3. On sunny days, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before getting in (especially for those with light skin!).

4. Be careful of fog. It is easy to get lost in foggy weather and lose sight of shore.

5. Watch seaweed. If you are ocean swimming and come across seaweed, stay high in water and do not kick. The seaweed can wrap around you if your legs are kicking.

6. Never swim in a lightning storm.

7. Open water swimming can cause chaffing. Use petroleum jelly if this is a problem.

8. Goggle color. Use dark lenses on sunny days, blue lenses on cloudy days.

Open water swimming can be challenging, but for many it is FUN and a nice change from "following black line" at bottom of pool. Enjoy, and remember, "when in doubt, get out."

Symptoms of Milk Allergies

According to Dr. Agatha Thrash, (Ucheepines.org website), milk allergies aren't only sinus infections, rashes or a leaking nose. They can also lead to confusion, poor brain function in children and much physical suffering. Babies suffer most since their nutrition comes mostly from a diet of milk. Children may experience pain, loss of appetite, itching or burning of mouth with ulcerations of lining of mouth, all due to cow's milk.

Swelling of lips, tongue, chronic coughing, asthma, rhinitis, bronchitis, urinary bleeding, constipation, and recurrent pneumonia can be symptoms of milk allergies. Because of diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal problems can occur. Ulcerative colitis has been shown to have acute exacerbations with use of milk. "In reality, cow's milk, especially processed cow's milk, has been linked to a variety of health problems, including: mucous production, hemoglobin loss, childhood diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, arthritis, kidney stones, mood swings, depression, irritability, ALLERGIES." Townsend Medical Letter, May, 1995, Julie Klotter, MD.

Many adults have some degree of lactose intolerance. For them, eating or drinking dairy products causes problems like cramping, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. It may manifest as breathing difficulty, hives and rashes, or serious pain in gut leading to inability to get nourishment from food and dangerous weight loss. These symptoms can range from mild to severe (http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html)

According to some authors about one-fifth of children with cow's milk allergy have central nervous system disorders. Bedwetting has been ascribed to milk allergy along with cystitis and nephrotic syndrome. Failure to thrive and sudden infant death syndrome has been felt to be due to milk allergies. In adults tension-fatigue syndrome may be due to milk allergy. It can also cause migraines, sleep difficulties and asthma. Israel Journal of Medical Sciences 1983;19(9):806-809 Pediatrics 1989;84(4):595-603

WHAT ETHNIC GROUPS GET THIS?

Certain ethnic groups are much more likely to have lactose intolerance. For example, 90 percent of Asians, 70 percent of blacks and Native Americans, and 50 percent of Hispanics are lactose-intolerant, compared to only about 15 percent of people of Northern European descent. (Harvard School of Public Health)

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, consider this quote from Family Corner.com: "Lastly, it is important to note that milk we drink was created by God to feed baby cows. It is full of essential nutrients to grow a nice big cow, not a baby human. Nowhere in nature will you find adult animals drinking milk. Only babies drink milk. Why should humans be any different? Cow's milk is for baby cows; human milk is for baby humans. Save yourself a multitude of health problems and make switch to soy or rice milk. Or better yet, give it up completely.¨