Here in Chicago we’ve had record-breaking heat this summer.  And when someone doesn’t know how to manage the heat they can become quite sick or worse, die.  Getting overheated is one thing, suffering from heat stroke or heat exhaustion is much more serious.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here are some warning signs to know if you need medical attention:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°)
• Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Unconsciousness
• Heavy sweating
• Paleness
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Headache
• Fainting

To protect your health when temperatures are extremely high, remember to keep cool and use common sense. The following tips are important:

• Drink Plenty of Fluids
• Replace Salt and Minerals
• Wear Appropriate Clothing and Sunscreen
• Schedule Outdoor Activities Carefully
• Pace Yourself
• Stay Cool Indoors
• Use a Buddy System
• Monitor Those at High Risk
• Use Common Sense

To learn more from the CDC, follow this link: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp

Stay cool, stay well!

Last week I spoke about the sunshine and whether or not it is healthy.  I expanded upon the topic in my newsletter.  Now I’d like to discuss vitamin D.  Research is finding that Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins to our overall health and yet most of us who live in North America are deficient in it.  First, the only way to know your Vitamin D level is to have it checked by your doctor.  It is done through a simple blood test.  Normal levels are between 40 and 60 for a healthy individual.  Below 40 is considered low and anything near or over 100 is considered toxic (yes, you can have too much of a good thing). 

In order to get more Vitamin D there are two things you can do.  First, you can spend a limited amount of time in the sun without sunscreen.  When I say “limited” I mean not more than 10-15 minutes three times a week between the hours of 10:00am – 2:00pm.  The second way to increase your Vitamin D is through taking a supplement.  Ask your doctor how many IUs (international units) you should take based on your current Vitamin D level.  Each person is different so consulting your doctor is a wise choice.

To your wellness!

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and accounts for almost half of all cancers in the United States.  According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 50% of Americans over the age of 65 will develop squamous cell or basal cell nonmelanoma skin cancers.  And, how you treat your skin now is what will determine if you become one of these statistics.  In next week’s ezine I will be discussing how you know when the sun is healthy or dangerous as well as tips to enjoying the hot summer sun without the damaging effects on your health.  Go to Appelbaum Wellness LLC now to sign up for my ezine so you don’t miss this important article – it might save your life.  As an added bonus, you will receive my FREE special report.

Last week I lost power for almost 2 days due to severe storms in the Chicago land area.  The power went out the night of the storm.  It was quite frightening as I had already sought shelter in my basement as my house rattled in the wind and the Village tornado warning sirens blared loudly.  All I kept thinking was, “we’re not in Kansas anymore!”  I kept my little battery-operated lantern close and my cell phone even closer as I sat in the dark on the staircase wondering if the windows and roof were still intact.  Thankfully the worst of the storm passed within an hour and I was able to emerge from the basement without harm.  

The following morning standing in the middle of my living room I looked around and thought, now what?  With the power still out I couldn’t watch television or work on the computer, reading was difficult with limited light and my cordless phones didn’t work.  I also was not yet willing to attempt getting the garage door disconnected to get the car out.  And, it was getting quite warm in the house due to lack of air conditioning.  So what was I to do? 

This is when I realized I didn’t know how to behave without daily access to power or technology.  Wow!  We are completely dependent on electricity for everything as well as addicted to always “doing” something.  In response to this revelation I sat down on my sofa and was still.  As much as I’d like to say I sat for a long time and enjoyed the peace and quiet, that would not be the truth.  I actually could only tolerate about 15 minutes of silence and then had to “do” something.  So I mustered up the courage to pull the string on the garage door to release it, got the car out of the garage and headed over to my parents’ house where they had electricity.  Yes, my laptop was in hand!  After all, I had to “do” something right?

Much to my surprise, there was a tree down on their street so I had to park a 1/2 block away and walk.  To their pleasure, I ended up being their temporary chauffer service until the Village removed the tree a few hours later.  And because they had power, I quickly plugged in and got back to work on the computer.

So when I tell you it is a good thing to unplug from technology and take a break, I now realize I need to do the same.  Therefore, you may see shorter blogs for the months of July & August since I’m going to unplug more often and hit the links to enjoy the good weather.  If you’re up for it, try doing the same!