The summer heat and humidity have a way of melting you down, but it doesn’t have to defeat you. During this last wave of what some have called “oppressive” heat, the temperature was in the mid-nineties in the northeast.
In other parts of the country, it soared to over 100 degrees.
Yes, it’s hot, but I’ve always been under the impression that constant air conditioning makes it seem far worse. Many of us have become acclimated to air conditioning to the point where being outside in the natural elements seems foreign to us. Unless you work outside, as soon as you open your front door, the heat and humidity smack you in the face and you slam the door shut.
But, you’ve got to get moving, at least enough to get to the gym and workout!
I’m also under the impression that a meat-based diet exacerbates how you feel when it’s hot outside. Meat, fish, cheese and other animal products take more energy to digest and make you hotter than a plant-based diet (google “heat diet-induced thermogenesis”).
That said, you’re already “warmed up” before you step outside. Aside from that, a meat-based and processed food diet could negatively affect your sweat glands because there’s more toxicity that must be released from your body.
The solution is to start going outside in brief stints. Constant air conditioning is not your friend. Take a stroll in the shade or sit outside on your lawn chair with a cool drink. Get outside early in the morning before the temperature soars in the afternoon.
Of course, check with your doctor first if you’re taking medications and you have medical complications. Secondly, stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and eat plenty of high-water-content foods (fruits and veggies) with vitamins and minerals. Your body needs electrolytes that you can get from plant-based foods.
My uncle told me years ago, “Don’t let the heat intimidate you!” Years ago our grandparents didn’t have air conditioning at all and they survived.
Get out there and get warmed up!
