FitSugar

Heat Stroke: The Opposite of Cool

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:30:00 PDT

Now that most of us are spending a lot of time outside in the gorgeous warm and sunny weather, it's a good idea to know the warning signs of heat stroke. You can be at risk if you are exposed to high temperatures, not drinking enough fluids, or if you are exercising in a hot and humid room with little ventilation.

Heat stroke is actually a form of hyperthermia (abnormally elevated body temperature), and it's similar to heat exhaustion, but much more severe. A person suffering from heat stroke could suffer permanent organ damage or death if they are not properly treated. Here are the symptoms of heat stroke:

high body temperature
red or flushed dry skin, no sweating
rapid pulse
hard time breathing or irregular breath
confusion, acting strange, hallucinations
seizure
fainting, unconsciousness
coma

Want to know what to do in case someone is suffering from heat stroke? Then

Cool the victim off - get her/him into a cool place, remove excess clothing, and apply cool water or ice packs to their skin. Or get into a cool shower or spray a hose on their skin.
Have someone stay with the victim and have someone else call for an ambulance.
If you can, get them to drink water.

Fit's Tips: To prevent heat stroke in the first place, avoid being out in hot temperatures for long periods of time. Drink plenty of water if you are outside or in a hot and humid room. You can also take cool showers or go swimming to keep from overheating. Source

Heat Exhaustion - Know the Symptoms

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:30:00 PDT

If you live in a warm climate, or a place where the summer gets pretty hot and humid, you could be at risk for heat exhaustion if you're not careful. Heat exhaustion can happen after exposure to high temps, which can make you sweat profusely and cause your body to overheat. You're at risk if you are working out in the sun, or in a poorly ventilated hot and humid room.

Here are the symptoms of heat exhaustion:

cold, clammy skin
dilated pupils
excessive sweating
dizziness, blurred vision, headache, or fainting
muscle cramps
weakness or fatigue
nausea or vomiting
signs of shock: rapid pulse, shallow breathing, unconsciousness

What should you do if you or someone you know is suffering from heat exhaustion? To find out

Get out of the sun and heat immediately.
Drink lots of water.
Remove excess clothing and loosen anything that is too tight around the neck or waist.
Take a cool shower or bath, or find some air-conditioning.
Lie on your back with your feet elevated.
If the person you are with becomes unconscious, seek medical attention ASAP!

Fit's Tips: To prevent heat exhaustion in the first place, avoid staying outside in extreme temperatures for long periods of time. If you find yourself in the heat, drink tons of cool water and go swimming to keep your body temperature from getting too high. If you love exercising outside in the summer, try working out early in the morning or later in the evening when the air is cooler. Source

From the Community: Exercises to Avoid Later in Pregnancy

OnSugar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:31:42 PST

Recently, OnSugar blogger Coach Lark Says offered advice on how to work out while you're pregnant and in your first trimester. Here's a follow-up post with more advice on exercises to avoid in your second and third trimesters.

In my last post, I went over the benefits to exercising while pregnant and listed some basic guidelines.

In the second and third trimester, you should limit or avoid altogether:

Supine (back lying) exercises, especially exercises where the legs are not moving. These can cause some circulatory problems with blood returning back to your heart from your uterus.

Two more exercises to limit in your second and third trimesters after the break.

10 Things Worth Paying More For

Bundle — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:15:34 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Bundle story here on Savvy!

It is better to save, than it is to spend - that's usually a winning (and smart!) mantra to live by. But there are actually some things that are worth the extra dollars in cost. Here are 10 of them.

