Yesterday, I briefly mentioned the fact that the British brought home the tradition of Tea drinking from Asia not because they liked the flavour, but because it became a habit, originally designed to help them feel cooler living in the tropics. But there’s more to it than that…
Woman sweats herself to greater comfort on a hot day…
Folks who know much more about the subject than I do were quick to point out that drinking hot beverages to make one’s self feel cooler has more dimensions than simply sweating and evaporation. Which is not to say that’s not an important dimension. But I thought other aspects of the phenomenon deserved a chance for some exposure.
What about spicy foods?
What, indeed? On closer inspection, it turns out that indigenous populations of hot regions not only drink hot beverages to get relief from the heat, but also eat hot, spicy foods. And part of the reason for that is to alleviate the heat, too. Turns out that the mere sensation of heat from tasting foods high in capsaicin – the the stuff that makes Hot Peppers hot – can result in thermal relief. This is a different mechanism than the one involving hot beverages, but which triggers the same result.
Scientists say the sensation of heat from ‘hot’ foods causes your body’s internal temperature to rise which, in turn, causes sweating that results in cooling.
What not to do…
It may seem logical and sensible to drink lots of cold beverages or eat cold foods, such as Ice Cream, or sucking Ice Cubes when searching for relief in hot weather. In fact, science tells us that’s counterproductive. First, cold foods and beverages cool you internally – and you stop sweating. Very soon, the effects of that direct cooling wear off and you are back to where you started – hot and bothered.
Managing your fluid intake
As mentioned briefly yesterday, it’s best to drink cool or room-temperature Water, though other beverages can be substituted, as long they’re not high in Sugar (like Sugary Soft Drinks or Fruit Juices) or contain Alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic and will accelerate he removal of water from your system, impairing the cooling process.
Drink your water a few mouthfuls at a time, not in whole bottle- or glassfuls. Again, you’ll probably just need to go to the bathroom frequently and/or sweat much more than you need to, to keep relatively cool.
Activity
Moderate activity is okay in hot weather, but you don’t want to go all out and play a tennis match or get into a cycling race or running marathon. Even the pros, who are in tip top condition, know better than to push things too far in hot weather.
Water play may be the best kind of activity you can engage in when it’s really, really hot, but don’t stay out in the sun too long. You may have applied powerful UV blocking sun screen, but that will quickly wash off in the pool or lake. And remember: if the water is too cold, it will produce the same effects as drinking beverages that are too cold.
Now you know…
As the lawyers always say at the end of their stern letters: Govern yourselves accordingly.
~ Maggie J.