What are your thoughts about swimming in a chlorine-chemical treated pool? Do you feel it goes through your pores and into your body? Swallowing accidently, opening your eyes underwater, is this hazardous to your body?

What kind of suntan lotion do you use? My friend told me anything you can't consume, you shouldn't put it on your body.

My experience/opinion:

-I haven't used any chemicals on or in my body for the 8 years since transitioning. Individuals certainly need to decide what is right for THEM. I have no problem going into a chlorinated pool. It does not happen every day. It does not even happen every week. What IS important is my core LIFESTYLE, intentions and attitude. These things are going on EVERY day. LOL. Anyway, this ensures health (as much as this is possible) and no, I'm not worried about a dip in the pool! I have not had any adverse reactions to chlorinated water. If it concerns you, limit your dips to the beach!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

In terms of pools I prefer the salt water ones... I can't remember the last time I was in a chlorine pool.

When I use sunblock its usually from Kiss My Face and the mineral makeup I use carries some SPF in it I believe. I also make sure to wear wide brim hats and try to minimize extended sun exposure in peak times (like 10am to 3/4pm).



My website: The Coconut Chronicles

I can't do it because I am sensitive to chlorine. I get a rash and bloodshot eyes. Maybe my adverse reaction is a good thing, because others probably react too, just in less noticable ways. I had to get a chlorine filter for my shower because even that affected my skin. I LOVE swimming, but would prefer the ocean, a lake, or pond any day. My friend converted their pool to salt water, instead of chlorine. I have to say that felt good, clean and refreshing. My husband likes pools and I typically don't. I told him if he ever gets one it has to be salt water. I would prefer living near a natural place to swim, though.

There are plenty environmentally friendly suntan lotions available on the market. I think I have Avalon Organics at my house which does the trick. For the most part, I agree with your friend, but I would not eat the sunscreen. I am a pale-skinned Irish gal. I have little melanin in my skin and I don't like looking like a lobster. My sister had melanoma when she was a child beacuse we were constantly in the sun without protection (she is more pale than me), so I am careful. If I knew of I better way I would go for it, but I don't.

My pool is saltwater. Chlorine just irritates me. I'm extremely fair, so I try to stay out of the sun from noon - 3 during late spring/summer. When I absolutely can't, I use a bit of California Baby sun block and wear a wide brimmed hat or carry a parasol. Looks like those are making a comeback

So far so good for me.
No deleterious effects.
I love floating around my folks pool with those swim noodles.
Brian

I frequented the ymca's for at least a decade.Short of a professional massage there is nothing better than a good swim after playing Basketball or other intense excersize.In all those years I never missed more than a week maybe two.For whatever reason one year I was not in the pool for maybe 3 weeks. While lying in bed one evening with my partner she said you smell like chlorine. Well in fact I did.We realized the chlorine was making it's out of my body after three weeks of absence. I have not been in a pool since that time.Right now after roughly one year,we are to be modest 70 to 80 per cent raw.With my heightened senses and every thing I have read in the last year. I personally would not even think of going in a chlorinated pool,hot tub or shower( on a regular basis)for that matter. We are lucky in the last regard as we have good well water and a 2.5 acre pond to swim in.

The pros of swimming outweigh the cons of chlorine for me.

I rarely use sunblock except for proloooonger exposure. I have some health-store brand with minimal crap in it.

I'm seriously concerned about getting into a chlorinated pool this summer, even though I LOVE swimming.

From years of shaving, when I transitioned to raw, I got HORRIBLY itchy legs. They would just itch, itch, and itch, and I could roll around and scratch them in some kind of semi-mystic ecstatic state until my legs were red... it was terrible! After ditching all of my body products and using coconut oil for a moisturizer, they gradually stopped itching after several MONTHS.

And now shaving them hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts. They're super sensitive. But I used to shave almost every day for years, and slather on all kinds of ridiculous body products. And they always itched because I was always screwing with them, so my response used to be, "MORE SCENTED LOTION!" So, I'm paying for that now...

My boyfriend treated me to a hydrotherapy hot tub session at a spa about a month ago, and WHATEVER was in the water (it was BRIGHT BLUE) made my legs burn and sting like crazy. =(

As for sunblock, I purposely started going out very early in the year for 20-30 minutes each day to build tolerance and replenish vitamin D--NO sunblock. The tan I have now ROCKS, I can stay out for about 2-3 hours before I start to feel a burn (excepting 11-2, I run to the shade!). I haven't burned ONCE. And the sun makes me EXUBERANTLY HAPPY!!!! =D

Regular unprotected sun exposure that does NOT result in sunburn actually PREVENTS skin cancer! :O

So, as far as sun is concerned, slow, steady, and common sense are key. Mercola.com is a storehouse of information for safe sunbathing, and talks about the different kinds of ingredients in "natural" sunblocks, should you choose to use them.

Sunblock also reduces vitamin D production by 99%. :O

I'd love to go for a swim in an unpolluted ocean...

All of you are forgetting that municipal water is treated with chlorine. OK, not as much as pools but I've been on well water for the last 12 years and EVERY TIME I shower elsewhere on municipal water I can smell the chlorine from the shower heads. It's that much stronger an odor for me in pools which I rarely frequent.

I filter my shower and my drinking water

Alba sunscreen is full spectrum, natural, and smells yummy! That's what I use.