SUMMER SOLUTIONS

Enjoy the sunshine without the worry of seasonal health niggles by making the most of natural remedies

Organic remedies to help you keep on top of seasonal health niggles

LOVE THE SUN (WITH CARE)

Being outdoors on sunny days can reduce your risk of heart disease by lowering your blood pressure, according to scientists from the University of Edinburgh. They found that sunlight moves nitric oxide from our skin to our circulation, dilating blood vessels.

In this study, just 20 minutes a day of artificial sunlight was enough to lower blood pressure for the following hour. Sunshine also boosts mood, and the vitamin D it provides could reduce the risk of developing conditions such as multiple sclerosis, too. However, it’s important to limit your exposure, so enjoy the health benefits of a few minutes’ (according to your skin type) exposure on arms and legs, but then apply lots of sun cream with an SPF of 30 or higher to protect against skin cancer and ageing. “We tend not to apply sun creams as thickly as the researchers testing them, so SPF30 will only give you the protection of SPF15,” says Dr Anton Alexandroff,

consultant dermatologist at the BMI Manor Hospital, Bedford. “Even if you don’t burn, your skin could suffer sun damage. Reapply any product generously every two hours, plus after sweating or going in water.”

BE TICK AWARE

It’s tempting to opt for shorts and sandals on summer strolls through the countryside, but if you want to avoid tick bites, it’s best to wear long trousers, shoes and socks, particularly if you’re walking through woodland or long grass. Some ticks in the UK are infected with a bacteria that causes Lyme disease. “This condition can instigate many health issues – from joint pain to problems with the heart – so bites must be taken seriously,” says Stella Huyshe-shires of Lyme Disease Action. If you spot a tick on your body, pull it out with a specialist tool (from £5.50 at lymediseaseaction.org.uk) or fine-tipped tweezers, pulling upwards slowly and firmly. Always check your body for them when you’re back from a countryside walk, and if you are bitten and start to feel unwell, contact your GP.

KISS GOODBYE TO COLD SORES

Sunlight often acts a trigger for cold sores but you may be able to reduce the risk with a liquorice lip balm (try Liquorice Balm, £7.95, skinshop.co.uk). “In a trial, it cut the duration of outbreaks,” says Marian Nicholson from the Herpes Virus Association.

L-lysine supplements (Nature’s Best L-lysine, £7.50 for 120 tablets, naturesbest.co.uk) may help fastforward your recovery if you take them from the first tingle. “Lysine knocks out the virus’s cellular building blocks of arginine-rich proteins,” explains nutritionist Dr Sam Christie.

EASE BITES & STINGS

There’s nothing lovelier than spending summer evenings in the garden, but you still need to watch out for insects, including mosquitoes. Tea tree oil may help ease the itch of minor bites – and in a picnic emergency, a slice of raw tomato can do the same. Keep the biters away with a spritz of Incognito Insect Repellent (£9.99, hollandand barrett.com), made with natural essential oils, including bergamot.

“Even if you don’t burn, skin could still suffer sun damage, so apply any product every two hours”