Healthy Drinks To Beat Summer Heat!

In the summer heat, as I grow older (or up) I enjoy ice tea rather than wine or beer to take the heat away. I realize that as summer has come, the body needs fluids to stay hydrated and fight summer heat! Take a look at some healthy drinks to fight summer.

Healthy drinks:

Grape juice: This is one of the nutritious drinks which is beneficial for women, but still good for a man. Grape juice promotes digestion and also maintains menstrual cycle. Many women don't have a regular menstrual cycle so having grape juice regularly helps get periods on time. Grapes raise the HDL (good) cholesterol which prevents arteries blockage. Grapes also has antioxidants which lowers blood pressure and repairs damaged cells.

Green tea: This is another healthy drink which keeps the digestive tract clean and is also good for their skin and hair. Green tea is a natural medicine to get clear skin and improve hair growth as it flushes out toxins from the body. If you don't want to have tea on a summer day, try iced green tea or mocktail. You can add honey, chamomile leaves/tea bags and lemon juice in the green tea drink to beat the summer heat and refresh your mood.

Lemon drink: Excessive sweat secretion often leads to dehydration. A glass of chilled lemon juice can not only refresh your mood and cool you down but is also good for the body. For those of you who think a lot about their diet, you can have lemon drink with honey to lose weight. Lemon burns body fat and keeps you hydrated also!

Strawberry shake: To get the soothing effect from the summer heat, try a strawberry drink. You can either have strawberry smoothie or simple strawberry milk shake to refresh your mood and stay healthy too! Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties increases body uric acid, lowers blood pressure and fights diseases.

These are few healthy drinks! They are not only nutritious but are useful to beat the summer heat!

Summer Heat

In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams.


However, even as the song sings itself, we have to be careful not to be swept away by the sirens call.

Summer brings vacations, barbecues, swimming, golf, football and baseball games, mowing lawns, gardening, and doing many other outdoor activities. Many hours of sun and warmth bring people out of their homes to work and play. It is a very active and fun filled season, but summer can have negative effects as well, if one is not careful. When it comes to summer heat, there is such a thing as having too much of a good thing.

Temperatures can rise beyond comfortable levels for days, and sometimes weeks. Humidity can be oppressive, making it feel hotter than it actually is. The once glorious summer season soon becomes unbearable, making every outdoor activity a chore. Shade trees and a summer breeze become welcome treasures.

Many people retreat to the comforts of their air conditioners and fans. The fact remains that the heat cannot be avoided totally. If one does not take proper precautions during these sweltering conditions, the result could be serious, even deadly.

Each year, an average of 175 Americans lose their lives due to their bodies not being able to compensate for the tolls that excessive heat and humidity take on their bodies. This does not include the casualties in which heat accelerated the symptoms of disorders already present. Because this has become such a serious problem, the National Weather Service has devised a system to calculate how hot it really feels when air temperature is combined with humidity. It is called the Heat Index. Using this system gives weather forecasters a way to warn people of dangerously high heat levels.

There are various heat related illnesses/injuries that people need to be aware of so that they may 1) try to prevent them from occurring, 2) watch for signs and symptoms when individuals are exposed to extreme heat levels, and 3) know how to treat these illnesses/injuries should they occur. These illnesses/injuries include sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Heat Disorders	Symptoms	First Aid
Sun Burn	Redness and pain. In severe cases, swelling of skin, blisters, fever, headaches.	Ointment for mild cases if blisters appear. If breaking occurs, apply dry sterile dressing. Serious, extensive cases should be seen by a physician.
Heat Cramps	Cramps Painful spasms usually in muscles of legs and abdomen possible. Heavy sweating.	Firm pressure on cramping muscles, or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use.
Heat Exhaustion	Heavy sweating, weakness, skin cold, pale and clammy. Pulse thready. Normal temperature possible. Fainting and vomiting.	Get victim out of sun. Lay down and loosen clothing. Apply cool wet cloths. Fan or move victim to air conditioned room. Sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.
Heat Stroke (Sun Stroke)	High body temperature (106°F, or higher). Hot dry skin. Rapid and strong pulse. Possible unconsciousness.	Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Summon medical assistance or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Delay can be fatal. Move the victim to a cooler environment. Reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging. Use extreme caution. Remove clothing, use fans and air conditioners. If temperature rises again, repeat process. Do not give fluids.

 To function properly, the body must maintain a core temperture of 98.6 degrees. The body's natural response to a deviation from this is perspiration to cool the body, should it get to warm, and shivering, should it get too cold. When it is very hot and humid, the body's natural defense is to sweat profusely (The release of water by the body onto its surface, which cools the body as it evaporates.). When this happens, an individual loses not only water, but also sodium. If this goes on for long enough without replenishing the fluids and electrolytes lost during perspiration, the body will become dehydrated, and the individual may start having symptoms of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke. Should a person also suffer from sunburn, these reactions could manifest more quickly, due to the skin's decreased ability to regulate the body's heat.

Framing is important

Two stories about the same subject, caught my atttention both were published on the same day. The first story came from Bloomberg.com and I think it was aimed at investors. The story started as follows:


Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Canada’s third-biggest retirement-fund manager, posted an 11 percent return on investments in 2011, led by fixed income, private capital and infrastructure assets.


Performance was especially impressive given the market volatility and economic uncertainty that accompanied the Eurozone debt situation, and was compounded by last year’s natural disasters,” Chief Executive Officer Jim Leech said in the statement.


Ontario Teachers’ results beat the 0.5 percent return of Canadian pension funds last year, as estimated in a Jan. 23 report by RBC Dexia Investor Services Ltd.


In comparison, Canada’s biggest pension-fund manager, Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, on Feb. 23 reported an annual return on investments of 4 percent. Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, a Toronto-based pension fund manager, said Feb. 24 it had a 3.2 percent return last year.


Near the end of the report Bloomberg said the following about the shortfall:


Canada’s benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 11 percent and the MSCI World Index declined 7.6 percent in 2011.


Ontario Teachers’ estimated funding shortfall narrowed to C$9.6 billion, from C$17.2 billion a year earlier, as persistent low real interest rates and changing demographic trends affect the plan.
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The second story on the same subject, was from the Globe and Mail. This story aimed at the general public, started as follows:


The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan had a $9.6-billion funding shortfall at the start of this year, despite recent contribution increases, benefit cuts, and solid investment returns.


The funding gap is symbolic of struggles across the pension sector, as plans grapple with low interest rates and lacklustre markets at the same time as the baby boomers hit retirement.


But Teachers’ announcement comes a week after Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan made it clear that the province’s appetite for helping pensions climb out from under their shortfalls has decreased. He signalled that gaps will increasingly have to be addressed by contribution cuts as opposed to any aid from taxpayers.


Near the end of the article the Globe reported:


Mr. Leech emphasized to reporters in a press conference Tuesday morning that the plan is still funded to the tune of 94 per cent.


“This is not a crisis,” he said. “This is our tenth year that we have faced a preliminary deficit.”
The plan’s sponsors – the Ontario Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government – are required to bring the plan into balance every few years. They did so this past year, solving a deficit of more than $17-billion, and are not required to do so again until 2014. However, the government has signalled that it would like to tackle this year.


Which of the two stories would make the average person more nervous? 


The conservatives and their supporters love to spread fear and make people feel anxious, so they can provide a solution. It is never a good idea to settle for one source when reading the mainstream media, always when possible find another source.

The light turned amber

The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door.

She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the "What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the "Choose Life" license plate holder, the "Follow Me to Sunday-School" bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally; I assumed you had stolen the car."