list of recommendations.

Read the complete article at: 

• Going to the Dogs: 2022’s Best Dog Park Cities 

Best and Worst Cities for Runners in the US

 

Best and Worst Cities for Runners in the US

~Running the numbers: Best Cities for Runners in the U.S., ranked by Lawn Love~

Hey, Runners! Global Running Day was June 1, 2022. We all know that running for health has numerous fitness benefits. Even those who point to the few potential health problems some runners occasionally face have to acknowledge the overall benefits of weight loss, cardio and bone strengthening among the benefits of running and jigging.

To mark Global Running Day on June 1, Lawn Love compared over 180 of the largest U.S. cities to rank 2022’s Best Cities in the United States for Runners.

Read more about some great places to go running at: Best and Worst Cities for Runners in the US

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#health #fitness #running #Jogging

Best Biking Cities Listed for World Bicycle Day June 3

 

LawnStarter Lists Best Biking Cities Listed for World Bicycle Day June 3

World Bicycle Day is on June 3, so Lawn Starter ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 18 key indicators of a bike-friendly lifestyle.  Among the factors they looked at are the length of bike lanes, the share of workers who bike to work, and access to bike stores and repair shops. LawnStarter also considered the air quality, weather, and availability of biking clubs in each city. Check out the 10 best (and worst) cities for two-wheelers below, followed by some highlights and lowlights from their report.

2021’s Best Biking Cities in America   Rank City 1 San Francisco, CA 2 Portland, OR 3 Fort Collins, CO 4 Eugene, OR 5 Minneapolis, MN 6 Seattle, WA 7 Washington, DC 8 Salt Lake City, UT 9 Boise, ID 10 Boston, MA 2021’s Worst Biking Cities in America   Rank City 191 Shreveport, LA 192 Murfreesboro, TN 193 Jacksonville, FL 194 Mesquite, TX 195 Chesapeake, VA 196 Montgomery, AL 197 Mobile, AL 198 Newport News, VA 199 Jackson, MS 200 Baton Rouge, LA

Highlights and Lowlights: Tennessee Lowlights: When it comes to finding a nice place to bike, pedal toward the sunset. Cities from all over the Western U.S. dominate the top of the LawnStarter ranking. How does Tennessee compare? Like many southern cities, Tennessee towns did not do well in much of the ranking. Knoxville and Clarksville are in the bottom 5 cities listed with the lowest overall biking scores. Memphis is among the cities listed with the fewest biking lanes, and Clarksville is at the bottom of the list of share of workers who bike to work. Perhaps one reason is that with a major military base located in the relatively small city of CLarksville, there isn't much need to bike to work. LawnStarter points to heat and high humidity as factors in why the South did poorly overall in rankings. Tennessee Honors: Nashville takes top honors when it comes to the fewest number of biking fatalities. Maybe it is the warm, humid weather keeping bikers off the streets, or the fact Nashville has fewer places to bike than West Coast cities, or maybe folks are just more careful here. And Knoxville is near the top of the list for roads in excellent repair.

Maybe it's time for our southern cities to invest in some shady sidewalks for bikers and hikers. The South typically does poorly in obesity surveys, Maybe more biking opportunities would alleviate some of our southern obesity and lead to more overall fitness for Southerners.