Managing Your Body Heat
Summer is often a time to play, to exercise, to get projects done, or just to relax and have fun with family and friends.
But in the hot weather, there are some precautions you can take to safeguard your brain and body, and avoid unnecessary risk.
Your body has to work harder when you are heating up – the part of your brain that balances temperature, the hypothalamus, works with the skin to heat and cool the body by using sweat glands and blood vessels to vent or conserve heat.
When you are too hot, your sweat glands release perspiration, which cools us down, but the water has dissolved minerals in it, which must then be replenished.
Some of these minerals are referred to as “electrolytes” because they help the body’s chemical reactions by carrying an electrical charge.
Magnesium and potassium are especially important – magnesium assists in hundreds of those chemical reactions, and specifically helps your body to regulate temperature. Potassium helps to balance fluids, and so is essential both to cardiovascular health and temperature regulation.
It’s important to note that soda pop and sugary drinks rob the body of vital potassium, so resist the urge to satisfy your thirst with such sweetened beverages – your body is asking for water, so hydrate it. If you need to, add a squeeze of lemon or lime, but to manage your body heat, hydrate! Drink water and replenish electrolytes with fresh fruits and vegetables, or even a mineral supplement if you need it.
Your brain needs water and these electrolytes to maintain good health and to cleanse itself while you sleep – so manage your body heat, and it will help you to stay healthy.