Exercise | Food | Menopause

Hot flushes and staying cool during soaring temperatures.

Hello all!
I hope you are all well and coping in this heat!
I thought I would drop you a quick line as I have been thinking of you, especially those of you who are suffering with hot flushes and night sweats.
On my social media there have been lots of chat from women about generally coping in the heat especially those who for medical reasons cannot go on HRT, these women are really suffering in this heat as hot flushes are bad enough without soaring temperatures.
If you cannot go on HRT and are really suffering; I have devised a little list on how to stay cool during this weather and have added a few links as there are some great tools out there.
Food and exercise
Eat small meals and eat more often. The larger the meal, the more metabolic heat your body creates breaking down the food; bigger portions means more heat.
Put some small water bottles in the freezer and take with you when you go out or just at work or at home to keep you cool, they will soon melt.
You may be longing for a cold beer or a chilled white wine spritzer. But you should avoid alcohol because it dehydrates the body. You are better off with mineral water or low-sugar fizzy drinks. Also, avoid drinks with caffeine such as coffee and colas. These increase the metabolic heat in the body. Drink more water than you would normally to replace the fluids lost.
Slow down and avoid strenuous activity which will stimulate your body and raise its core temperature. If you must go jogging or exercise outside do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually before 7am. I love working out outside but during this heath I take to the gym because the air conditioning makes it all the more bearable.
At work
The night before or earlier in the day roll some damp flannels up and pop them in the freezer. Take them with you in a plastic bag. Then, when you start to feel hot, unwrap them and place them over your face or neck.
Run your wrists under a cold tap for five seconds each every couple of hours. Because a main vein passes through this area, it helps cool the blood.
Wear loose cotton clothes – this heat don’t worry what you look like just be cool! Stay away from synthetic fibres; they will just increase the heat of your body. Lighter colours reflect the heat, try and avoid black which absorbs the heat.
Can you work flexi hours? Try and start earlier and finish earlier so you can travel whilst it is cooler so starting off the day cooler. Then when you get home you have time to try some cooling techniques before you take to your bed.
Turn off lights where necessary they will add to the heat of the room.
You can hire an air conditioner for around £30 per week, alternatively fans are a good second best.
At home and at night
I remember before being on HRT my night sweats were horrible so here are some tips for you to keep cool during the night;

Eating cooling foods will help – I love putting natural juices in the freezer and just graze on them when I am working at home.
Sleep on a feather or down pillow with a cotton pillowcase. Synthetic pillows will retain heat.
Use the same trick with damp flannels from the freezer and take to bed to help bring down your core temperature, leave on your chest where the hot flushes seem to start.
Similar technique for sheets; Ditch your duvet and sleep under a sheet instead. Even better, put your sheets in a plastic bag and stick them in the fridge a couple of hours before going to bed. As we fall asleep our body temperature lowers, which is why it’s difficult to sleep in hot weather. Cold sheets straight from the fridge should help you sleep better.
Take a tepid bath or shower just below body temperature, especially before bedtime. Although a cold shower might sound more tempting, your body generates heat afterwards to compensate for the heat loss.
Again putting the wrists under the cold tap will help.
Have a couple of spare towels on hand in the night to wipe yourself down if you need to.
While you’re out, keep the house curtains drawn to stop it heating up like a greenhouse.
Have a look at the products below.
Drink chrysanthemum tea. Practitioners say chrysanthemum is a cooling herb which clears the head.
I used this before going on hrt, as with any supplement if you are on any other medication please get the ok from your GP; Try a Native American herbal remedy called Black Cohosh which has been clinically proven to relieve hot flushes and night sweats in menopausal women. Recent research suggests it works on the hypothalamus, where it may help regulate body temperature.
Some links to some products that could help during this heat, but also to cope daily with flushes and night sweats.
If all else fails lets meet in the ice bar London!
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I hope you found this newsletter helpful and do feel free to leave any comments!
Jane xx