Welcome to Straight Talk on Health. I’m your host Dr. Chet Zelasko. Straight Talk on Health is a joint production with WGVU in Grand Rapids MI. I examine the world of health. Nutrition. Exercise. Diet. Supplementation. If there’s something new, I look at the science behind them, and let you know whether it’s real or not. You can check out other things that I do on my website Drchet.com and sign up for my free emails.
When you live in GR like I do, or Buffalo where I used to live, there are things you learn from experience. Because you may live in areas where wind chills and blizzards are not as prevalent, you can find out what to do and not do the next time winter rears it’s cold north wind. STOH is designed to be a resource that you can use to learn when the time is right. You may be listening to this at the tail end of winter or even in the summer. That’s fine but it will also be a resource for the next time winter hits. So from experience, and a whole lot of experts, here are my do’s and don’ts for the winter.
Do – drink more fluids. Because the humidity is so low during winter for the most part, you constantly lose fluid when you’re outside. Same is true inside if you don’t have a humidifier inside. You don’t perspire as much in the winter because the temps are cooler but you still lose fluid through the skin and breath.
How much fluid should you take? It depends on how many fruits and vegetables you eat because they are a primary source of fluid. But the rule is still one-half your body weight in ounces per day. More is not harmful. You’ll just have to urinate a little more frequently. More about yellow snow later.
Don’t – drink too much alcohol if you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time. That shot of bourbon might warm your throat as you drink it but alcohol is a diuretic. You will lose more fluid than you take in. The problem is that you don’t realize what’s going on because of the effects of the alcohol, so be cautious. It doesn’t take long to get severe injuries during a blast of winter when you’re not paying attention. I still watch the Buffalo Bills games and it amazes me that people will try to be in zero degrees with no shirts on. They lube up with a skin protection salve but it’s just nuts—and more than a little hazardous. At least in Detroit we have a dome.
Do - cover every part of exposed skin. We know frostbite can damage our fingers and toes but protect your ears and nose as well. Double down when it’s cold and windy. When I snow blow—and you bet with the amount of snow we can get on occasion I forego the shovel—I wear the same head protector I wear when I walk and jog in the winter. It covers my entire head with the exception of my eyes. Then, I wear a hoody with the hood tied to keep it from moving. Then I wear a hooded jacket. All that and the wind will still blow snow in my face but the exposed areas are limited.
Don’t – try to warm your fingers by placing them in snow when they are frozen. It is an old wives tale. That will just damage the skin even further.
Do – run your fingers and feet under warm—not hot—water. It’s the quickest way I know to get them back to temperature again. I do it when I finish shoveling or snow blowing. Mittens are best but you can’t grip as well. Gloves work but isolate the fingers and contribute to the lack of warmth and blood flow.
Do – wear sunglasses with UV protection in the winter. Between the sun – a rare occasion in GR – and the glare off the snow – you can damage your eyes so pay attention to the sun. If you have to squint, break out the sunglasses.
Do – wear sun block if you’re going to be outdoors on a sunny day—even a cloudy day. The UV rays—though they will be a lot lighter than they would be in summer time – can still cause skin damage. The same holds true for your children. I still remember when I learned this the hard way by running outside in a t-shirt on a rare day when the temp got to 50 degrees with three feet of snow on the ground. I was stunned when I got sunburned. Sun block from now on.
Do – dress your children for the cold if they are going to play in the snow. They don’t have to be like Ralphie in Christmas Story where they can’t move but kids get hot and sweaty when they play in the snow and want to remove layers. They still need to be protected against the elements.
Do – get a blood test for vitamin D. Because the UV rays are not as intense in the winter, plus the fact you will probably be covering up more parts of your body, you will not make as much vitamin D. The blood test can help determine whether you need additional vitamin D in the winter. The recommended RDA is 25 mcg but a discussion with your physician can guide you as to whether you might need more. Vitamin D is important for bone health and can support immune health.
Do – drink hot fluids like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The caffeine in each can cause relaxation of blood vessels in some people—not all—but about half people. The other half will have a constriction of blood vessels. Relaxation can cause warming, constriction can increase blood pressure. It’s an individual thing. Neither is harmful under the cold conditions in healthy people.
Don’t – hold your breath when you shovel snow. That creates a Val Salva effect and it makes the heart beat against tremendous pressure. While the studies about heart attacks after snow fall are controversial, just don’t do it unless you’re a weight lifter or body builder who’s used to doing it. And I don’t mean 30 years ago used to doing it. You can train the heart for heavy lifting but train is the operative word.
Do – enjoy the snow with your children. Snowball fights are one of my favorite memories. Just don’t aim for the face. Depending on the packing quality of the snow, it hurts. If you don’t want to enjoy getting hit in the face yourself, don’t do it to others. Besides, there is more body to aim at—particularly in other adults.
Don’t – eat yellow snow. No do’s and don’ts would be complete without it.
Do – police the area where your animal have eliminated solid waste. I always hate to see what the neighborhood dogs have left in the area by my sidewalk in the spring. Just because snow can cover things up, clean up after your dog.
Do – place a winter kit in your trunk during the winter. These are some of the items recommended to be included if you travel in the winter.
Shovel and windshield scraper—I have one with a broom on the end.
Flashlight with extra batteries. I have one that has a generator. You shake it like crazy and it can constantly be used.
Cell phone charger—usually USB in today’s cars. But some cars have the old cigarette lighter charges for other purposes so don’t throw those old style chargers away just yet.
Bottled water, snack food including energy bars, maybe raisins and mini candy bars
Matches or a lighter and small candles
Extra hats, socks and mittens. Layers people, layers
First aid kit with pocket knife and extra necessary medications
A blanket or two
Booster cables
I’m not suggesting that you need all these things for a trip to the grocery store a couple of blocks away. But if you live in an isolated area and you’re going to travel several miles under slippery conditions, you just never know where you could end up. Better to have it and not need it than not have it and really need it. We’ve all read stories about people who have slid off the road and into a ditch, were trapped in their vehicle even within a couple of minutes from home, and had to be found after days because there vehicle wasn’t visible.
Those are my Do’s and Don’ts for winter. I hope they help whether you live in the north or just come for a visit someday. Thanks for listening but we’re out of time. This is Dr. Chet Zelasko saying health is a choice. Choose wisely today and every day.
