Photo by Teresa Stark
Megan Stark enjoys a refreshing drink of water with strawberry ice by her pool.
The Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede is almost here. The queen and princess have just been crowned and my congratulations to Queen Rayelle Smith and Princess Dionne Freimark
What a wonderful opportunity to be Ambassadors for our area. I remember when my boys were young and the Stampede queen and princess visited their school. It was a very big deal to all the children and they really looked up to these young ladies. Good luck to you as you reach many lives in this position.
Many storefronts and businesses are being decorated and the big Chilli Cookoff is happening downtown. this Saturday. Our community has many incredible events and this is a fun one. I used to be involved in the food safety end of the event. The participants were always eager to follow all the food safety guidelines to ensure their chili of choice was safe for everyone to eat. The Alberta Health Services health inspectors now ensure food safety guidelines are followed so you can be confident all the chili choices are safe to taste. No guarantees on setting your mouth on fire though! Ever wondered how it got the name ‘chili’?!
The downtown Chili Cookoff, the night shows, the Stampede parade, the rodeo and the rides and games at the Stampede grounds are all outdoor events. Looking ahead at the forecast it looks like a lot of hot sunny days. Great for attendance but not so super for sun stroke risks and dehydration.
It is vitally important to stay well hydrated all the time but especially in the heat. Being outdoors in the heat for long periods of time greatly increases your need for fluids.
Water is ideal but if flavoured drinks get you drinking more have those too. Just watch caffeinated beverages because too much caffeine can make your blood pressure and heart rate increase and you will lose more fluid from caffeine that needs to be made up. Also be aware of high sugar drinks. A little is OK but drinking too much liquid sugar is not good for your body.
If you are sweating a lot in the heat it might not be a bad idea to have a drink with electrolytes to replace loss of salt and potassium.
Wear a hat and sunscreen but most importantly drink a lot of water. By the time you feel thirsty you are already showing signs of dehydration. Other symptoms of dehydration include, headache, extreme fatigue, dizziness and fainting.
Aim to have at least eight cups or 64 ounces of water and more if you are sweating in the heat.
I hope you have a wonderful week and are able to get downtown on Saturday to do some chili tasting and enjoy many of the other of the community events as we kick-off our very own Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede!
Here’s a refreshing summer drink from Anne Lindsay’s “Lighthearted Everyday Cooking” Cookbook
Joanne Smith is a registered dietitian.
Citrus Sangria
1 lime
1 lemon
1 orange
1 litre white grape juice (could also use sparkling white grape juice instead of juice and soda water)
750 ml soda water
Crushed ice
Cut lime, lemon and orange in half. Squeeze juice from one half of each into a serving pitcher. Cut remaining halves into thin slices and place in pitcher. Add grape juice, soda and crushed ice and stir to blend.
