Should we give up ice cream and use less air-conditioning in summer? Experts explain "Four Big Myths of Summer" in detail: Sweating more does not mean losing weight
As we enter midsummer in July, people often complain that temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius are too much to bear. It is even more important to protect yourself from the sun and avoid heatstroke. Experts point out that most people know that they need to avoid “heat stroke” in high temperatures, but they should also pay special attention to the changes in symptoms of “heat injury” before it progresses to heat stroke. In addition, the public also needs to clarify common summer health myths, so as not to relieve the heat but only increase the feeling of heat.
The high temperature of 30 degrees for days is too much to bear! Intensivists reveal common signs of heat injuries
Dr. Huang Xuan, an expert in critical care medicine, explained that there are four common symptoms of thermal injury: “Thermal swelling” refers to the body’s dilation of blood vessels to avoid overheating and the discharge of excess heat out of the body, causing blood to accumulate in the ankle, forming a localized ankle. Edema.
“Hot rash” refers to the human body sweating profusely in a hot environment, causing sweat glands to be blocked, resulting in a rash. The common symptom is the appearance of tiny red spots on the skin with a stinging sensation; “heat cramps” usually occur when the body sweats profusely. , but failed to replenish water or electrolytes in time, resulting in muscle spasms and cramps. “Thermal dizziness” occurs when a large amount of body fluid is lost due to excessive sweating and low blood pressure, causing dizziness and confusion.
Dr. Huang Xuan emphasized that the above symptoms vary depending on each person’s body reaction, and not all symptoms will appear at the same time. However, when the four signs occur but no positive action is taken, the body may be at risk of severe “heat exhaustion”: at this time, the body’s core temperature will rise to more than 37 degrees, and sweating will increase. Feelings of thirst may become more intense, and feelings of dizziness or fatigue may increase.
The Taiwan Health Promotion Administration also reminds the public that if you or your family members are found to have signs of heat injury, such as elevated body temperature, dry and hot skin that turns red, and rapid heartbeat, in severe cases, you may experience inability to sweat, headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, or even If you experience symptoms such as confusion, cramps, or coma, you must quickly leave the hot environment, try to lower your body temperature, provide cold water with a little salt or a diluted electrolyte drink, and seek medical attention as quickly as possible.
Is blowing air-conditioning for a long time likely to cause headaches or damage to the skin? Doctor: Beware of 8 problems caused by blowing
In addition to avoiding long-term outdoor activities and sun exposure in summer, you also need to pay special attention to the huge temperature difference when entering indoor places. Dr. Xu Jinjia, chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Chi Mei Hospital, said that most people are accustomed to hiding indoors to escape the heat and blowing air-conditioning, which may cause symptoms of “air-conditioning disease”, including headaches, runny nose, asthma, constipation, itchy skin, dry eyes and discomfort. Even stiff shoulders and neck, weakness in lower limbs, etc.
Why does just blowing in the air conditioner “blow out” so many problems? Chinese medicine practitioner Xu Jinjia believes that the main reason is poor air circulation under closed doors and windows, and the air conditioner is not cleaned regularly, which can easily lead to the accumulation of concentrations of various harmful substances or aggravate the impact of mold and other allergens; and staying in air-conditioned rooms for a long time , the water in the body will gradually lose. Because the sensation is not obvious, people tend to ignore the importance of replenishing water, resulting in unbearable dryness and itchiness in various parts of the body, and dryness and discomfort in the eyeballs due to lack of moisture.
Chinese medicine doctor Xu Jinjia said that “air-conditioning disease” is a pathology caused by the human body’s inability to adjust to the temperature difference between hot and cold. For example, after exercising under the scorching sun, entering a convenience store with a high body temperature and blowing on the air conditioner may cause a pathological state of “external cold combined with internal heat”; at this time, if you buy a bottle of cold drink and drink it all in one go, plus add the air conditioner With the blessing, it is easy to produce the syndrome of “cold and dampness enveloping fire” combined with external cold.
Can sweating more in summer help you lose weight? Chinese medicine practitioners debunk 4 major health myths
In this regard, Dr. Qiu Guanzhong, a Chinese medicine practitioner at Kyoto Hall, also added that not only blowing air-conditioning may cause potential harm to the body, but also holding on to the following four wrong myths may cause people to feel uncomfortable during the summer, and even make their weight “sky-breaking”, causing obesity:
If you sweat enough, there is no need to exercise. You sweat more in the summer because your body needs to cool down with sweat to prevent overheating. Sweating does not mean “burning fat”, but it can only eliminate water, electrolytes and metabolic waste. After sweating, the weight will temporarily decrease, and the weight will be restored after replenishing water. Therefore, sweating does not mean exercise or burning calories; sweating more does not mean healthier.
It is easy to lose weight due to poor appetite due to hot weather. Hot weather can cause people to feel a loss of appetite. There are two common reasons: the heat makes people depressed and they feel aversion to hot food; and hot weather reduces the amount of activity and reduces appetite. However, poor appetite does not mean less calorie intake. Many people are unable to eat regular meals in summer, but instead replace their staple food with high-calorie snacks such as ice creams, desserts, and hand-shaken drinks, which in turn tends to accumulate more fat.
Drinking ice water can stimulate metabolism. From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, this behavior may lead to weight gain. When the gastrointestinal mucosa is stimulated by ice water, it will cause vasoconstriction, poor circulation and edema. This is called “spleen dampness” in traditional Chinese medicine and is easily accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms such as diarrhea and indigestion. In the long run, deficiency of spleen and kidney yang will lead to asthma, aggravation of eye, mouth and nose allergies, and poor fat metabolism, leading to weight gain.
Eating more salads in hot weather will help you lose weight. Eating too much cold drinks, lettuce, sashimi and other raw and cold foods in summer may stagnate the digestive function of the gastrointestinal tract, accumulate moisture in the body, and block the transportation of the spleen. Common symptoms include back pain, persistent fatigue, joint and muscle pain, unformed stool and excessive viscosity. The accumulation of moisture in the body will also slow down metabolism, causing fat consumption to be slower, making it difficult to lose weight.
Eating chopped ice in summer will only make it “hotter and hotter”! Nutritionist reveals that “choosing this ingredient” is the best way to relieve fever
It can be seen from this that consuming too much raw and cold food, such as ice products and hand-shaken drinks, can only provide a temporary cooling sensation and cannot really help the body dissipate heat. Nutritionist Su Jiahua, director of the Nutrition Office of Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare Losheng Sanatorium, said that taking common ice cream and shaved ice as an example, if it is paired with condiments such as syrup, condensed milk, and fruits, in addition to the coldness of the ice itself, a large amount of Sugar is more likely to cause moisture to accumulate in the body. It can be seen from this that eating ice will only make the body hot and irritable, while drinking ice will undoubtedly quench thirst and add oil to put out fires.
Nutritionist Su Jiahua pointed out that to reduce the body’s feeling of heat, one should mainly consume “cooling” foods or ingredients, such as mung beans, red beans, grass jelly, aiyu, or black bean water, sugar-free herbal tea, stevia and mint tea, chrysanthemum Drinks such as tea or wolfberry buckwheat tea; appropriate amounts of fruits such as pear, lotus root, watermelon, star fruit, cantaloupe and kiwi can also replenish the energy consumed by the heat and help recover from fatigue.
However, people with cold constitutions, pregnant women, and those who need to control blood sugar should avoid excessive intake of the above foods. It is recommended that people who have symptoms of suspected heatstroke should take appropriate amounts of warm water and seek medical attention as soon as possible. They should improve their symptoms and constitution to avoid aggravation of symptoms.
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