Your health: Sun safety rules

Here comes the sun

It is important to protect yourself from the sun, but the safety rules you learned as a kid have been updated.

Rule 1: Applying SPF 15 before going outside will do the trick, right? Actually, new research shows you should also use a moisturizer rich in antioxidants, say the new rules of the sun on Health.com.

According to Frederic Brandt, a New York dermatologist, “the sun also generates free radicals that break down your collagen and elastin fibers.” And if you're hitting the beach, an SPF of 15 is not enough.

Rule 2: A T-shirt can protect you from the hottest sun. Cover-ups help, but well-worn white T-shirts are not worth much, according to Health.com. The best bet for some protection is tightly woven fabrics in darker colors.

Rule 3: Put a lot of sunscreen on your face and body. The sensitive skin of the face and neck are very susceptible to sun damage, so slather the stuff on there — and every other spot exposed to sun.

Rule 4: Twenty minutes of sun three times per week helps your body produce vitamin D. But you can also get vitamin D from supplements.

Rule 5: Avoid tanning, especially tanning beds. This rule has not changed. “Using a tanning bed increases your risk for melanoma by up to 75 percent,” according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Go for those greens

If you don't know escarole from collard greens, expand your salad repertoire with a guide to greens in the June issue of Fitness magazine.

Some of the benefits? Turnip greens are loaded with vitamin K, according to Maggie Moon, a New York nutritionist, and one cup cooked fulfills 20 percent of your daily B6 requirement. Bok choy is great in stir-fries and is also a source of calcium and polyphenols, antioxidants that fight cancer.

While raw kale can be bitter, if you tear the leaves into small chunks and bake with olive oil and salt, you'll have some tasty and healthful chips. A cup of kale will give you all the vitamin A, C and K you need for the day. Swiss chard, a close relative of the beet, also packs a healthy dose of vitamins A and C. One cup is all you need for the day. Watercress is full of vision-protecting carotenoids, and the leaves can be used in soups, salads or sandwiches.

To get the most out of your greens, according to the magazine, remove the stems, wash well, dry and refrigerate in a crisper drawer away from fruit. (Pears and apples emit a gas that can spoil veggies.) To reinvigorate wilted greens, soak them in ice water for 15 minutes.