Quick Ways to Protect your Child from Heatstroke

The vacations are on and summers are at its peak. Most of the kids love to play around in the open. Playing in the sun can lead to heatstroke if precautions are not taken.

It is seen that children overheat more easily than adults do. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that children generate 20 to 25 percent more heat for their weight during exercise than adults do. Sunstroke, also known as heatstroke - is a medical emergency. If you suspect heatstroke, take your child to the nearest hospital or clinic immediately.

What are the Warning Signs

Before your child overheats to the extent of sunstroke, before that he will show the signs of heat exhaustion. He may sweat heavily, while his skin feels cold and clammy. He may feel tired, weak, dizzy or nauseated. The may also complain of muscle cramps or might have a rapid heartbeat. If his temperature is 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, your child is suffering from heat exhaustion.

What are the Symptoms

If your child does not cool down, his condition might progress to heatstroke, which can damage organs and can also prove fatal. Symptoms can include a fever of 104 degrees F or higher, dizziness, lack of sweat, severe headache, confusion, flushed skin, muscle weakness or cramps, nausea, vomiting, loose motions, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat and seizures. It is not essential that all symptoms are present.

What to Do

If you suspect your child has heatstroke, begin cooling him. Take him into an air-conditioned room or in front of a fan. If possible, remove his extra clothing and get him into a cool bath, or wet him with a garden hose, but do not let the child drink. In this altered state, the child could inhale fluid into his lungs.

How to prevent Heatstroke

Heat exhaustion or heatstroke can surely be prevented by taking sensible precautions when it's very hot. 

1.) Stay out of the heat

• Keep your child out of the sun between 11am and 3pm.
• Check for heatwave warnings, so you're aware when there's a potential danger.
• If the child has to go out in the heat, make him walk in the shade or carry an UV protected umbrella, apply sunscreen and make him wear a hat and light scarf.
• Avoid extreme physical exertion.
• Make your child wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes.

If you're travelling to a hot country for a holiday, be particularly careful for at least the first few days, until you and the child get used to the temperature.

2.) Keep Cool

• Give your child plenty of cold drinks, and avoid hot drinks.
• Feed cold foods, particularly salads and fruits, smoothies, milkshakes, juices with a high water content.
• Give a cool shower or bath at least twice a day.
• Sprinkle water over the skin or clothing, or keep a damp cloth on the back of the neck.

If the child is not urinating frequently or the urine is dark, it's a sign that the kid is becoming dehydrated and need to drink more fluids.

3.) Keep the Environment Cool

• Keep windows and curtains that are exposed to the sun closed during the day, but open them in evening when the temperature has dropped.
• If possible, move into a cooler room, especially for sleeping.
• Turn off non-essential lights and electrical equipments and gadgets, as they generate heat.
• Keep indoor plants and water filled decorative bowls in the house, as these cools down the air.
• Use light-coloured, reflective external paints on your house it may also be useful to keep the house cool.

4.) Look out for others

• Keep an eye on isolated, elderly, ill or very young children and make sure they are able to keep cool.
• Ensure that babies, children or elderly are are not left alone in stationary cars.
• Be alert and call a doctor or social services if someone is unwell or further help is needed.

Home Remedies for Heatstroke:

1.) Coconut Water and Buttermilk
Coconut water rehydrates your body by naturally balancing the electrolytes in your body. Similarly, buttermilk is a good source of probiotics and helps in replenishing your body with essential vitamins and minerals that may be lost due to excessive sweating.

2.) Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera is high in vitamins and minerals. Besides this, it is known as an adaptogen it boosts the body’s natural ability to adapt to the external changes and stimulates the defensive mechanisms of the body. Adaptogens are known to stabilize the various systems of the body. Herbalists also suggest one to use aloe vera gel to cure prickly heat.

3.) Onion Pulp

This is one of the best remedies for treating a heat stroke. Lot of Ayurvedic practitioners suggest that this should be the first thing that you must reach out for. Applying onion pulp or onion juice behind the ears, on the chest and on the soles of feet can help bring down the body temperature. Raw onions in chutneys or salads can also cool your system.

4.) Sandalwood Paste
Mix some sandalwood powder and apply it on the forehead, soles and chest. Its cooling properties will bring down the body temperature. Alternatively, massage some sandalwood oil on the forehead.

5.) Aam Panna
Aam Panna refreshing drink that doubles up as a health tonic. It is made with raw mangoes and spices that cool your body. This drink should be consumed at least two to three times in a day.““Aam panna is enriched with cooling spices like cumin, fennel, pepper and kala namak which provides both energy and electrolytes,”says Dr. Simran.

Click here for some more ravishing summer beverages to prevent heatstroke.

Eating A Rainbow – A Colorful Way To Eat Fruits

Fruits and vegetables are an important components of a healthy balanced diet. If we consume them daily in sufficient amounts they could help us prevent many diseases related to heart and certain types of cancers. The World Health Organization recommends eating a at least of 400-500 gm of fruits and vegetables per day to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity. 

Different colours indicate different nutrients in the food. Pigments and some chemical compounds are responsible for a particular colour of the food. Eg. Red colour of tomatoes is due to lycopene, orange colour of carrots is due to carotene present in it. These compounds add colour to fruits and vegetables and also hold nutritional significance.

Consuming a rainbow of fruits and vegetables helps ensure one gets enough of the different nutrients needed for good health. This is because these colorful fruits and vegetables indicate their different nutrient content.

