Comments From Cheryl

By: Cheryl Walker
County Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences


Diabetes Support Group Meetings

Diabetics in Milam County have an opportunity to talk with each other during Diabetes Support
Group meetings in Cameron and Rockdale. Texas Cooperative Extension - Milam County
Office has been sponsoring these meeting since 2003.

Many diabetics feel lost and don't know where to get the real answers to their questions. The
support group meetings give them an opportunity to talk with others as well as get information
on upcoming classes and cooking schools.

The support group doesn't take the place of doctor visits and other medical contacts. It is a way
to help you understand diabetes and ways to management your blood glucose (sugar).

August Diabetes Support Group meetings will provide several new recipes to add to your meal
planning. You will be able to taste one of the recipes and learn more about checking your
favorite recipes for carbohydrates. Here are the meeting schedules for August:

Rockdale Meeting
Date: August 13
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Place: Multi-Service Center (Senior Citizens Center) at 765 Green Street Rockdale

Cameron Meeting
Date: August 14
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Place: Bea's Kitchen at 101 E. Main Cameron

Contact the Milam County Extension Office for more information on Diabetes Support
Groups and Diabetes Classes. (254) 697-7045 or 7047 email ce-walker@tamu.edu




Sun-Protective Clothing

Summer has finally arrived and we are all looking for something cool to wear. Clothes
can protect your skin from the ultra violet (UV) rays of the sun. Even clothes not meant
for sun-protection may provide some protection. Similar to the SPF rating of sunscreen,
clothing is given a UPF rating. UPF stands for ultraviolet sun protection factor and tells
you how much UV light from the sun is being absorbed. A fabric with a UPF of 50 means
that only 1/50th, or 2 percent, of the sun's rays are able to pass through the fabric to your
skin. Just like with the SPF for sunscreen, the higher the UPF, the more sun-protection it
provides.

The color, weave, weight, and fiber type of the fabric can all affect the amount of sun-
protection any clothing item has. A good way to help judge the fabrics of your clothes is
to hold them up to the light. If you can see through an item, so can the sun, which means
UV light is able to reach and potentially harm your skin through that piece of clothing. It
is important to remember that if the shirt is stretched (making it thinner), or wet (making
it more transparent), the UPF will go down. For example, the average white cotton t-shirt
with a UPF of 7 can go down to a UPF of 3 when it is wet. When selecting clothes to
wear for sun protection, you want to choose clothes that cover the most skin, like long-
sleeved shirts and long pants. Dark colors, as opposed to lights and whites, are best.
Fabrics with a tight weave can provide the most protection.

If you want to buy clothes made for sun protection, more and more companies are
manufacturing clothes that are designed to offer a good deal of sun protection. Many
companies are taking into account both design, maximizing the amount of skin covered,
with sleeves and hoods; and the fabric with UPF ratings up to 50.

Another option that may prove to be much more cost efficient when it comes to sun-
protective clothing is to wash sun-protection into your clothes. The only laundry aid
endorsed by the Skin Cancer Foundation is Sun Guard from the makers of RIT dyes.
At about $1.99 a package, you simply add it in along with your detergent to any load of
laundry that you want to have sun protection. The chemicals in Sun Guard wash a UPF
of 30 into your clothes without altering their color or comfort. The UPF will last in your
clothes for up to 20 washes.

Remember, in addition to covering with sun protective clothing, you should protect your
skin by following these tips:
Stay in the shade or indoors between the hours of 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.
Avoid tanning outdoors or in tanning beds.
Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 everyday.
Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors, and reapply it at least every 2 hours.
Keep newborns out of the sun, and use sunscreen on children 6 months and older.
Examine your skin every month.


For more information please consult www.skincancer.org. Texas Cooperative Extension and the
Texas Cancer Council remind you and your family to practice sun safety today and every day of
the year.