Summer, Sunglasses, UVB and UVA, Protect your eyes.

Tips for choosing sunglasses

For most people, a low-cost pair of sunglasses with UVB and UVA protection will do the job.
Follow these safety tips when choosing sunglasses to reduce your risk:

• Choose close-fitting wrap around eyewear. Close-fitting or wrap-around sunglasses helps to prevent stray light from entering from the sides.
• Choose dark lenses. Make sure the lenses are dark enough to keep your eyes comfortable, but not so dark that they reduce your vision.
• Reduce glare. If you spend a lot of time outdoors with intense glare from sunlight bouncing off snow or water, you should wear sunglasses that block blue light. Medium to dark lenses with a grey, or slightly brown or green tint, will filter out most blue light.
• Choose scratch-resistant coatings. Most sunglasses have plastic lenses. These lenses are tougher than glass and less likely to shatter. If you buy plastic lenses, look for a pair with a scratch-resistant coating.
• Check for distortion. Check the lenses for distortion by putting the sunglasses on and looking at a rectangular pattern, such as floor tiles. If the lines stay straight when you move your head up and down, and side-to-side, then the amount of distortion is acceptable.
• Get enough UV protection. You cannot tell how much UV protection a pair of sunglasses will provide by their price, colour, or by the darkness of the lenses. Look for a label with UVB and UVA protection.

Amount of UV protection

Manufacturers follow voluntary industry standards when labelling sunglasses. Sunglasses that comply with industry standards for UV protection are grouped in three categories:

• Cosmetic sunglasses have lightly tinted lenses for use in sunlight that is not harsh. They block up to 60 percent of visible light and UVA rays, and between 87.5 and 95 percent of UVB rays. These glasses are not usually recommended for daylight driving.
• General purpose sunglasses block from 60 to 92 percent of visible light and UVA rays, and between 95 and 99 percent of UVB rays. These sunglasses are good for driving, and are recommended whenever sunlight is harsh enough to make you squint.
• Special purpose sunglasses block up to 97 percent of visible light and up to 98.5 percent of UVA rays. They also block at least 99 percent of UVB rays, and are suitable for prolonged sun exposure. These sunglasses are not recommended for driving.
• Contact lenses, even those with UV protection, does not provide full coverage for the eyes and the skin around the eyes.

Types of lenses

Sunglasses are made with different kinds of lenses to meet different needs:

• Regular lenses reduce the brightness of everything evenly.
• Polarizing lenses are designed to cut glare due to reflection. This means they are good for driving and outdoor activities in the snow or on water.
• Photochromic lenses change with the intensity of UV light by turning darker when outdoors and lighter when indoors. If you wear these for driving, choose sunglasses that are fairly dark.
• "Flash" or mirror lenses reflect all or part of the light instead of absorbing it. They offer no performance advantage because they scratch easily. You should choose a pair with a scratch-resistant coating.

About ultraviolet radiation and visible light

The sun produces many different kinds of energy. The kinds most likely to injure the eye are:

• ultraviolet radiation, which is invisible and is often called "UV rays"
• bright or intense light
• blue light

UV rays carry more energy than visible light rays, so the eye is at greater risk of damage from absorbing UV rays than from absorbing other kinds of light. There are two types of UV rays that reach the Earth's surface: UVA and UVB. These rays can cause, or speed up the progress of, several diseases that affect the eye or its supporting structures. UVB rays have also been linked to skin cancer.
Most of the damage caused to eyes by UVB and UVA rays happens over a long period of time and cannot be reversed. Sensitivity to UV rays varies from one person to the next.
Blue light is visible light in the blue portion of the colour spectrum. The intense glare of light reflecting off snow or water contains blue light. Your eyes cannot focus clearly in blue light. Some scientists believe that routine exposure to blue light over many years may age the retina and increase the risk of blindness in some people over the age of sixty.

How the sun can damage your eyes

When your eyes absorb ultraviolet radiation and visible light from the sun, heat or chemicals react in eye tissue. These reactions can cause permanent damage if the eye's natural ability to heal itself is overwhelmed.
Different parts of the eye absorb different kinds of UV rays and visible light. For example:

• The surface layers of the outer part of the eyeball (the cornea and the conjunctiva) absorb UVB rays.
• The lens absorbs mainly UVA rays.
• The retina (the light-sensitive lining at the back of the inner eyeball) absorbs visible light.

If eyes are overexposed to UV radiation, the front portion of the eyes can be damaged. If visible light is too bright or intense, or if you stare directly at the sun, even briefly, the retina can be damaged, causing permanent loss of vision. UV radiation, along with wind and drying of the eye, may cause snow blindness, an uncomfortable but temporary condition.
There is some evidence that daily exposure to UV radiation in very bright sunlight over many years may increase the risk of developing cataracts. Cataracts cause a gradual clouding of the natural lens of the eye.
Thank you Health Canada!

