Happy Independence Day!  Dr. Kalidas and the entire staff of the Center for Natural and Integrated Medicine hope you will enjoy a happy, safe, sane and healthy July 4 holiday. Today, this blog will celebrate Independence Day with a few health and safety tips for your entire summer!

1. Leave the Rockets Red Glare to the pros! There are very few fireworks that are actually legal in Florida, but stay at a safe distance if you are watching fireworks. We suggest you attend a professional pyrotechnic event; they are more beautiful and they are safer than the retail fireworks available. See more about fireworks at this informative source. By the way, statistics tell us that every July 4, an average of about 8,800 people who play with bottle rockets and find themselves in the Emergency Room with cuts, burns, abrasions, shrapnel and severe injuries.

2. Respect The Grill! While we are mentioning fire, we also caution you to be careful around the barbecue pit or grill. Only a few days ago, June 30, 2013, 19 professional firemen died in an Arizona wildfire, and they were highly trained professionals.  If your cinders from the grill caught your roof on fire, what would you do?

3. Bad Cocktail! Alcohol, barbeque grills, and fireworks do not mix! If you are hosting a party or cook-out, why not arrange a designated driver for your drinking guests?

4. Don’t Get a DUI or a BUI! Our great Florida lakes, waterways, and oceans will be crowded with boats. It never hurts to review the boating laws in your area. Plead, don’t drink and drive your boat or your car. Alcohol consumption while operating boats or other motorized water vessels is illegal, and you can be arrested.

5. Watch out for Uninvited Guests at Your Picnic! To discourage bees and wasps from attending your picnic or cook-out, keep your food covered. Keep an emergency anaphylaxis kit on your first aid shelf for guests that might be allergic to stings. (As you know, our featured health threat this month has been Lyme Disease, so watch out for tick infestations.

6. The Host With The Most! If you are hosting a party, we suggest you put away the sangria, or close down the bar at least a full hour before the party breaks up, so drinkers are not tempted to mix drinking and driving, a deadly cocktail.

7. Experiment with Healthy Foods! It is true that there are traditional foods for this holiday, but why not spice up the menu with a healthy choice, good for the holiday and good for the rest of the summer? Try grilled turkey burgers or salmon steaks! This month’s Food and Wine magazine featured vegeable steaks. We are please to present a healthy alternative to the traditional red white and blue sugary sweets, thanks to Elana’s Pantry.

Red, White and Blue Salad!

3 bananas, sliced

4 medium peaches or 1 medium pineapple, sliced

1 pint strawberries,

hulled and sliced

1 pint blueberries

Delightful Directions

1. Combine all of the fruit in a large bowl

2. Refrigerate for 1 or 2 hours (not longer or the bananas might brown)

3. Serve With A Patriotic Song!