Why Hot Weather Can Leave Us Feeling Blurgh

If you've ever wondered why we feel so Blurgh when it's really, really hot, or after a serious sweat, it's because we're not hydrating properly to replenish lost fluids.  But then why don't we FEEL better after glugging down a whole liter of water?  It's because we're also losing vital MINERALS in very hot weather or when we're sweating heavily.  

Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash

"The idea that excessive sweating could result in a high loss of magnesium from the body is consistent with the work of Consolazio et al. (1963) who found that, under normal conditions, sweat loss accounted for over 12 percent of the total daily excretion of magnesium in men working in temperatures of 49° to 50°C. (Typical magnesium losses via sweat are on the order of 3 to 4 mg per liter [Beller et al., 1975; Consolazio et al., 1963].)"

"In addition to an increased loss of magnesium via sweat, urinary magnesium loss can increase by up to 30 percent following a bout of intense exercise (Deuster et al., 1987; Lijnen et al., 1988)."  Read this fascinating study here.

So when it's 42C outside or 55C when you get in your blisteringly hot car, you're NOT imagining the blurgh feeling!!  Sleeping with the fan on all night evaporates your sweat and enables you to sleep, but no, it doesn't mitigate systemic magnesium loss.  Which is why we often wake up over tired, cranky and have low energy.  Extreme heat or extended periods of heavy exercise can exacerbate not only muscle cramps, but also that feeling of a racing heart, increase depression, make us feel jumpier, slow muscle recovery and also make it hard to fall - and stay asleep.

Magnesium is critical for all sorts of bodily functions like regulating heart rate, managing nerve function, helping cognitive processes, speeding muscle recovery, reducing pain sensations and helping us to get great sleep.

Solutions? 

• Go with the spicy-soupy-salty foods like Thai Tom Yum !
• Add a pinch of great high quality SALT to your iced lemon drinks
• Make sure you increase your natural magnesium foods like rich greens, organic eggs, nuts & pumpkin seeds - think a nice spinach salad, nuts with the cold beer, tahini or peanut butter for snacks.
• Get to the beach - sea water is about 30% pure magnesium and who doesn't feel better after swimming in the sea? 
• Soak in a magnesium bath if you can't get to the beach
• No bath?  Spray Magnesium onto tight muscles and particularly the soles of your feet (where you have the biggest pores for transdermal absorption)

If you're a Mom & the kids are finding it hard to sleep in hot weather, pop them in a cool magnesium bath before bed and prepare to be amazed at how much a 20 minute play in the bath with the rubber duckies changes things.  Spray the underside of yor baby's feet with a few squirts of magnesium before sleep and enjoy the calmer night ahead.  

MOST people in the western world are depleted in Magnesium, as our mono-cropping destroys soil nutrients.  Combine that with stressful modern living which BURNS up our magnesium as our bodies struggle with the increased adrenalin-cortisol, it's a recipe for reduced quality of life.  

Eat well is the best answer - organic and a diet rich in nuts & seeds.  And be aware that a simple soak in a magnesium bath or a few squirts of Magnesium Spray on your skin a few times a day can be a GAME CHANGER when the thermometer rises and temperatures soar. 

This article originally published on my own Hive blockchain blog - you can access the blockchain version here: https://peakd.com/hive-150329/@artemislives/why-hot-weather-can-leave-us-feeling-blurgh