Better lukewarm than cold
Drinking properly in the heat: This is how it works!
© iuricazac / Adobe Stock
Many people are suffering from the persistently high temperatures. But what and how much should we drink when it’s hot? And how do we stay cool? We reveal it!
Practical! Our body is an air conditioner
Cooling down in the heat is not a problem for our body. Provided we give him fluids. Then, when it is hot, it can secrete more sweat, which evaporates on the skin and cools us down. In addition, it widens the blood vessels to dissipate heat through the skin. With these 8 tips we support our body in cooling:
1. Lukewarm is great!
We crave ice-cold food – why actually?
Mineral water at room temperature and lukewarm tea are not exactly the drinks we crave when the sun is beating down – we would much rather have a spritzer with the clink of ice cubes. Despite it: We know from desert dwellers that cold drinks are not ideal in hot weather. Because they stimulate the body to produce heat, we sweat even more – and lose fluids even faster.
Lukewarm drinks that subtly make us sweat are ideal. This cools the body without causing circulatory problems.
2. What’s to drink?
are best Mineral water and herbal or fruit teas. Peppermint, lemon balm and hibiscus tea have a cooling effect, green tea supplies minerals and sage tea counteracts heavy sweating.
If you don’t replace sweated minerals in time, you get circulatory problems – especially women, who tend to have lower blood pressure than men. Therefore, mineral water that contains at least 200 milligrams of sodium and 50 milligrams of magnesium is ideal. Because when you sweat, the body loses salt, magnesium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. Tap water is rather low in minerals. However, electrolytes can also be replaced with salty foods such as vegetable broth or pretzel sticks.
3. And what better not?
On tropical nights like we expect these days, it’s great to sip cocktails or white wine outside. But you probably already guessed: Alcohol is not good in the heat, because it puts a strain on the circulatory system, promotes water excretion and the loss of minerals. Even worse is the combination of sugar and alcohol. If you drink alcohol when it’s hot, you should drink more water than you already have.
We should also be cautious with our beloved coffee and black tea – like alcohol, these drinks are stimulants and not thirst quenchers. Caffeine increases the heart rate and makes you sweat. Of course we still don’t want to do without coffee entirely – but when it’s hot it’s all the more important that we drink a glass of water with it.
4. How much do we have to drink?
An adult loses up to two liters of fluid on a normal day – sometimes three times as much on hot days. The loss of fluid can lead to poor concentration, tiredness, dizziness, muscle cramps and digestive problems. When it’s hot, we should drink two to three liters – even if we’re not thirsty. We can also increase the fluid intake with water-containing foods: with melon, cucumber and lettuce.
5. And when?
Drink before you get thirsty because thirst is a warning sign of a lack of fluids in the body. However, there is no point in quickly pouring large amounts into yourself, since the intestine can absorb a maximum of one liter per hour. Better to drink evenly throughout the day.
6. Ice cubes? Off to the skin!
A little rubdown with ice cubes is more than just cool: It trains the blood vessels, slightly tightens the tissue and is therefore ideal for the décolleté and thighs. So that the skin does not get a cold shock and we stay nice and fresh: just run over it briefly with a cube or wrap several cubes with a washcloth.
7. And in the shower?
Cold showers are not a good idea when it is hot. The cold water stimulates blood circulation and we sweat all the more. As with drinking, lukewarm water is best for showering so the body cools down without developing a counter-reaction.
8) The “Kneipp espresso”
A cold arm bath, also known as “Kneipp’scher espresso” provides refreshment in between – guaranteed caffeine-free. To do this, immerse your arms in a sink with cold water for 20 to 30 seconds and gently move them back and forth. Allow to air dry.