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Best ways to quench a thirst

Yesterday when we were down at Clearwater Lake, we were shoveling sand and probably didn’t stop enough to quench our thirst with water. When we stopped for supper, I was extremely thirsty and mixed up a jug of a well-known sports drink. It really seemed to hit the spot and I drank several glassfuls.

After my experience I became particularly interested in the following information taken from Carbohydrate News, an annual publication of the Canadian Sugar Institute, which provides practical scientific information on carbohydrates and their role in health.

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It said that for people exercising for an hour or less in reasonable temperatures, the best fluid replacement is water. The typical North American diet provides enough sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium to replace sweat losses in most cases. For those exercising longer than an hour, or in high heat or humidity, sports drinks may offer more than fluid replacement. They also supply energy through various carbohydrate sources and contain electrolytes.

There are a variety of sports drinks on the market, but an inexpensive homemade replacement drink can be made by mixing 50 mL of orange juice (or other carbohydrate-containing beverage) with 50 mL water and 1 mL of salt. This solution contains about 5.4 g of carbohydrate/100 mL and 43 mg sodium/100 mL. Vigorous exercise can delay the thirst mechanism so athletes and others should plan to drink fluids throughout their activity.

Another common sense thought for this time of year is the need to take a break from the work routine. Summertime can be when family and friends spend time together, enrich experiences and create memories. Some suggested activities:

Visit a vacation farm or bed and breakfast.
Visit a local industry, such as a potash mine.
Have a picnic in your own backyard or in a nearby park.
Camp out and enjoy the stars without leaving home.
Go biking, golfing or hiking, or any other sport or fitness activity you enjoy.
Visit a swimming pool, nearby lake or river.
Visit local museums, art displays or old churches.
Attend sports days, jamboree days and rodeos.
Find the best spot to pick local berries.
Visit a farmers’ market or craft show.

Attend a local fair or crop field day.
Share old family photos and home videos, as well as recent ones. Kids of all ages enjoy this.
Make an audio or video tape of the voices of special people in your life.
Go for a drive to a place where you used to live, sharing stories with the younger members in the family.
Attend a summer festival or outdoor theatre.
Go for a riverboat cruise, or rent a canoe or paddleboat and cruise yourself.
Learn about other countries by taking in a multi-cultural festival.
Take in a movie, or rent some comedy videos.

Old pots query

Dear TEAM: I have been using the old Wearever pots. My mother has used them all her life. Someone told me there may be side effects from the aluminum. Could you please find out if this is true? – D.R., Rosetown, Sask.

Dear D.R.: Cookware Safety is one of a series of pamphlets produced by the health protection branch of Health Canada. It says most cookware in Canada is safe to use for daily meal preparation, provided it is maintained and used as intended by the manufacturers. However, some materials used to make cookware can enter the food we eat.

Canadians take in about 10 milligrams of aluminum daily, mostly from food; cookware contributes about one or two mg. While aluminum has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, there is no link between this metal and the causes of the disease. The World Health Organization estimates that adults could consume over 50 mg of aluminum daily without harm, so there is little cause for concern.

Remember that during cooking, aluminum dissolves most readily from worn or pitted pots and pans. Also, the longer food is cooked or stored in aluminum vessels the greater the amount dissolved into food. Leafy vegetables and acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus products absorb it most readily.

Copper cookware

Since copper cookware conducts heat well, it allows for precise control of cooking temperatures. Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is less commonly used for cookware. Small amounts of copper contribute to daily health. However, large amounts of copper in a single dose or over a short period can be poisonous. It is not certain how much can be safely tolerated each day. As a precaution, copper and brass cookware sold in Canada are coated with another metal to prevent the copper from coming into contact with food. Small amounts of the coating can be dissolved by food, particularly acidic food cooked or stored for long periods in the cookware. Nickel is one of the metals used in coating. Anyone allergic to nickel may have a reaction to nickel-coated cookware. People who are allergic to nickel can react to even trace amounts in stainless steel, so those people would also need to avoid stainless steel cookware.

Stainless steel, iron pots

Stainless steel, an alloy of iron and other metals, is strong and resists wear and corrosion. Stainless steel is the most common material used for cookware in North America. Iron cookware is inexpensive and durable. The metals present in stainless steel or iron cookware, which may cause illnesses or health benefits, are iron, nickel and chromium.

Iron is essential in producing red blood cells. Large amounts can be poisonous, but North Americans are more likely to lack iron than to have too much. Iron cookware has been estimated to provide less than 20 percent of total daily iron intake, well within safe levels.

Small doses of chromium are beneficial but higher amounts can be harmful. The safe intake range is about 50 to 200 micrograms (a microgram is one one-millionth of a gram) per day and most Canadians take in amounts in this range. One meal prepared with stainless steel equipment gives about 45 micrograms of chromium, not enough to cause concern.

Ceramic, enamel, glass

Ceramics (pottery), enamel and glass cookware are easily cleaned and can be heated to relatively high temperatures. Ceramics used in cookware are glazed, which gives them a smooth surface. Similar glazes are applied to metal, making enamelware. These glazes, a form of glass, resist wear and corrosion.

Any concern about hazards from glassware or enamelware comes from minor components used in their manufacture or decoration. This material may include some pigments and lead. In Canada, the sale, advertising and importation of glazed ceramic ware used for food have been regulated since 1971. Glazed ceramic-ware is permitted to release only small amounts of lead and cadmium. Glazed ceramics from abroad and personally imported by Canadians may not meet the permitted levels of lead and cadmium since some other countries do not have the same strict legislation on glazes.

Plastic, nonstick coatings

For cooking and storing food, plastic ware is lightweight and nearly unbreakable. Many items have been developed for use in microwave ovens, where metal cookware is not suitable.

Using plastic containers and wrap for anything other than their original purpose may cause health problems. The concern with wrap is that food may absorb some of the plasticizer (a material that helps make the wrap flexible). This is most likely to occur at high microwave temperatures and with fatty or oily foods like cheese and meat. It is best not to use plastic ware or plastic wrap in the microwave unless it is specifically labeled as microwave-safe by the manufacturer. If you reuse items for storage, like dairy product containers, let the food cool before storing it in them, then refrigerate immediately.

Avoid visibly damaged or stained plastics or containers with an unpleasant odor. Do not heat or store food in plastic containers that were not intended for food.

Nonstick coatings applied to metal utensils prevent food from sticking to them and protect cookware surfaces. They are chemically inert, so even if some of the material is swallowed, it would harmlessly pass through the body. The only time nonstick coatings are likely to pose any risk is if they are heated to temperatures greater than about 650 F (350 C.) This might happen if an empty pan remains on the stove. In this case the coating can give off irritating or poisonous fumes.