Summer is here, folks!

Summer is here,  folks!  

Be careful of Heat Exhaustion!

Be careful! 

Heat.  I prefer winter, spring, fall… I do not like the heat.  However, summer has arrived.  If you live in the Southwest, USA- you know heat. We have already had a week of 110 F temps.   If you are new to the area- you will be greeting true heat in the coming weeks.   We have temps predicted at 110F and 112F coming up.  People in parts of AZ might be seeing 118F.  We are predicted to have record breaking temps in this coming week- and it’s not even July.  Who knows what July will bring! 

For many, the luxury of sitting in air conditioning all day is not an option. Even if it is for you, at some point you will have to get out and be exposed to the heat and I would just like to convey a simple warning! Be Careful! 

Water, Water, Water.  Liquids, liquids, and more liquids (although, avoid alcohol and caffeine).

Heat Exhaustion is nothing to laugh at. Heat Stroke- what comes after heat exhaustion is serious and dangerous! 

Heat exhaustion occurs after repeated exposure to high temps and you have become dehydrated. When dehydrated - your body temp goes up and your body cannot maintain its regulated core temperature (Your body temp goes up like you are running a fever.)    It is a heat related illness that has symptoms such as: dizziness, fainting,  fatigue, pale clammy skin, weak but rapid heartbeat, muscle cramps, heavy sweating, nausea, headache, rapid pulse, higher body temp, etc. 

Left without taking steps to help your body during heat exhaustion- your organs begin to shut down, and that is when it becomes heat stroke- which is very dangerous!  If your body core temperature reaches higher than 104F you risk damage to your brain and vital organs- which is what heat stroke does. 

If you start feeling heat exhaustion, take it seriously!  Stop activity and rest. Get to a cooler place. Take a cool water shower, or bath, or sponge bath. If you can’t get to a restroom and splash cool water on your face, and let cool water flow over your hands and wrists for a minute. Drink fluids. Do not do heavy physical labor or exercising. Loosen your clothes – tight clothes can trap more heat. 

Heat can affect anyone, any age. So watch the kids too! It is particularly dangerous for children under 4, and adults over 65; however, it can effect anyone! Heat related illnesses are felt by all when record breaking temps arrive! 

I am not a doctor, but I have in my lifetime seen the effects of heat stroke on people I care for; and it is not a pleasant thing. Heat exhaustion, once fully suffered, takes a week or more to recover from. Heat stroke on the other hand- can leave damaging effects permanently (Like people unable to further tolerate heat at all.)

Mainly, be careful!  Liquids, liquids, and more liquids!  If you think you are in need of a doctor- go! 

Summer is a time for fun! Enjoy as much of it as you can! The Season brings ups and downs in the temperatures; please just use extra caution when the temps reach their highest peaks! 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, this is not to be used as medical advice. This is intended for informational purposes only and written as friendly advice. If you are suffering heat exhaustion or heat stroke, please seek proper medical care!  

Sources used for reference:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heat-exhaustion/DS01046/DSECTION=symptoms

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/heat-exhaustion

The Most Important Lesson - Heat Control

When I talk with my boys about their cooking, I asked them what they felt was the most valuable lesson in the kitchen. Both answered quickly and simply- heat control.

My rules were simple about the stove.
Handles in. I am a repetitive teacher. I repeat until I am sick of hearing it then I say it again. But it sticks. And I believe everyone should learn- handles in. It saves so many little ones from being burned! So simple- yet so important. First time learners can saves themselves a lot of pain as well, nothing sticking out cannot get caught up in shirts sleeves or aprons. Handles in. I started saying that and pointing it out to them as early as I could. I cannot really say an age- because there is a stage where they stop being babies and told no, stay away from the stove- to growing enough to see what's actually on the stove and being curious about how to do it. I guess about 10 -ish. If that makes sense.

Beyond this simple rule- I approached the stove like their father approaches tools out in the garage. I am teaching boys after all. And it worked.  I explained the tool (the stove) and we practiced together, then on their own.
 It went something like this:

How to control the heat….

  This was an observation first lesson- Then a hands on second.  I explained the parts of the stove, and oven. Then set down a small sauce pan, a med sauce pan, and a large pot - all filled a bit of  water on each burner-  on the last burner I put on a fry pan with a dab of butter.

 I started the stove starting with the small saucepan burner- I had them look at the flames/burners in comparison to the size of the pans. Up and down. I Compared pans to pots and small sauce pans – adjust flames up and down . Turn on, turn down, turn off. I did it- then turned everything off -and had them do it. Start to finish, one at a time. I asked for high, med, low, simmer, and off.  I had them turn the fry pan to med and then to low- melting the butter. They moved it around with a spatula to spread it around, and I had them watch the areas that heated first. We stopped and turned it off after that. I asked them what they'd do if it felt out of control, or over boiled. I made sure they had handles in and were spatially aware of their body when reaching over.

 We turned everything off. I then Turned on the oven . We got on our knees  for a second and looked at the heat source. We adjusted the racks, and in turn we learned the mitts. They explained it back to me- showing they understood the oven -where the heat comes from ,what’s broil and what’s heat. 

Then we went back to the pots on the stove. I shifted them, so the front two were saucepans - one already filled with water, and we filled one with milk.  They turned on the burners by themselves. We reviewed high, and low, quickly then began: lesson 2: How to Boil water and how to Boil milk- a side by side lesson  for comparison. I did this so they could understand what liquid looks like just before boil point- on both. Then they boiled.

They understood a simmer, and compared  it to rolling boil. We covered the saucepans with a lid and I showed them the steam, condensation, and how much faster a rolling boil occurs. I let the milk boil - and didn't say a word when it started to rise and foam like milk does. This displayed the difference- (Boiling over) when temp turned up or down. By allowing the milk to scald and spit out the lid so they saw  what not to do… worst case scenario. 

After they had proven they could boil, control, and manage the water without fear-we turned everything off and cleaned up the milk mess. 

Then together we made mac n cheese start to finish. They filled the pan with water, started the stove - handles in- watched for a boil, added the noodles....and READ the directions. They st the timer.  I strained the noodles but then returned the whole venture over to them to finish. They completed it with relatively few noodles hitting the counter! And felt pride in what they accomplished. We sat down together and enjoyed a bit for lunch. Their first cooking experience was a success. 

The way I relate this may seem tedious, and repetitive, but it worked. How you walk your child through their first lesson is up to you. My hope is that in relating my experience I can help to encourage others- or take the fear out of where to start for some, and maybe give a tip or two to others. 

Just have fun with it. If nothing else, the experience is worth the smiles at the end.  :)