The Life you Save...

Picture from Wikipedia

If you a foodfanataholic, you probably have been following the story about two of America's top cookbook authors and noted chefs, Tom Collichio


(Top Chef fame, among his other success stories...I knew I liked that man!!!!) and Joan Nathan



(author of many noted Jewish theme cookbooks i.e. Jewish Cooking in America) this past week.

They were together at the Art.Food.Hope dinner in Washington when Ms. Nathan began to choke on a piece of chicken. Another noted restaurateur and cookbook author, Alice Waters,


began yelling for help, and Tom came in running to the rescue, performed the Heimlich maneuver and saved Joan's life.

He of course downplayed the heroics, like all hero's do. Just look at the US Air Captain who saved so many lives this week as well. But there is a lesson to be learned here. We should listen when the flight attendants give their little speil, and we should refresh ourselves on how to do the Heimlich Maneuver, because the life we save may be someone we love, or someone somebody else loves.

Remember, do not hit any one on the back when they are choking, you could lodge the food instead of loosening it!


Step 1

Ask the choking person to stand if he or she is sitting.

Step 2

Place yourself slightly behind the standing victim.


Step 3
Reassure the victim that you know the Heimlich maneuver and are going to help.

Step 4

Place your arms around the victim's waist.


Step 5

Make a fist with one hand and place your thumb toward the victim, just above his or her belly button.


Step 6

Grab your fist with your other hand.



Step 7

Deliver five upward squeeze-thrusts into the abdomen.


Step 8

Make each squeeze-thrust strong enough to dislodge a foreign body.

Step 9

Understand that your thrusts make the diaphragm move air out of the victim's lungs, creating a kind of artificial cough.

Step 10

Keep a firm grip on the victim, since he or she can lose consciousness and fall to the ground if the Heimlich maneuver is not effective.


Step 11

Repeat the Heimlich maneuver until the foreign body is expelled.


For all you visual learners, here is a You Tube demonstration of the same thing:

Heimlich Demo

I hope you never have to use this page, but you never know...