4 Unexpected Ways Summer Heat Is Throwing Your Body Out of Whack

Summer is finally in full swing—which means cute sandals and sunglasses, beach vacations, and ridiculously scorching weather. If you're feeling the heat, literally (does it really need to be 85 degrees before nine in the morning, seriously?) you’re not alone.

Hot temperatures can mess with your body in all sorts of sneaky ways, and we don't just mean the threat of a sunburn or sweating through your outfit on the way to work. Here are four common ways hot, humid weather takes a toll on your health, plus how you can beat heat's effect on your system.

You're sniffling and sneezing

Flowers bloom in the summer—and so do plants and grasses that produce pollen , says Kim Knowlton, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. In response to the warm weather, pollen production goes up, and the presence of pollen in the air can leave even people with mild allergies sneezing, sniffling, and rubbing their itchy eyes through Labor Day.

To reduce these allergy symptoms, pay attention to the daily pollen count and try to stay indoors as much as possible on high-count days. If you can't give up your outdoor run or yoga class, try to time it (as well as other outside activities) toward the end of the day, when pollen counts go down. And keep windows shut in your house to keep allergens from turning you into a sneezy mess in your own home.

You toss and turn all night

Too hot to sleep—but the air conditioning in your room is making you shiver? Summer makes it tough to find that happy medium. Most people sleep best when the temperature is at 65 to 66 degrees; as the temperature goes up, sleep quality tends to go down, says Chris Winter, MD, neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine in Virginia.

The right temperature could also help you stay asleep through the night and score better sleep quality. So if you find yourself waking up fatigued and fuzzy-brained, try adjusting the thermostat. Dr. Winter says many of his patients have reported resting much better when they lower their bedroom temperature, even if they hadn't noticed sleep problems. Don't feel guilty for using so much electricity—cranking up the AC to a healthy level is good for you.

Your heart pounds way more than normal

You do a hard-charging cardio workout three times a week, but your heart rate is suddenly spiking on your walk to work in the morning. What gives? Jonathan Newman MD, MPH, cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, says higher temps have both direct and indirect effects on your heart.

For starters, if you live in an urban area, you may notice smog or haze fogging up summer skies. Air quality tends to get worse at higher temperatures, and that air pollution itself can take a toll on the heart and vascular system, Dr. Newman says.

Plus, at the most basic physical level, "your heart is working overtime" in the summer, says Kim Knowlton, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “Your heart beats faster in order to pump overly warm blood from your body’s core out to the skin’s surface," says Dr. Knowlton, which helps cool you down.

Since your faster heartbeat is all part of your body's way of keeping you cool, there's not much you can do to prevent it. Taking normal precautions in the heat—drinking lots of water, not exerting yourself too much—are always good ideas. And of course, "eating a heart healthy diet, controlling your blood pressure, controlling your cholesterol, and increasing physical activity," Dr. Newman says, will keep your ticker in good shape so it can handle 90-degree days.

You're racking up lots of mosquito bites

When the weather is warm, you want to spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible. But while you're embracing nature, dining al fresco, or just enjoying a backyard barbecue, mosquitoes are making you their buffet.

Unfortunately, summer is prime time for mosquitoes. Their prey (in other words, us) are outside more, and the little vampires also mature faster when the sun is out strong. That means skeeters live fast and die young, so the time between the day one hatches and the day it becomes a disease-transmitting adult is shorter. With mosquitoes taking less time to reach this stage, diseases (such as Zika and the West Nile Virus) can spread more quickly, says Aileen Marty, MD, an infectious disease specialist in Washington, D.C.

What can you do to protect yourself? When you're hanging outside, skip your signature scent in favor of bug spray, says a dermatologist. She recommends Ultrathon Insect Repellent. "It's creamy and it says on your skin longer," says Dr. Jaliman. It also has DEET, one of the few ingredients that have been shown to be truly effective in warding off mosquitoes.

And what you heard as a kid is right—don't scratch! As itchy as these bites are, scratching them can create an open wound, making you susceptible to infections, especially since there's plenty of bacteria hiding under your nails, says Dr. Jaliman.

