NATURAL Way

The heat of summer is upon us. We may have eight or 10 more weeks of heat coming. Is global warming causing you to sweat or is it just the dog days of summer? Global warming is about the Earth adjusting herself and we can’t do very much about the higher temperatures and humidity, though doing what we can individually is a good thing. We all need to do the little things that we can on the big level to help all of us survive the adjustment. However, we can attend to our physical needs when we sweat too much.

The skin is our largest organ. Taking good care of it should be a no-brainer but most of us just take it granted. Beyond the very long list of all that it does, it houses the sweat glands. Sweat glands regulate our body temperature. The skin also helps us detox through our ability to sweat.

There is a part of the nervous system which is responsible for releasing perspiration throughout the body. This is the body’s natural method of cooling itself down during active periods (such as exercise), exposure to warm conditions or worrying too much. A person with a medical condition called hyperhidrosis experiences uncontrolled sweating. Those who suffer from this condition are faced with major challenges every day.

Body salts move from the inside of our bodies to the outside and accumulate on the skin. We need the salts on the inside for our other body systems to work properly. When these are depleted we have muscle cramps, headaches, heart problems, lethargy and difficulty thinking and sometimes death. Supplements used to put the salts back into our system are called essential electrolytes and are blends of mineral and vitamins.

A good electrolyte blend (mineral blend) would include sodium, potassium and magnesium as well as calcium, zinc, chromium and vitamin C. Of course hydrating with water is needed to get the salts back into your system. Don’t overdo water but be sure you have enough. Just lightly pinching the skin on the back of your hand can tell you if you are hydrated enough. If the skin stays up or slowly goes back down then you need to drink more water. If it goes down quickly, you are fine.

Stay cool this summer, pay attention to the world around you but don’t sweat about anything, too much.