Heat Stress & Electrolytes

[ksalvagno]

I have been having a lot of trouble with heat stress. I'm at the point where it is making me sick and I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. One thing I never thought of was to make sure I had electrolytes. Is there something natural that I can drink for adding electrolytes? I ended up buying some Powerade stuff but it does contain high fructose corn syrup and the taste isn't my favorite. Plus I felt there must be something better.

I have been giving my animals electrolytes in their water and completely forgot about myself!

 

[justusnak]

Something else I have learned about the heat...salt!! You are sweating out all the salt in your body. Now, dont go licking the animals salt block, but a few grains on the tip of your tongue works well. We was told that while working out in the heat at MUTC. Make sure you have salt! So sorry about the heat getting to ya. I think its getting to us all in one way or another. But, remember January?? We was begging for the heat!? LOL

 

[fl_deb]

I like the vitamin waters. They have one called Revive and it does just that! My other fav is their XXX which is a bunch of antioxidants in the bottle. Walmart carries them.

I refill empty bottles with water and freeze, it is amazing how quickly one bottle under each arm can cool one down in a hurry! Dump defrosted water from bottles on flower plants in pots that need a drink in this hot weather.

Dried Apricots, Bananas and good old OJ are good replacements for the stuff you sweat out, but for most americans, we already take in plenty of sodium salt, so potassium (like in lite salts) is more important and if you are on any heart meds, please please ask you doctor what you should be taking to recover from the heat and sweated out moisture.

BTW, remember that if you are thirsty you are very dehydrated already and just the lack of water can make you feel weak and physically sick long before replacement salts are needed.

take care

 

[freemotion]

Check out this thread: http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5124

Better yet, here is the recipe from that thread:

Here is a homemade electrolyte drink that is far, far better than any commercial drink. A friend who is studying to be an herbalist gave it to me when we were talking about the flu and dehydration:

Basic electrolyte drink:

4 oz water (half cup)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar
pinch of Celtic salt


Better version for the flu (make up ahead of flu season and keep the concentrate in the fridge):

Put chopped fresh horseradish root in a jar. Fill with raw apple cider vinegar.

In another jar, put chopped garlic and onions. Fill with raw wildflower honey (other honeys may contain pesticide residue, etc.)

Let both sit for three weeks. Strain, mix together, add Celtic salt. Use 2 tsp in 4 oz water as often as desired.

 

[ksalvagno]

Thanks. I went to the doctor today and she just told me to drink Gatorade. She said it isn't her favorite drink but it does have its place. I'd rather make the simple electrolyte drink and not get the extra bad stuff in Gatorade. Not to mention the expense. I can't believe how expensive that stuff is!

 

[Dace]

We use Free's recipe, raw honey, water, lemon and Celtic salt. My BIL was having a low blood pressure/ heat related incident last week after a full day out in the sun. I made him the concocction and within 15 mins or so he was fine.

Stay away from all the commercial crap!

 

[xpc]

Years ago they always offered salt pills in the factories near the bubbles but they have since disappeared, If you eat regularly and drink plenty of simple replacement water that has no sugars or diuretics you should need no electrolytes, of course if you are a construction worker or football player that loses water very quickly then that may be a different story.

There is a misnomer about only sipping water when you are dehydrated and is false except in dire straights, if you have an ample water supply always drink until quenched - do not "bogart the bowl" it does little good to sip but also not real good to guzzle quarts either as it can nauseate you and in some cases cause death but that is only in extreme over hydrating.

The same theory holds true for not drinking sea water (salt) in that too much fresh water can also cause an osmotic effect by drawing salt out of your cells rather then into them. Beer, coffee, and soda should be avoided at all costs - I of course ignore all my advice when beer is in question but only drink it when the work is done.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

A better product than Gatorade , IMO, is Emergen-C. It is a little packet of vitamins and electrolytes that you dissolve in water. You can get flavored or unflavored. The ingredients are not perfect either, but I think it is better than Gatorade. If you are having a bad reaction to the heat (nausea, headache, etc.), that is the best place to start, IMO, to try to get back in balance.

Making your own electrolyte replacement drink is probably the best preventative measure. I don't know that it works quite as fast as Emergen-C to get you back to a good status, but it sounds like it worked for Dace's BIL.

Remember you can also get electrolytes from foods (like XPC mentions) . . . I personally have been eating more olives and pickles since the temperatures have gone up. It isn't necessarily true that we get too much sodium in our diets . . . that is only the case if you eat pre-prepared foods (packaged or restaurant) or if you eat meat regularly, or heavily salt your food. If you cook mostly for yourself, don't use too much salt, and don't eat much meat, plus you work up a good sweat regularly, you are more vulnerable to heat stress. Without adequate electrolytes, drinking plain water can make you more prone to heat stress and can lead to water intoxication.

 

[ksalvagno]

I think that is what happened to me. I was drinking only water and sweating like crazy. I don't know why I never thought about electrolytes for myself. Plus it has been so hot that i'm just not eating a whole lot and what I have been eating the last couple weeks has been junk. This week I'm back to eating vegetables and healthier stuff. Plus this week DH took off work and is doing all the chores to keep me out of the sun. Hopefully with a better diet and making sure I take in some electrolytes along with the water will help me for the rest of the summer. We just don't seem to be getting any real breaks from the heat and now even the low 80's are bothering me.

Thanks for all the tips. I tend to worry about the animals more than myself and obviously I'm getting myself in trouble by doing that.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Glad you are taking care of yourself. I hope you get a break in the heat and feel better soon!