"Mosquito bites and treatment
Mosquito prefer some people over others. The preferential victim's sweat simply smells better than others because of the proportions of the carbon dioxide, octenol and other compounds that make up body odour [38]. The powerful semiochemical that triggers the mosquito's keen sense of smell is Nonanal.[39] A large part of the mosquito’s sense of smell, or olfactory system, is devoted to sniffing out human targets. Of 72 types of odour receptor on its antennae, at least 27 are tuned to detect chemicals found in perspiration.[40]
Visible, irritating bites are due to an immune response from the binding of IgG and IgE antibodies to antigens in the mosquito's saliva. Some of the sensitizing antigens are common to all mosquito species, whereas others are specific to certain species. There are both immediate hypersensitivity reactions (Types I & III) and delayed hypersensitivity reactions (Type IV) to mosquito bites (see Clements, 2000).
There are several commercially available anti-itch medications, including those taken orally, such as Benadryl, or topically applied antihistamines and, for more severe cases, corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone and triamcinolone. Many effective home remedies exist, including calamine lotion and vinegar. A paste of meat tenderizer containing papain and water breaks down the proteins in the mosquito saliva. Both using a brush to scratch the area surrounding the bite and running hot water (around 49 °C) over it can alleviate itching for several hours by reducing histamine-induced skin blood flow.[41]
[edit] Repellents
The chemical DEET repels mosquitoes and other insects.[42] However, with increasing reports of the harmful effects DEET has on humans (including a small number of fatalities, psychological effects, and birth defects[43]), there has been a move to rely on alternative, safer repellents, repellents that are organic and otherwise of the kind that have had traditional household purposes prior to their becoming used now more often as mosquito repellents.
For example, the much safer[44] compound nepetalactone (found in catnip essential oil) has been found by Iowa State University researchers to be about 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes."
OK. I read all of that. The full article is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito
And I thought it might be fun to do an experiment. If mosquito's are drawn to our perspiration by smell, then if we alter our odor we should be able to essentially hide from the mosquito's. I've been using Auric Blends perfume oils, which we sell in the store and so far I've had pretty good results with the Black Coconut fragrance. The Jasmine didn't seem to work as well. So, if you're willing to help me out with this experiment post your findings here in the comments. I'm anxious to find a way to avoid DEET this summer!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Diet
Yes, we're still on the diet, but can you really call it a diet? I think what gets people in trouble is the word "diet" in general. It gives the impression that this is temporary. It's not. This is a forever habit we're trying to build. But anyway. I've lost 6 pounds in 3 weeks. I have 25 pounds to go to goal #1 and then 15 pounds to goal #2 and then we'll decide about goal #3... I really want to, but we'll see how I feel then. I think the most important thing is learning to listen to your body. We get away from that when their are millions of "experts" trying to find us a shortcut to great health and stamina.
I've been reading all of these millions of diet plans written by these millions of experts and I'm having trouble understanding some of the recommendations.. For example: eat more... eat this miracle food... keep your calories up... don't miss a meal... Isn't that what got us in trouble in the first place? (That and of course, I Love to cook...)But wait... if you don't do this you won't lose weight and if you don't do that you won't lose weight and if you don't eat enough you won't lose weight...and since when is anorexia a disease of obesity? I'm a Certified Sports Nutritionist and a retired Body Builder, so I certainly understand the nutritional aspects of dieting. Where in all of these diets does it say,"get up off your butt and go DO something"? I remember when I was a kid we ran and played outside every day. Mom had to call us to remind us it was lunch time. We were having too much fun to want to stop just for food! Then when we become teenagers our responsibilities increased and we lost that sense of fun. Maybe that's the problem, we're too grown to remember fun... Hubby and I have been taking one day each week and DOing something. One week we took the dog to the park and we walked the nature trail. Last week Hubby and I went to the campground and walked the roads and up by the dam. This week we have a list of options. I'm waiting for him to decide what he wants to do for our "day out". I absolutely miss having a place to go for a bike ride or taking a ride down the shore and walking the boardwalk for hours on end. We don't have safe bike routes in Virginia, we don't even have a shoulder-of-the-road! I rode my bike every where when I lived in South Jersey! All of the nature trails here are mountains. It's harder to get started on a walking plan when you start out going up hill! Maybe by the end of the summer the trails will get easier.
We've finally gotten the pool to clear, the algae was winning for a while, but it looks like tomorrow afternoon I will be able to try out the new float and start swimming every day again. I've been swimming since I was 3. My cousin was a lifeguard and our community pool. He decided to drop me in the water and explain it to my Mom later. I've been swimming ever since. Of course, the dog insists on his walk every day whether I swim or not, so it looks like the summer is going to be busy and the "moving around" is going to keep increasing (YAY!).
We've decided to rearrange the bedroom. A friend of Hubby's gave us a couple of old doors from his house. We had planned on putting a door on the bedroom anyway to lead to the outdoor jacuzzi. So now we're going to move all of the weights and equipment to that end of the room and the bed to the other end. It will give us the impression of a workout space within our limited space. And we can open the door and feel as thought the space is a lot bigger than it is!
Well, it looks like I need to go and refill was water glass, maybe I'll add a few strawberries to the water this time instead of orange slices... and then I'm going outside to play!
I've been reading all of these millions of diet plans written by these millions of experts and I'm having trouble understanding some of the recommendations.. For example: eat more... eat this miracle food... keep your calories up... don't miss a meal... Isn't that what got us in trouble in the first place? (That and of course, I Love to cook...)But wait... if you don't do this you won't lose weight and if you don't do that you won't lose weight and if you don't eat enough you won't lose weight...and since when is anorexia a disease of obesity? I'm a Certified Sports Nutritionist and a retired Body Builder, so I certainly understand the nutritional aspects of dieting. Where in all of these diets does it say,"get up off your butt and go DO something"? I remember when I was a kid we ran and played outside every day. Mom had to call us to remind us it was lunch time. We were having too much fun to want to stop just for food! Then when we become teenagers our responsibilities increased and we lost that sense of fun. Maybe that's the problem, we're too grown to remember fun... Hubby and I have been taking one day each week and DOing something. One week we took the dog to the park and we walked the nature trail. Last week Hubby and I went to the campground and walked the roads and up by the dam. This week we have a list of options. I'm waiting for him to decide what he wants to do for our "day out". I absolutely miss having a place to go for a bike ride or taking a ride down the shore and walking the boardwalk for hours on end. We don't have safe bike routes in Virginia, we don't even have a shoulder-of-the-road! I rode my bike every where when I lived in South Jersey! All of the nature trails here are mountains. It's harder to get started on a walking plan when you start out going up hill! Maybe by the end of the summer the trails will get easier.
We've finally gotten the pool to clear, the algae was winning for a while, but it looks like tomorrow afternoon I will be able to try out the new float and start swimming every day again. I've been swimming since I was 3. My cousin was a lifeguard and our community pool. He decided to drop me in the water and explain it to my Mom later. I've been swimming ever since. Of course, the dog insists on his walk every day whether I swim or not, so it looks like the summer is going to be busy and the "moving around" is going to keep increasing (YAY!).
We've decided to rearrange the bedroom. A friend of Hubby's gave us a couple of old doors from his house. We had planned on putting a door on the bedroom anyway to lead to the outdoor jacuzzi. So now we're going to move all of the weights and equipment to that end of the room and the bed to the other end. It will give us the impression of a workout space within our limited space. And we can open the door and feel as thought the space is a lot bigger than it is!
Well, it looks like I need to go and refill was water glass, maybe I'll add a few strawberries to the water this time instead of orange slices... and then I'm going outside to play!
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