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The pleasant health threat that's headed our way
31st May 2009
* The weatherman's warning
* 5 foods that can prevent or treat heatstroke
There were no sirens...
No alarms started ringing...
But yesterday I heard a grinning news reporter say that a
health risk was headed our way.
The weird thing was he seemed happy about it.
Actually I was pretty happy about it too. And I'm sure people
up and down the country are looking forward to this health
threat as much as I am.
Let me explain...
The weatherman's warning...
Late last night I heard our local weatherman explain that a
wave of high pressure is headed our way this summer.
That's a heat wave to the likes of you and me.
Okay, maybe it's only ME that needs things explaining in
more simple terms.
But basically, we're in for a pretty scorching summer.
Now, knowing our luck in Britain, this will actually translate
to three midweek days of sunshine, interrupted by showers.
And perhaps sleet. And a shower of locusts.
But for those three days, everyone will be out and about and
enjoying the weather.
I've already dusted down a few combinations of shirts and
shorts that will induce waves of nausea wherever I go, and
can already feel my wallet bracing itself for an onslaught
from Lara... one that revolves around 'I have nothing to wear
when it's this hot'.
Of course I'll point at about a hundred things summer things
she has overflowing from her wardrobe, but she'll just look at
me as though I was an MP filling out an expenses form.
'Ray, those dresses are three years old,' she'll say, with a
mixture of exasperation and homicidal tendencies.
Anyhow, the hot weather's approaching, and it's something
we should all enjoy when it gets here.
But it's also something we should prepare for, because there
are dangers hidden inside the good weather...
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How to look after yourself when a heat wave arrives
In day to day life, our bodies regulator our temperatures
through sweating. But when really hot weather arrives,
sweating isn't powerful enough to keep our temperatures
down.
It's a bit like holding a hand fan to your face when you really
need to switch the air conditioning on.
And when our sweating function is overworked and not
effective, our blood chemistry can change. In extreme
examples, this can lead to brain and kidney damage.
But it's more likely you'll fall prey to more common
conditions like heatstroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps,
sunburn and heat rash, if you don't protect yourself.
What is heatstroke?
Heat stroke occurs when the body becomes unable to control
its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the
sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool
down. Body temperature may rise to 106 degrees F or higher
within 10 to 15 minutes. Heatstroke can result from
overexposure to direct sunlight, with or without physical
activity, or to very high indoor temperatures. It can cause
death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not
given.
Yep - it's that bad. That's why it's essential that you limit the
amount of time you spend outdoors, and always avoid the
peak heat hours of 12.00-3.00pm.
Of course you can pop out during these hours. You're not
going to shrivel up and burst into flame the moment a sun
beam hits you (unless your name is Dracula and you live in
Transylvania, in which case you should be reading the The
Un-Dead Letter rather than this one).
But you really shouldn't stay out in the peak hours for too
long. I for one round up all the family like a pack of sheep
during this time and take them in the shade for a nice long
lunch. And I always drink plenty of water when it's hot -
more than I do when it's cold.
This year you'll read all the usual advice on heatstroke in the
health magazines and supplements. You know the kind of
thing... 'Don't get too hot', 'drink water', 'avoid tight
clothing,' 'don't war thick heavy materials', 'never lock
yourself in the car in direct sunlight for 5 hours', 'Don't build
a rocket and fly it toward the sun.'
All very sensible.
However, I've got some really interesting alternative natural
remedies you probably won't see in the mainstream press...
5 foods that prevent or treat heat stroke
* Roast a mango in the oven until the flesh is soft.
Remove the pulp, then add a couple of teaspoons
of brown sugar to the remaining flesh. Now eat
a good few tablespoons of the mango whenever
you feel the heat.
* Grind down some peppercorns into a powder and mix
it in with coconut milk. When you're indoors and out
of the sun, smear this on your skin like a sun lotion -
it helps cool your body down more rapidly.
* If you get heat stroke, chop up and onion. Wrap it in a
thin cloth and press hard so the juices from the raw
onion seep into the cloth. Now press this behind your
ears and against the chest. This will reduce the
inflammation.
* Or shallow fry the chopped onion, mix it with cumin
powder, then add a little bit of sugar. Eat this before
you go out into the sun as a preventative.
* Sprinkle some salt in buttermilk and then drink the
mixture 3 times a day. (Add some dried mint leaves if
you have some to hand). This not only wards off the
summer heat, it helps relieve thirst and helps you
urinate. WARNING! Unlike the other recipes I've just
reveals, some people think this one tastes pretty awful. |
Right. That's it from me today. I'm off to dust down my
summer shirts and put the ear plugs in so I can't hear people
scream.
I'll be back next week with more tips and ideas from the
world of natural, sensible health. |
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