In the heat of the moment....

AVOIDING HEAT STROKE

http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2013/06/six-steps-to-avoiding-heat-stroke.html?EXTKEY=NS0N01307



While everyone reminds you to drink water, I am going to remind you of....

AVOIDING WATER INTOXICATION


As it gets warmer and warmer, remember that there is such a thing as water intoxication. It's not as cmmon as dehydration, but it exists. The cure is some salt. Usually, a bit will do.



Here is my scenario. I was trying really hard to follow a low salt diet. The weather was hot, causing me to lose my appetite entirely (something that does not happen often enough!). However, because the weather was hot, I was downing lots and lots of ice water.

I started getting very light-headed and unsteady on my feet. This has happened in the past if my blood pressure was low, so I did not immediately get alarmed. Then I found myself getting a lot weaker physically and unable to focus or think, which was alarming.

I got to my computer and googled "too much water" and learned for the first time of the existence of water intoxication.

You do have to be careful of dehyrdration, too and dehydration is much, much more common.

So, when you go out and about in the heat, by all means, have lots of water with you. But also have handy one of those tiny salt shakers that you can close off completely or a little plastic bagful of pretzel sticks--not the low sodium kind, either!

Just another reminder of how our amazing bodies are also vulnerable to extremes, something the Ancient Greeks groked and urged moderation in all things.

(Sometimes, moderation only gets in the way, but that is another story entirely.)

It's amazing how often we find this to be true.