storm ⛈️

It's best to go slow, much slower than usual, and take lots of breaks. I'm talking 10min for 30min of movement or work. Resting at each shady spot on a walk. It's easier to stay cool (well, cool-ish) than to cool down. Heat is stressful on the body and mind, and when heat exhaustion starts to set in, it scrambles decision-making.

Water. The average human body can only absorb about 8oz (240mL) of liquid water every 15 minutes or so. Too much more, or more quickly than that, is just going to leave and take precious salts with it. Cool, but not cold, is ideal for absorption, and for keeping the thirst signals firing. About 1 quart (1L) per hour is just about ideal for heavy sweating, but it'll still leave you fatigued and weak without enough...

Food. Food slows down water and gives it time to absorb, especially fiber. That's part of how products like Liquid IV or Powerade work, by providing components that help drag water into the body. Sugar's not an ideal candidate, and too much will dampen the appetite - better is stuff with some fiber, protein, fat, and minerals, which brings me to...

Salts. Not just sodium, but potassium, magnesium, calcium, and others, tons of minerals are lost to sweat that need replacing. Nuts, fresh or dried fruit, beans, fish, leafy vegetables are all great choices. Supplements are out there, but picking one with a decent amount of potassium and not just salt is tricky. One of my favorite summer treats after hard work in the sun, is the combination of a bag of pork rinds and a tall michelada, with just about everything: water, carbs, protein, salt(s), and fat. No fiber, really, but I did say it was a treat.

Alcohol (ethanol). Drinking more than about 16oz (500mL) of 4.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) is an easy way to start to deplete ADH, a critical hormone that tells the body to retain water, instead of quickly dumping it into the bladder. There is some research indicating that a small amount of alcohol (~1 "standard" drink - a beer, a small cup of wine, a finger or two of liquor) helps make the lining of the stomach more permeable and absorb water more quickly, but more than about one drink, and any gains in hydration speed are lost in depletion of ADH. Alcohol metabolism is awfully complicated and depends on many factors, but that's a fair estimate. Some folks will lump caffeine in with alcohol, but a reasonable caffeine intake isn't going to do that much in terms of water loss (~95% retention of 8oz of tea or American-style coffee instead of 100% for plain water).

Stimulants, antidepressants, a ton of drugs: a bunch of these increase sensitivity to heat or sun and heat. Really it's just something to be aware of and account for with additional rest, or even maybe reduce the quantity of, if it's safe.

Covering the skin with loose, baggy, billowy, airy, breathable clothing if at all possible, that will help keep the sun and reflected heat off the skin, will produce light breeze when moving, and will pull sweat away from the body to farther away, where it's slightly more likely to evaporate. Dry clothes breathe better than wet ones, too, because the gaps between the fibers are airy and open, instead of closed up with liquid. Changing clothes frequently into dry, or wringing out the clothes worn, will help keep a body more comfortable and cool.

Frequent cool or cold showers, or just lots of water in general. There are not many bodies of water that have temperatures higher than the human body. Time spent in cool water literally transfers heat energy from the body to the water, much more efficiently than air ever could. Naturally, sweat doesn't evaporate underwater to provide additional cooling, but we're talking hot and humid - the sweat isn't evaporating, not really, anyway.

Finally, I do like Link Wray sang- cover my head and pray for rain.