Summer, Barbecuing, And Food Safety

We all love to have a barbecue in this nice and warm sunny days of summer. What a better way to enjoy a day with friends and family. Usually these are the occasions that brings families together and rekindle family ties and friendships.
So you certainly do not want to get sick or make anyone sick during these happy occasions and I found this great and siple guide lines to having a super and safe barbecues and family outings at health Canada site. (link at the end of the article). Have a great summer and many a barbecues!

At the store

When you're at the grocery store, buy cold food at the end of your shopping. Make sure to keep raw meat separate from other products. You can put packages of raw meat in separate plastic bags to keep meat juices from leaking onto other foods. This helps avoid possible cross-contamination and prevents the spread of foodborne illness. Always refrigerate perishable foods within one to two hours, especially in warm weather.

Storing raw meat

In the refrigerator

At home, store raw meat in the refrigerator immediately after you return from the grocery store. Freeze raw poultry or ground beef that won't be used within one to two days. Freeze other meats within four to five days.

Marinate meat in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Remember to set some marinade aside in the fridge if you want to use it later to baste meat or use it as a dipping sauce. Do not use leftover marinade from the raw food on the cooked food.

In the cooler

If you are storing your meat in a cooler before barbecuing, make sure that the cooler is kept cold with ice packs. Keep the cooler out of direct sunlight and avoid opening it too often, because it lets cold air out and warm air in. You may also want to use two coolers, one for drinks (as it may get opened more often) and another one for food.

Whether you are storing the meat in the refrigerator or a cooler, always remember to keep food out of the temperature danger zone of 4°C to 60°C (40°F to 140°F). Bacteria can grow in this temperature range. After only two hours in this range, your food can become dangerous.

Cross-contamination

To avoid potential cross-contamination and the spread of foodborne illness, follow the following steps:

• Make sure to keep raw meat away from other foods, including vegetables such as lettuce and tomatoes. You can do this by packing meats separately or by making sure they are wrapped separately, so that juices don't leak out onto other foods.
• Wash your hands carefully with soap and warm water for at least 15- 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat.
• Clean all your cooking equipment, utensils and work surfaces, and then sanitize them with a mild bleach solution, in the following manner:
  • Combine 5 mL (1 tsp) of bleach with 750 mL (3 cups) of water in a labelled spray bottle.
  • Spray the bleach solution on the surface/utensil and let stand briefly.
  • Rinse with lots of clean water and air dry (or use clean towels).

Thawing

Thawing should be done in the refrigerator. Sealed packages can be thawed in cold water. Microwave defrosting is acceptable if the food item is placed immediately on the grill. Meat should be completely thawed before grilling so that it cooks more evenly.

Cook thoroughly and use a digital food thermometer

Bacteria such as E. coli , Salmonella and Listeria can only be killed by heat. Raw meat must be cooked properly to a safe internal temperature (see chart below) to avoid foodborne illness. Colour alone is not a reliable indicator that meat is safe to eat. Meat can turn brown before all the bacteria are killed, so use a digital food thermometer to be sure.

To check the temperature of meat that you are cooking on the barbecue, take it off the grill and place it in a clean plate. Insert the digital food thermometer through the thickest part of the meat. For hamburgers, you should insert the digital food thermometer through the side of the patty, all the way to the middle. Make sure to check each piece of meat or patty because heat can be uneven.

Do not use the same plate or utensils for raw and cooked meat because cross-contamination can occur. Raw juices can spread bacteria to your safely-cooked food and cause foodborne illness.

Remember to always clean your digital food thermometer in warm, soapy water between temperature readings to avoid cross-contamination.

Internal Cooking Temperatures

You can't tell by looking. Use a digital food thermometer to be sure!

Food	Temperature
Beef, veal and lamb (pieces and whole cuts) Medium-rare Medium Well done	63°C (145°F) 71°C (160°F) 77°C (170°F)
Pork (pieces and whole cuts)	71°C (160°F)
Poultry (e.g. chicken, turkey, duck) Pieces Whole	74°C (165°F) 85°C (185°F)
Ground meat and meat mixtures (e.g. burgers, sausages, meatballs, meatloaf, casseroles) Beef, veal, lamb and pork Poultry	71°C (160°F) 74°C (165°F)
Egg dishes	74°C (165°F)
Others (e.g. hot dogs, stuffing, leftovers)	74°C (165°F)

Keep hot food hot

Remember to keep hot food hot until served. Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill, not directly over coals where they can overcook.

Serving food

Use a clean plate when taking food off the grill. Remember not to put cooked food on the same plate that held raw meat. This prevents it from being re-contaminated by raw juices.

Leftovers

Cool food by using shallow containers, so that it cools quickly. Discard any food left out for more than two hours. On hot summer days, don't keep food at room temperature for more than one hour. Remember to keep food out of the temperature danger zone of 4°C to 60°C (40°F to 140°F). When in doubt, throw it out!

For more information on food safety, please visit Health Canada's website,

Tags: Summer, Barbecuing, Food Safety, raw poultry, raw meat, Salmonella, Listeria, foodborne illness