NY1 interviewed me in Prospect Park! It was 5:45am, and I was doing none other than the Scientific 21 Minute Workout, opting to call it "strength training" for the purposes of the interview.
The report was focused on the heat wave currently melting the better part of the country. The interview was cut down, and I'm telling people the best parts were cut, of course, since it turned out rather boring (and my name is apparently Wylie King), but her questions centered around strategies to beat the heat. My thoughts:
- Exercise early, before the heat really kicks in: having children helps since if you want to spend time with them in the morning, you want to be out and back before they wake up!
- Don't overdo it: we can learn from our kids on this one. If they feel terrible, they'll stop playing rather than trying to "get one more mile in!"
- Drink lots of water: so many of us suffer from dehydration as it is, which not only can trick our brains into thinking we're hungry and cause us to become unnecessarily agitated, it can also be seriously dangerous.
If I'd been prepared for the interview, however, I'd have done some research on the kinds of foods that help maintain optimal health in the heat. Embarrassingly enough, I couldn't with absolute confidence have said what they were beyond citrus fruits and light veggies, and thinking about how people eat in hot climates. But the former is obvious and the latter doesn't necessarily help without context: Louisiana is hot, after all, but I don't know that anyone would characterize it as a mecca of health.
So I did some very complex research (google) and found that my knee-jerk thinking was spot on. The why's are where it gets interesting, however, and can aid in future decision-making rather than restricting you to an exact list of recommended foods.
1. Eat your water: Water-rich produce like watermelon, cucumbers and lettuce will all help keep you hydrated while providing great nutrition at a low calorie count.
2. Add some flavor! Herbs like mint, cilantro and basil have naturally cooling and soothing properties. Zero calorie additions that provide tremendous upside in the heat.
3. Embrace what's counter-intuitive: Spicy foods are actually a great way to cool down. Eating them causes us to sweat, and sweating is our own little air conditioner. So think ginger, chilies and cayenne pepper.
4. Bring on the citrus: Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits - all of them are hugely cooling, naturally aid in digestion and strengthen immunity with strong doses of Vitamin C. Get creative. Have them whole but also squirt them into drinks, onto salads, etc.
5. Choose your protein wisely: I love a good barbecue just as much as the next guy, but a great steak in heat like this takes its toll on your body. And it's that much harder to digest which means your body heats up trying to do so: counter-productive! So opt for delicious legumes instead.
OR, move to northern Canada.
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