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No appetite during a heatwave


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Here in Switzerland we are in the midst of a heatwave, it has been going on for several weeks now with no end insight. Although I'm not on a W30 at the moment I do try to stay eating template meals but right now that is so difficult, I have very little appetite due to the heat. I'm getting more & more lethargic which I am sure is partly heat and partly because my body is not being nourished properly never mind not getting nearly enough sleep since I can't when it is so hot and sticky. 

 

How do those of you in hotter climates deal with eating in this heat? There is no A/C to speak of here so no escape from it and temps at night are rarely below 30c.

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86F in Switzerland.   Wow.  At night, that's unusual.  There must be someone from Georgia here who can tell you how to manage. Keep a fan blowing in your room near the window.  Place a pitcher of water in your fridge at all times.   Drink throughout the day and evening.  Stay hydrated.  Keep a hat on your head when you're in the direct sun.  Make some Power Salads with berries and protein, avocado, favorite dressing.  

 

Talk to yourself about the water so that you remember to drink a glass.  Dehydration is the worst thing during a heat wave.  It's cumulative over the days and it's hard on the bod and brain. Make sure all of your folkaronies are drinking enough water, too.  

 

I flavor my pitcher of water with sliced cucumbers and lemons or limes and berries...

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Loulabelle, we just went through this a week or so ago and let me tell you, I've never been so exhausted and draggy and lethargic in my life.  Cranky and sticky and sweaty and no-I'm-not-making-dinner-are-you-insane-if-you-need-me-I'll-be-napping-in-the-shower.  The things that I found helpful was a pitcher of iced tea (compliant tea bags, of course) in the fridge, lots of ice in the freezer, chugging cold water, cold shower right before bed, grilling a dozen or so chicken breasts/pork chops and having cold chopped salads in the fridge ready to go (think greek salad, the new snap pea salad on Mel J's site, fennel slaw etc).

 

Best of luck until your heat wave abates.  Note that ours abated last week and while I thought with the cooler weather I would perk up right away, that did not happen at all, if anything I was more exhausted and wanted to sleep even more, probably "healing" from the weeks of oppressive heat.

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I just got back from being outside, it's only 37c today (99f for those still using that scale). I'm Scottish & really not used to these temperatures, all I want to do is drive my car as that is the only place that has AC  :ph34r: . Thanks for the advice so far, I'm trying to stay hydrated but I think I am sweating out the water about as fast as I can get it in. I'll keep on eating what I can and hope for some respite from this soon. 

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I am considered an oddity to some.  I don't complain about winter, I actually kind of like it.  I hate hot and humid weather.  I outright HATE it.  Breaking a sweat by doing absolutely nothing (making breakfast actually) at 6:30 in the morning and being drenched by 7:30 is not fun.  And it's only 22 degrees where I am today.  But alas this what it was like to be me this morning.  So I can't imagine it being 37 and humid.  I think I would be a puddle.  That is why I would prefer to hibernate in the summer I think.

 

You have received some great advise above.  These are all the things I do to keep cool and comfortable.  Showers twice a day help - three times if I absolutely need it.

 

Drink lots of water.  It does help.  BBQ everything you are able to.  If there is a coolish wind going - eat outside (that is if you have no A/C) 

 

Yesterday I made Well Fed 2 classic coleslaw and I added cans of tuna to it - it was yummy and went together fairly quick. 

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I shower sometimes three times a day when there's a heatwave. Like Ladyshanny said, we've been having one here too.

Some other things I do to keep cool, especially at night when my house is rarely under 30degrees as well -

Run a teatowel under water. Ring it out completely, fold it up and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Once frozen, it will be pliable and can be put around your neck, on your forehead, tummy etc... I do this when I'm trying to sleep...

Peppermint oil on the bottoms of your feet with a fan blowing on you works. I also put essential oils in a sprayer that include lavendar, peppermint, citrus etc... and then mist myself with that. The fan cools the peppermint on your skin like a personal AC.

Also, its difficult to do, but drinking warmer (room temp) water will help cool you better than freezing cold water. Your body's natural reaction to freezing cold entering it is to turn on the furnace to warm it up... cold water is more refreshing but I would avoid guzzling it right before bed.

There are also what are considered 'cooling' foods and 'warming' foods in Chinese Medicine. It's everyones perogative whether they believe in that but honestly, what's the harm in trying. This list linked below is all approved foods and it's got recipes attached (altho I have not checked the validity of them as they relate to Whole30 so please do your own due diligence and confirm for yourself if any recipe you choose to make is compliant.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/cooling-foods-to-eat-in-the-summer-heat-with-recipes/

Good luck! Hopefully your heatwave lessens soon!

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I just got back from being outside, it's only 37c today (99f for those still using that scale). I'm Scottish & really not used to these temperatures, all I want to do is drive my car as that is the only place that has AC  :ph34r: . Thanks for the advice so far, I'm trying to stay hydrated but I think I am sweating out the water about as fast as I can get it in. I'll keep on eating what I can and hope for some respite from this soon. 

 

That was me this past weekend. Running every errand I could think of so I could go between a/c in stores and a/c in my car. Movie theaters are a great respite as well.

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I actually prefer drinking room cool or room temp water rather than chilled so that is an easy one for me. Carlacinni I much prefer Spring and Autumn to Summer, they have my Goldilocks zone of not too hot or cold. I have a fan in my room for at night time which helps until the breeze from it irritates me so I normally shower and stay damp then put it on a timer to help me get to sleep. JenX unfortunately in Switzerland A/C is pretty much illegal for environmental reasons, some newer buildings have an air "system" that cools it a little but mostly we just suffer here. I think it has been 5 weeks so far...Maybe 4 I can't remember my brain is fried.

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Loulabelle I really feel for you! We are in a heatwave in NY right now, but we do have AC so I have no reason to complain about the heat after reading your post. I made a whole 30 drink with seltzer, watermelon and fresh mint and ice in a blender. Where I workout is a sweat box and I do a pretty exhausting 1 hour workout daily. I made the drink to sit in my fridge for after my workout with my dinner. It is really refreshing and might help. Other than that I hope this breaks for you soon!

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