If you just can't keep your hands off your bites, Dr. Jaliman has a few suggestions. "Use ice cubes to stop the itching; over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or aloe vera gel will also diminish the itch and reduce swelling," she adds.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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8 Weight Loss Tips to Ignore Completely

There is no shortage of weight loss advice on the internet.

Although some weight loss tips are helpful, others are ineffective, misleading, or downright harmful.

Here are 8 weight loss tips that you should ignore completely.
1. Always eat breakfast, even if you’re not hungry

You may have heard that it's important to eat breakfast to boost your metabolism after sleeping through the night.

As such, many people force themselves to eat in the morning, even if they're not hungry. However, eating breakfast isn't necessarily beneficial for losing weight.

In fact, studies have shown that eating or skipping breakfast has very little effect on weight, and that skipping it may even result in slightly more weight loss .

In one study, people who skipped breakfast ended up eating 144 calories more at lunch, compared with people who had eaten a morning meal. However, at the end of the day, their total calorie intake was still 408 calories lower .

Skipping breakfast is one form of intermittent fasting, which some people find helps them lose weight. Intermittent fasting may also have health benefits.

The idea that eating breakfast is important for weight control may be partly due to a survey of National Weight Control Registry members who had lost weight and kept it off for at least 5 years. Most of these people said they ate breakfast regularly .

However, everyone is different, and some people reap more benefits from eating breakfast than others. The current thinking is that, if you're not hungry in the morning, there's no reason to eat breakfast.

If you are hungry, make sure to eat a breakfast high in protein so you'll be more satisfied and less likely to overeat at lunch .

    Summary
    Research says that eating breakfast in the morning doesn't help people lose weight. There’s no need to eat in the morning unless you're hungry, and be sure to eat a protein-rich breakfast if you are.

2. Don't weigh yourself every day

Your weight can fluctuate from day to day in response to several factors.

For this reason, many sources say you should avoid weighing yourself every day when trying to lose weight.

While this seems to make sense, the opposite may be true.

In a 6-month study on people with overweight or obesity, people who got on scale every day consumed fewer calories and lost 6.6 % of their body weight, on average, compared with people in the control group, who lost less than 1% of their body weight .

In another study, researchers looking at the weighing habits of 40 people with overweight found that those who took breaks of longer than 1 month had a greater risk of weight gain .

Frequently weighing yourself can provide accountability and confirm that your weight is trending in the right direction.

Some studies have reported that daily weighing didn’t appear to lead to disordered eating or negative psychological effects, such as poor body image .

However, for some people, checking the scales frequently can become a source of anxiety. If you feel that it’s not good for your psychological health, it’s best to avoid this strategy.

It's important to keep in mind that your weight can fluctuate daily. Hormonal changes, fluid balance, and bowel movement frequency can affect weight. These changes don't reflect fat loss or gain.

    Summary
    Research suggests that frequent weighing can help some people lose weight. However, this strategy isn’t beneficial for everyone.

3. Do juice cleanses

Juice cleanses, also known as juice fasts, are very popular.

Proponents claim you can lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in a week and rid your body of toxins.

However, there’s very little research showing that juice cleanses are safe or effective .

In one study, women drank a lemon juice and syrup mixture with less than 500 calories for 7 days. They lost weight and reduced insulin resistance.

Any diet this low in calories will cause weight loss, but it's unlikely to produce lasting results.

A major issue is that a cleanse doesn't establish the type of healthy eating habits necessary for keeping up weight loss over time.

What's more, these juices tend to be high in sugar but low in protein, which is a bad combination for appetite control and health .

As far as detoxifying goes, your liver and other organs perform that function daily. There’s no need for a "cleanse" .

    Summary
    A juice cleanse may cause fast weight loss, but it doesn't promote the healthy habits necessary to keep the weight off.

4. Don't lose weight quickly

The conventional advice is to lose weight slowly so you'll have a better chance of maintaining your lower weight.

While it's certainly fine to lose weight slowly, the most recent research indicates that faster weight loss in the beginning does not increase the risk of weight regain. In fact, losing weight fast seems to be beneficial for long-term weight loss .

