DON'T GET TOO HOT!!

Sandra Wiseman Smith • 20 February 2024

DON'T GET TOO HOT!!

Please be careful when it's hot!!! From my own experience, I can't stress this warning enough. Getting too hot during high temps and humid conditions is very dangerous. It can even be life-threatening. During extremely hot and humid days it’s very easy to get overheated. Heat stress, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke is a real danger if you don’t adequately prepare for work or exertion outside. Even working indoors in high heat conditions can be hazardous.

PREPARATION IS KEY

Take it from me! I've been careless several times while working in the heat and I don't plan to repeat my mistakes, lol. It's so very important to take precautions beforehand. One thing I do — instead of buying commercial drinks, I prepare an electrolyte drink made of ingredients I always have on hand. I believe they're safer, healthier, and less expensive. I'll discuss the recipe below. The trick is to make sure you drink enough before, during, and after work in the heat. For instance, as a precaution, Israeli soldiers will drink 1 liter of water every hour, which they discovered is sufficient while fighting in desert conditions.

Natural Ingredients for a DIY Electrolyte Drink.

DON'T GET TOO HOT!!

Please be careful when it's hot!!! From my own experience, I can't stress this warning enough. Getting too hot during high temps and humid conditions is very dangerous. It can even be life-threatening. During extremely hot and humid days it’s very easy to get overheated. Heat stress, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke is a real danger if you don’t adequately prepare for work or exertion outside. Even working indoors in high-heat conditions can be hazardous.

PREPARATION IS KEY

Take it from me! I've been careless several times while working in the heat and I don't plan to repeat my mistakes, lol. It's so very important to take precautions beforehand. One thing I do — instead of buying commercial drinks, I prepare an electrolyte drink made of ingredients I always have on hand. I believe they're safer, healthier, and less expensive. I'll discuss the recipe below. The trick is to make sure you drink enough before, during, and after work in the heat. For instance, as a precaution, Israeli soldiers will drink 1 liter of water every hour, which they discovered is sufficient while fighting in desert conditions.

Natural Ingredients for a DIY Electrolyte Drink.

YOU DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE THIS

Symptoms I experienced with heat exhaustion involved getting red in the face, profuse sweating, chills, weakness, and on one occasion later—dizziness and nausea. Whew! There are others you could develop as well. If you experience any of those symptoms, these are signs you definitely need to stop what you're doing, go inside, and cool off quickly.

REMEDIES FOR GETTING TOO HOT

Actually, you really don’t want to get to this point! Although if you do, immediately wiping down with a cool washcloth and lying under a ceiling fan will cool you off quickly. Drinking electrolyte water until you feel normal is essential as well to slow or prevent dehydration. This photo shows some of my personal ingredient choices for an effective DIY electrolyte drink. For my recipe, I generally use blackstrap molasses in the place of raw honey but either will do. Honey is very nutritious also and would definitely suffice.

A KEY INGREDIENT

However, blackstrap is a great choice because it is high in magnesium, potassium, calcium, B Vitamins, iron, etc.—things you need to replenish your body. I once came in after a 2-hour stint pulling weeds in the hot sun and noticed a little pain in my chest. Heading to the kitchen, I immediately took a tablespoon of black strap molasses. On an empty stomach it will absorb very quickly into your body. After taking it, I never felt any pain afterwards at all!

MORE RECIPES AND INFO

You can find lots of other good DIY recipes online that are all-natural, inexpensive, and chemical/food dye-free. I discuss the benefits of the ingredients I customarily use like black strap molasses, Real Salt® and many other useful and effective natural products in my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 2nd Ed. The photo shows the particular brands I prefer but is not a paid endorsement.


Disclaimer: The above statements/claims about the possible health benefits conferred by these foods have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.

Leave a Review!