health

Now is the time to prepare for the high temperatures that kill hundreds of people every year. Extreme heat causes more than 600 deaths each year. Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable, yet many people still die from extreme heat every year.

Take measures to stay cool, remain hydrated, and keep informed. Getting too hot can make you sick. You can become ill from the heat if your body can't compensate for it and properly cool you off. The main things affecting your body's ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather are:

Don't let good diabetes management go on vacation just because you did. Traveling to new places gets you out of your routine--that's a big part of the fun. But delayed meals, unfamiliar food, being more active than usual, and different time zones can all disrupt diabetes management. Plan ahead so you can count on more fun and less worry on the way and when you get to your destination.

Before You Go

1.Visit your doctor for a checkup to ensure you're fit for the trip. Make sure to ask your doctor:

Dear Dietitian,

My ten- year-old son is a good eater, but the only vegetable he will eat is corn.  How do I get him to at least try other vegetables?

--Sharon

Dear Sharon,

Nothing compares to the joy of coming home to a loyal companion. The unconditional love of a pet can do more than keep you company. Pets may also decrease stress, improve heart health, and even help children with their emotional and social skills.

An estimated 68% of U.S. households have a pet. But who benefits from an animal? And which type of pet brings health benefits?

Over the past 10 years, the National Institutes of Health has partnered with the Mars Corporation's WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition to answer questions like these by funding research studies.

Dear Dietitian,

Otero Junior College's Non-Traditional Evening and Weekends (NEW) nursing program students held their pinning ceremony June 15 at OJC's Ed Stafford Theater. The graduates have completed Associate of Applied Science degrees in nursing.

I am a 70-year-old grandmother. I am 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weigh 145 pounds. My daughter badgers me to lose weight. She says I should weigh 125 pounds. I think I look fine, and I feel good. What is your professional opinion?

---Grandma

Dear Grandma,

Two in three US adults with arthritisare overweight or have obesity, which can increase their pain from arthritis.