Listed are the Colors and Their Significance along with the food sources:

Green: 

The compounds that give green color to the vegetables are called glucosinolates. This compound help ward off cancer by inhibiting carcinogens. Green color of plants is due the presence of a pigment called Chlorophyll which is purifying for the body. Many green foods also contain calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron and many other antioxidants.

Green foods include

• Artichokes

• Kale, spinach and other leafy greens

• Green apples 

• Sea vegetables 

• Avocados 

• Asparagus 

• Green beans 

• Brussels sprouts 

• Broccoli 

• Cucumbers 

• Green cabbage 

• Green grapes 

• Lettuce 

• Kiwi fruit 

• Limes 

• Green onions 

• Peas 

• Zucchini

Red: 

Red foods contain ellagic acid, lycopene, Quercetin, and Hesperidin. These food nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce the growth of tumors and also the reduces LDL cholesterol levels. These compounds also scavenge free-radicals that are harmful, and support joint tissue in arthritis cases.

Red foods include

• Tomatoes

• Beets 

• Radishes 

• Red cabbage 

• Cranberries 

• Cherries 

• Red grapes 

• Pink grapefruit 

• Red peppers 

• Pomegranates 

• Red potatoes 

• Watermelon 

• Raspberries 

• Red apples 

• Strawberries

Orange:

The phytochemicals responsible for orange colour in fruits and vegetables such as mango, carrots, or pumpkin, are carotenoids α- y β-carotene. These Carotenoids may help improve your immunity and lower the risk of heart diseases, vision problem and several types cancer. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid which the body uses to create vitamin A. Folate, bromium, potassium and vitamin C are also often found in orange fruits and vegetables.

Orange foods include: 

• Yams and sweet potatoes

• Carrots 

• Apricots 

• Butternut squash 

• Cantaloupe 

• Grapefruit 

• Lemons 

• Mangoes 

• Nectarines 

• Oranges and Tangerines 

• Papayas 

• Peaches 

• Pears 

Yellow: 

The flavonoids, are the largest group of phenolic compounds, they together with β-cryptoxanthin are responsible for the light yellow to orange colour of fruits like peach, orange or papaya. Dietary flavonoids possess anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antihistamine and antioxidant properties. These compounds are reported to inhibit lipid peroxidation, scavenge free radicals, and to modulate cell signalling pathways. Production of free radicals and peroxides has been linked to aging, cancer, ischemic injuries, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Flavonoids protect LDL cholesterol from being oxidized, thus preventing the formation of plaques in the arterial wall.

Yellow foods include: 

• Yams and sweet potatoes

• Yellow apples 

• Peaches

• Butternut squash 

• Cantaloupe 

• Lemons 

• Mangoes 

• Lemons

• Papayas 

• Yellow peppers 

• Persimmons 

• Pineapple 

• Pumpkin 

• Yellow winter or summer squash 

• Yellow tomatoes

• Sweet corn 

Blue, Indigo, Violet: 

Blue, indigo and violet foods contain the compound anthocyanins that not only give color to the foods but also have been shown to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and increase the health of heart. Anthocyanins possess antioxidant properties that help limit the damage caused to the body cells by free radicals and may also lower your risk for stroke, heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration (vision loss) and memory problems.

Foods in this part of the rainbow include:

• Blackberries 

• Blueberries

• Purple grapes 

• Figs 

• Plums, fresh and dried (prunes)

• Raisins 

• Eggplant

White, Tan and Brown:

White fruits and vegetables get their color from the polyphenol compounds with their antioxidant properties called anthoxanthins, which are known to lower your risk of cancer and heart disease. Some white foods, like garlic contains a compound called allicin, which is known to lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. These foods may also be good sources of vitamin C, potassium, folate, riboflavin and niacin. A study published in November 2011 in "Stroke" found that consuming more white fruits and vegetables may lower your risk for strokes. Tan and brown foods like garlic, onions, and mushrooms may promote heart health and reduce the risk of cancer.

Here are options for adding more of these colors to your diet:

• Bananas

• Onions 

• Cauliflower 

• Garlic 

• Ginger 

• Mushrooms 

• Potatoes 

• Parsnips 

• Turnips

• White corns

• White Nectarines

• Dates

• Brown pears

• Cheeku

Black:

Black colored fruits are becoming very popular in the recent years due to their high nutritive value for human health. These fruits are rich in vitamins, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and other materials and also possess anti-cancer, anti-oxidation and anti-aging properties. Recent studies showed that black fruits show a black color in their skin because they are rich in pigments such as Proanthocyanidins and chlorophyll. In comparison with the light colored fruits, these pigments have a strong antioxidant property which can effectively increase the body’s resistance to bacteria. In addition, these black fruit are rich source of minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium which play a vital role in the maintenance of nutritional balance of the human body.

Black Foods include:

• Mulberry

• Black Grapes 

• Elder Berries

• Black Berries

• Black Currants

• Dried plums

The popular phrase "eating a rainbow" of fruits and vegetables is a very simple way of remembering to get variety of color in your diet as possible, so that you can maximize your intake of a wide range of nutrients. The colors of vegetables and fruits are a small clue as to what vitamins and nutrients are included in that particular food. By getting a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, one is sure of getting a diverse amount of essential vitamins and minerals in their diet.

It is advised to go Organic to gain maximum nutrients from a fruit. To know more about Organic Foods click here.