It’s hot and the biggest thought on your mind is how to stay cool in the heat.
Fans, air conditioning or drinking a glass of ice water are the first things that often come to mind.
But did you know there are efficient ways to help your body cool down with supplements?
Do you know the role your body plays in regulating your temperature?
Two Ways to Regulate Temperature
The body has two main ways of gauging and regulating temperature.
One is through the skin and the other through the hypothalamus – a small gland in the brain that is the command center for numerous functions.
One of those is to co-ordinate the autonomic nervous system to regulate temperature.
The body’s temperature is also regulated through the skin, which has sweat glands that which cool the body.
Sweating is a natural and essential part of the body. Your body will automatically perspire to release salty liquid from your sweat glands when your temperature rises.
When we sweat, we also lose water and electrolytes (salts such as sodium, chloride and potassium).
Heatstroke is a serious condition where the body stops sweating and the skin feels hot and dry to the touch. This person requires immediate medical help and steps should be taken to cool the individual.
Heat exhaustion involves heavy sweating and the skin is cold and clammy to the touch. Immediate steps should be taken to cool the individual.
Heat cramps involve heavy sweating after intense physical exercise. Medical help should be sought if the individual has heart issues or the cramps last longer than an hour.
Apart from avoiding intense heat and exercise in the heat, it’s very important to ensure the body has the right nutrition with minerals that keep our temperature gauge regulated.
That nutrition is from minerals like electrolytes, potassium, electrolytes and magnesium.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes is the medical terms for salts or ions in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. You lose electrolytes when you sweat.
Electrolytes are important as they affect the amount of water in your body, the acidity in your blood, the function of your muscles and other important practices.
Magnesium
Magnesium helps regulate body temperature and is an essential mineral for staying healthy. Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical processes in the body, such as relaxing the large muscles.
Dark chocolate, avocadoes, nuts and seeds, tofu and whole grains are rich sources of magnesium
Potassium
Potassium is an electrolyte critical to cardiovascular health.
You must get potassium every single day in your food to meet your needs, as it is a water soluble mineral that gets excreted in the blood and stool.
Bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, melon, apricots and grapefruit are rich sources of potassium.
Drinking large amounts of soda and other sugary drinks can deplete the levels of potassium in the body.
A sign of low potassium is leg cramps and low energy levels.
Many herbs supply good amounts of potassium and magnesium, so make sure to use herbs liberally in your cuisine. These herbs include mint, sage, rosemary, parsley, dill seed, ground ginger, anise seed, mustard seed, ground turmeric, curry powder, caraway, fenugreek seed and others.
Always remember that good nutrition combined with herbs and spices go a long way to keep us healthy and stay cool in hot weather.