Service. Consumers like to complain about the terrible service they get from certain companies - cell phone and cable TV providers, for example, or dry cleaners and tailors. Ever have to fight with customer service on the phone over a dispute on your cell phone bill? Ever pick up a pair of pants from the tailor only to later discover that your hemlines were uneven? Had a bad haircut? It's worth it to pay more for quality service. People who are skilled in their craft generally charge more for their expertise, and people are willing to pay for a good experience - especially if that means having a bad experience that the service provider is willing to quickly make right for you for free. That's priceless.
Direct flights. We're used to going onto sites like expedia.com or kayak.com to find the cheapest airfare for wherever we want to go, but it's often worth it to pay the extra money for a direct flight. Not only do you avoid the hassle of having to transfer planes at a layover, you save the precious time you could be spending more efficiently at your destination. I'd pay $50 or $100 more for a flight in a heartbeat if that means six extra hours with my family and friends during the holidays instead of snacking on overpriced airport food in the middle of nowhere waiting to get on the second leg of a flight.
Closet basics. There's absolutely no reason you should spend $200 on a pair of designer jeans. But a good, durable pair of jeans from a retailer like Levi's, which produces them for around $50, can last much longer than cheaper brands from big box stores. The key word here is basics: You don't want to spend a lot on whatever is "in" now, but stuff that you can wear no matter what year it is: A nice suit that will work for both a job interview or a wedding. A nice pair of shoes that can be dressed up or down. A white dress shirt you can wear to work or a night out. One nice coat to get you through many many winters. Spending money on quality basics means you'll have things to wear for a long time without ever going out of style, and that actually saves money in the long run.

Read on for more things worth paying more for.

4 Places You Shouldn't Store Wine

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:58:16 PDT

When we sat down with Ray Isle at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, he not only talked value wines, he also shared tips for storing wine. Ideally, wine should be kept in a temperature-controlled room or refrigerator, but an interior closet with a steady temperature of 65-68°F is perfectly fine. Unfortunately, according to Isle, many people don't know how to properly store wine and make the common mistake of keeping it in the wrong place. If you've got bottles that you want to enjoy at a later date, read on to learn where not to store your wine.

9 Tips to Make Your Computer Last and Run Fast

LearnVest — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:15:00 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Cute bathing suit vs. medical co-pay. Yummy organic blueberries vs. credit card late fees. Beachside mojitos vs. laptop repair.

When it comes to certain expenses, it’s clear which we’d prefer. So, as a public service to help you fund all of your summer cocktails, we recommend taking a look at your Old Faithful–your computer, that is.

It’s your buddy, your confidant, and it brings you all the great info out there (like, ahem, this article). And at a grand or more apiece, it’s worth your while to make sure this expensive electronic goes the distance–if only to keep your summer funds going where they should be.

From dusting your USB ports to coddling that battery, we bring you nine tips to make sure that your machine does your bidding for ages to come:

1. Protect Yourself

If your computer were to get a virus, a diagnostic and fix at a place like Best Buy could cost as much as $200. So, protect yourself in advance. Make sure you have an antivirus and that all of your definitions are up to date. If you don’t pay for an antivirus, get a free one like AVG or Avast.

2. Watch Your Water

We can tell you from firsthand experience that one of the easiest ways to ruin a laptop is to reach for a glass of water on your desk late at night. This may sound basic, but prevent spilling on your expensive electronics by investing in a closed lip water bottle to use near your computer. If you’re on the market for a stylish new bottle that will keep your laptop-and the environment-safe, check out our picks.

Read on for more great tips.

Beat the Heat: It's Time to Wet the Cat

PetSugar — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:57:43 PDT

It's not Summer quite yet but rather warm in many parts of the country already! While I enjoy hot weather more than my smooshy pooch, let's get all species ready to beat the heat. And that includes the kitties.

While dogs usually get more face time with the sun, I'm still keen to keep cats chilly in the upcoming months. If your kitty spends significant time outside, use a squirt bottle spray or impromptu bath to help her to not overheat (if she's up to it). Some felines are more finicky about this process, so there's a simpler way to get her cool and wet. Find out what it is when you

read more. If she simply dashes at the sight of a faucet or spray, instead grab a wet towel or soak a glove in cool water while it's on your hand. Then simply pet her so the wetness reaches her skin while also serving as a nice, soothing massage in the process. So slick!

You Asked: I Can't Run in This Heat

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:50:24 PDT

Dear Fit,
I got engaged last Fall and began running soon after to get in shape for my September wedding. I've been able to stick with it, running about 30 minutes three times a week, that is until this extreme heat set in. The past couple of weeks it's been in the 90s, and so humid. I usually run after work in my neighborhood, but I literally can only run about five minutes before I feel like I'm going to overheat and pass out. I don't want to give up my runs because I'm almost at my goal weight. Any suggestions to make running in this heat any more bearable?
-Hot and Bothered Bride-to-Be

I can totally relate - the heat makes exercising outdoors feel so much harder - but I have some great suggestions, so