UNITED STATES—A vast portion of America is about to encounter a heatwave unlike any other. It is about to be hot, and when I say hot, I’m talking 90 plus degrees and when you factor in the humidity, you should begin to expect temperatures feeling like 100 degrees or hotter. Making the situation worse is this is not something unfolding for a day or two, this is something unfolding for nearly a week plus America.
This is absolutely my worst fear. I do NOT like the heat; summer is probably one of my least favorite seasons because excessive heat my body just does not accommodate well. I can drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, but by nature I sweat when it gets hot.
I sometimes drench, probably the biggest reason I wear a baseball cap during the summer months to shade myself from the excessive light, which is simply a way to generate heat. If only people realized this, light creates heat, so if you’re trying to prevent the heat from bothering your body, June through August are the worst months of the year for me. I prefer any other month beyond these three months.
Yes, I totally get it, summer is that time for travel and vacation and just being able to enjoy the weather without wearing a jacket and dealing with cold temperatures. Here is the thing about cold temperatures; you can always warm yourself up to a comfortable temperature. The problem with excessive heat is that it is very difficult to cool down. You have central air or air conditioning that you can use to cool down from the heat, but the problem is you will get cold at some point and want something to warm you up.
Could be under the air conditioner for hours on end be good for the body? Probably not, especially kids, which means you have to worry about possibly getting sick by catching a cold. You have to be careful with the kiddos, who don’t realize the heat is downright dangerous at these temperatures.
How about a visit to the beach or pool? Yes, it sounds great, but I think with temps this hot, you’re still looking at the weather being warmer than normal, so that is a temporary relief. I’ll just say this, cool drinks can only do so much for you, but you do want to steer clear of caffeine and alcohol which will only heighten your thirst level. Your best friend is going to be water. NOT ICE COLD, but relatively cool water.
When you drink ice cold water when it is excessively hot, all you’re doing is shocking your body and that is not an actual benefit to you. You want to hydrate during such weather, so the more water you consume the better, and don’t forget about keeping your electrolytes in the body balanced as well. Summer is not here yet and I’m already dreading the next 60 plus days. I guess the movie theater, ice cream or any air conditioned place is going to be my best friend as I battle this brutal stretch of weather, and we haven’t even gotten into the month of July.
Written By Davy Jones
