How To Protect Yourself in Hot Weather

• Read ways to prevent heat-related deaths HERE. 
• Check the back seat of your car every time you get out, especially if you have children.

To protect my dog, I do the following:

• Leave her at home when I run errands. It’s too hot for her to wait in the car.
• Always have a bowl of cool water available for her. I put ice in it, and she enjoys crunching on the cubes.
• Check her for fleas and ticks. I keep the monthly flea stuff date marked on the calendar so I don’t forget.
• Irritants cause scratching, so I look for any rashes, cuts, or other things that might make her scratch. I use a bath of oatmeal and baking soda for doggie skin irritations.
• Freeze her toys with peanut butter in them, so she will have something to do while I’m out.
• Get a kiddie pool for her to splash in. She likes to splash in the lake, but I don’t want to clean up after a muddy dog.
• Make sure her vaccinations are up to date.

To protect myself, I do the following:

• Cook when the temperature is low (early in the morning [NOT me] or late in the evening), or use the microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer.
• Turn off my computer when I am not using it. That saves the hard drive from overheating (the internal fans can only do so much).
• Drink plenty of liquid. I hate water, so I add a slice of lime or if I’m flush, drink watermelon flavored Hint water.
• Eat food with lots of liquid, like watermelon and other melons, berries, frozen pops, cucumber, spinach (spinach salad with cucumber, tomato and strawberries is fabulous)
• Stay out of the sun between 10 am and 3 pm.
• Sit on my deck under the umbrella, with a fan blowing on me, and covered in sunscreen.
• I like egg salad, but the mayo doesn’t like heat, so make your sandwich and put the leftovers in the fridge right away. Be safe from food poisoning.
• Go to the beach in the evening. It’s less crowded and cooler.
• Avoid articles that suggest wonderful deserts that use your oven: cakes, pies, etc.
• Keep the shades drawn in the heat of the day to keep the sun and heat out.
• When it’s really hot, turn on the a/c.
• Take a light sweater for being indoors when the building a/c seems to be set at 60F.