People Meat Cook Warmer Spring Area One's Avoid

Many people look forward to the return of warmer "temperatures" (how cold or warm it is outside) in the spring and summer months. Whether you're relaxing in the "backyard" (outdoor area behind one's house), "gardening" (planting and growing flowers, vegetables, and other plants), enjoying the "pool" (small area built for swimming), or exploring "the great outdoors" (nature), here are some ways to help keep you and your family healthy this spring and summer.

In the warmer months, people like to cook food on the "grill" (metal surface placed over fire to cook meat and vegetables). When grilling, use a meat "thermometer" (device used to measure temperature) to make sure that you cook meat and "poultry" (chicken and other birds people eat) thoroughly. Also, put cooked meat on a clean "platter" (large plate), rather than back on the one that held the "raw" (uncooked) meat, to avoid "cross-contamination" (the transfer of "bacteria" (harmful substance that causes illness) from one place to another).

"Binge drinking" is when people drink five or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion for men or four or more drinks on a single occasion for women, generally within about two hours. Binge drinking is associated with many health problems, including:

- "Motor vehicle" (cars, trucks, and more) "crashes" (hitting each other or some other thing).

- "Drowning" (dying from breathing in too much water)

- "High blood pressure" (too much force in moving blood through the body) and other "cardiovascular" (related to the heart) diseases.

Prevent skin cancer" (disease where "abnormal" (not normal) cells in the body grow in abnormal ways). Avoid being outdoors during the "midday" (the middle of the day) if the sun is "intense" (very strong), use "sunscreen" (lotion or liquid to protect one's skin from the effects of the sun), "cover up" (protect the skin) with clothing, wear a "brimmed hat" (hat with a wide edge at the bottom to cover the face), and wear "sunglasses" (dark glasses) that block harmful "rays" (light from the sun).