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Food and drink: Salty snacks and non-sea water

Two- and four-legged creatures need the same summer pick-me-ups

It’s a guy thing not to drink water. Look around. Most of those Kleen Kanteen-toting and sipping fanatics are women. Sure, there are the jocks and the grizzled old guys whose kids gave them insulated water bottles for Father’s Day and they feel guilty if they don’t use them. But otherwise it’s mostly women who drink water.

My dad, my husband, most of my guy pals go ugh! when I offer a little water with lemon slices floating prettily on top to rehydrate after a few glasses of wine on the summer deck. Maybe I’ll have to rethink the lemon slices, because getting dehydrated and over-heated in summer aren’t exactly jokes.

When you sweat a lot you lose the salts (electrolytes) and water content in the interstitial spaces, the fluid-filled spaces that bathe the body’s cells. That’s why they put a pinch of salt in your lime drink in countries like Thailand and, if you get severely dehydrated, you need commercial powdered electrolytes or sports drinks to replace those salts along with the fluids.

People who are severely dehydrated also have decreased blood volume and low blood pressure, which will cause shock when severe. Heat stroke happens when your body’s cooling system can’t dissipate excess heat and eventually fails. Your temperature hits over 40 C (104 degrees F) ; you can suffer permanent brain damage or even die.

On the other end of the spectrum, over-doing the water thing can result in really painful heat cramps in your muscles — I know, I’ve had ’em. They happen when you drink so much water, it dilutes your body salts. Lots of manual labourers like roofers and steel workers suffer heat cramps, as do mountain climbers and skiers whose many layers of clothing can make them unaware of how much they’re sweating.

But when your body does become dehydrated and needs water, it responds in an amazing and automatic way (this from my Merck Manual of Medical Information ). The volume of blood circulating through the cardiovascular system decreases due to the lack of water. This decreased blood volume is perceived by receptors in the your neck arteries. They respond by sending impulses through the nerves to the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain.

It produces an antidiuretic hormone that signals the kidneys to concentrate urine and retain more water. At the same time, the brain senses thirst, giving you a mighty urge to drink. And no, not beer or coffee   — both will dehydrate you further.

You don’t have to be out jogging in the midst of summer to go through all this — you can get just as dehydrated flying because of the low humidity in airplanes, or at work.

In fact, WorkSafe B.C. even stipulates that workers must be protected from heat stress, including providing cool, clean water on sites where heat might be an issue — even indoor sites, like a hot, busy restaurant kitchen. (Good chefs know they have to drink three or four litres a night to stay hydrated, and pop isn’t the greatest option — all that corn syrup is a killer.)

To learn more about heat-related illnesses — for free — you can download a great brochure on WorkSafe BC’s website at http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/heat_stress.pdf

In a nutshell — a salted one — preventing heat-related illnesses, including heat cramps, heat stroke and heat exhaustion, means proper planning and tuning in to yourself and your buddies (wonder why your pal’s face is so pale on that extreme mountain bike tour?). Dress appropriately, hydrate frequently, try to avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day, take frequent cool-down breaks, and remember sunscreen.

All sorts of factors — lack of acclimatization, poor physical fitness, obesity — increase your susceptibility. As does using medication, including seemingly innocent antihistamines. Alcohol and non-drugstore drugs are even worse, and I know this might sound sacrilegious, profane, even downright sinful at Whistler, but if you get seriously dehydrated and overheated, trying to revive yourself with boozy coolers on a summer patio is the last thing you want to do. But if you insist, at least order a margarita with a thickly salted rim and eat lots of smoked almonds.

 

HOT DOGS

During the heat of summer — or anytime due to diarrhea, vomiting, physical exertion or illness — pets can get dehydrated just like we humans, suffering not just from the loss of water, but also from the loss of electrolytes — those same elements, such as sodium, potassium and chloride that keep their cells functioning normally, just like ours.

Remember Hurricane Katrina? Tons of pets who survived the flooding suffered dehydration in that disaster.

Of course, if your cat or dog becomes severely dehydrated due to illness or suffers heat stroke, get thee to thy vet immediately. Radical dehydration problems may call for an IV drip or other interventions. Some commercial electrolyte products are also available for pets, but being the good master that you are, you shouldn’t need to resort to them except maybe when Bosco or Boopsie get sick.

Prevention is key in the summer: Never, never, never lock your dog in a vehicle, even if you park in the shade, while you “pop in” to the grocery store for a second. The sun moves; the stock boy is going to run to the back and get you that salad dressing you can’t find it, but he can’t find it either; you run into pals in aisle 13 and your very precious but very hot golden retriever gets very unlucky while you while away the time: the interior of a closed car can go from 25 C to 50 C in about 15 minutes.

I know, Bosco loves to run big time and play fetch. It’s tough love to say no. But in the summer, keep a close eye on him and don’t run him too hard.

Modify your routines to catch the cool part of the day, the shade, the shorter stretches for tossing the ball. If you do go out and play hard, take along a big bottle of water for him — use your hand as cup if you don’t have a Frisbee. And if old Bosco does get over-heated and dehydrated, let him have some doggie treats or share your salty potato chips along with the water to help replenish those lost salts along with the fluids.

 

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning freelance writer, a major water drinker and a born-again salty snack lover.