One study found that people who lost weight quickly during the first month were five times as likely to have lost 10% of their body weight within 18 months, compared with those who started off losing weight more slowly .

However, some weight loss methods are better than others. Cutting calories to extremely low levels may cause rapid weight loss in the beginning, but it’s unlikely to be sustainable.

    Summary
    Losing weight relatively quickly in the initial phase of a diet does not seem to increase the risk of weight regain. In fact, it may lead to better results in the long term.

5. Focus on cardio workouts

Cardiovascular exercise, also known as cardio or aerobic exercise, reduces your stress levels and benefits your heart and overall health.

However, cardio not be the best exercise strategy for losing weight.

Weight loss response to cardiovascular exercise depends greatly on the individual. Some people lose weight in response to cardio, while others either maintain or gain a slight amount of weight .

The best strategy for getting fit and maintaining muscle mass while losing weight is to combine strength training with cardio .

    Summary
    Intense cardio is good for your overall health, but it’s not the optimal method of weight loss. Try combining cardio and strength training for better results.

6. Minimize foods high in natural fat

Despite popular opinion, not all fats are bad for your health, and avoiding all fatty foods won’t necessarily help you lose weight.

Fat has twice as many calories as protein or carbs, but it's also very filling and takes a long time to digest.

Standard low fat diets, in which fat comprises less than 30% of all calories, generally have a poorer track record than other diets, such as low carb diets, when it comes to weight loss .

In fact, foods that are naturally high in fat, including avocados, nuts, and coconut, can aid weight loss.

Full fat dairy products contain a fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which research has linked to lower body fat and improved insulin sensitivity .

By contrast, eating or drinking fat-free or low fat products in an attempt to cut calories could backfire, as many of these products are loaded with refined sugar.

While eating foods naturally high in healthy fat can work in your favor, putting a lot of added fat on your food is not helpful. Adding too much fat can increase calories to the point where you won't lose weight.

That said, ultra-low-fat diets, in which fat comprises less than 10% of calories, may have some benefits for weight loss.

    Summary
    Avoiding unprocessed foods that are naturally high in fat does not aid weight loss. The standard low fat diet has a poor track record for weight loss.

7. Eat every 2–3 hours

You may have heard that it's best to eat many small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism up. This is a myth.

In one small study, researchers gave two groups the same number of calories either in two large meals or spread between seven small meals. They found no difference in calories burned between the two groups .

Controlled studies have shown that eating many small meals does not result in greater weight loss, compared with eating three or fewer meals per day .

What's more, research has linked frequent meals after weight loss surgery with diminished weight loss 6 months after the procedure .

The main problem with snacking or eating many small meals is that you often end up consuming more calories than your body needs.

Read about healthy snack options for weight loss.

    Summary
    It’s a myth that eating many small meals boosts metabolism compared with eating fewer, larger meals. Increased eating frequency does not necessarily help people lose weight.

8. Focus only on calorie intake

While people need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, calorie intake is only part of the story.

The type of food you eat has a huge effect on hunger, appetite, and the hormones that control weight. These factors can affect your ability to achieve a calorie deficit.

For instance, eating a 100-calorie pack of pretzels is not the same as eating 100 calories of fruit. Pretzels are made of refined carbs, which can raise blood sugar levels, cause hunger, and lead to overeating .

By contrast, getting the same amount of calories from high protein foods results in hormone changes that lead to increased fullness and reduced hunger .

In addition, protein has a higher thermic effect than either carbs or fat, meaning it burns more calories during and after digestion .

Studies have demonstrated that calorie intake naturally goes down when you restrict carbs, and that weight loss is greater on low carb diets than it is on low fat diets .

Finally, even if calories were the only thing that mattered, it's very difficult to accurately gauge how many you're eating. One study found that people with obesity underestimated their true food intake by 47%, on average .

Furthermore, calorie counts on processed foods are often inaccurate (47Trusted Source).

    Summary
    A calorie deficit is important for weight loss, but food quality is just as important when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.

The bottom line

Although everyone is unique and there are differences among individuals, certain recommendations for weight loss simply don't work for most people.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement