Product to help with "regulating" body heat

[sheryl]

I'm not sure what I'm asking.  NOT interested in hrt.  Will not do it.  

Are there foods, etc that will help regulate the body temperature?  IOW, to diminish the "heat/warmth/hot" I feel a lot of the time YEAR ROUND!  I keep the house so cold that it's ridiculous, not fair to my dh and dd, expensive utility bill, etc.

Suggestions?

[Selkie]

There are studies showing that a plant based diet minimizes hot flashes, which I have found to be true. I am 49 and eat only plants and have never had hot flashes or night sweats or anything like that.

[BeachGal]

Regular saunas can change thermoregulatory control. Rhonda Patrick (researcher) has spoken about this in one of her interviews. Regular saunas also reduce overall mortality by 40%. They’re beneficial in many ways.

[Pen]

Drink plenty of water.

Light food like salad

Spice like chili can possibly help as it seems warming when eaten but may have cooling after effect 

 I came on to find an herbal that can help called women’s balance or something like that.

an ice pack wrap can help cool you rather than whole house 

If all the time, not flashes, could something be going on like hyperthyroid (too much revving up your inner thermostat?)    I have the opposite problem often of too cold.  

[Pawz4me]

I tried all the natural stuff that seemed plausible. Huge waste of money. Calorie intake, exercise, amount of water/caffeine consumed--none of it made a bit of difference. My doctor recommended Brisdelle and it worked fairly well. It's a very low dose of Paxil (paroxetine) that has been found to be helpful for some women with hot flashes. I took it for a few years and tried going off of it several times. The hot flashes would come back and I'd start back on it and get relief again. I'd try to go off it again in another six months or so, and just kept doing that until I got to the time when the hot flashes didn't return. It wasn't a miracle--it didn't completely stop them. But it definitely helped to reduce both the frequency and severity. And FWIW--at the time I was going through all of that I was also unbeknownst to me becoming hypothyroid. I was never, ever cold. I was HOT.

[sheryl]

I'll answer/reply to all as a group -

Body weight! ACK! Are you kidding?  I'm 5'8" and 120 lbs.  No, I'm not going there but suffice to say I'm overweight on this 5'2" frame.  I'm fairly active but need to be more so.  I don't work outside of the home but am considering looking for p.t. work.  I exercise 5-6 days a week and am getting ready to leave in a bit for a walk.  

Plant based - I might see this a bit and relates somewhat to Arctic Mama asking about weight level.  Foods just hug me.  I have lowered my caloric intake a lot (I was grazing a shameful amount).  Lose It app is helping me stay accountable when I have time to enter everything - still working on that.  

Beach gal - saunas. Interesting.  I can see that too.  When I "accidentally" get too much sun I know that I sleep better (feel cooler) that night.  Hmm.  Seriously consider this but that would require a membership and money out.  

Water, food, spice - yes.  I drink a lot of water in any given day and started this about 10 years ago b/c it's good for people and most don't drink enough.  Light foods coincides with calorie consumption, no?  And, spice - haven't heard of that one. Cinammon? 

Pawz - thanks but if an hrt I'm just not going to do it.  I took hrt 1-2 months a decade ago and thought to myself this is not what I want. 

I should add I'm "not" sweating at night in the winter b/c I keep it so cold but it's just an overall feeling of warm/stuffiness, especially during the warm months of which we have many here in Charlotte, NC.  

 

[Chris in VA]

Do you use Stevia? I have only anecdotals but I am convinced it gave me hot flashes during peri-meno. 

[Pen]

21 minutes ago, sheryl said:

I'll answer/reply to all as a group -

Body weight! ACK! Are you kidding?  I'm 5'8" and 120 lbs.  No, I'm not going there but suffice to say I'm overweight on this 5'2" frame.  I'm fairly active but need to be more so.  I don't work outside of the home but am considering looking for p.t. work.  I exercise 5-6 days a week and am getting ready to leave in a bit for a walk.  

Plant based - I might see this a bit and relates somewhat to Arctic Mama asking about weight level.  Foods just hug me.  I have lowered my caloric intake a lot (I was grazing a shameful amount).  Lose It app is helping me stay accountable when I have time to enter everything - still working on that.  

Beach gal - saunas. Interesting.  I can see that too.  When I "accidentally" get too much sun I know that I sleep better (feel cooler) that night.  Hmm.  Seriously consider this but that would require a membership and money out.  

Water, food, spice - yes.  I drink a lot of water in any given day and started this about 10 years ago b/c it's good for people and most don't drink enough.  Light foods coincides with calorie consumption, no?  And, spice - haven't heard of that one. Cinammon? 

Pawz - thanks but if an hrt I'm just not going to do it.  I took hrt 1-2 months a decade ago and thought to myself this is not what I want. 

I should add I'm "not" sweating at night in the winter b/c I keep it so cold but it's just an overall feeling of warm/stuffiness, especially during the warm months of which we have many here in Charlotte, NC.  

 

 

Chili peppers and similar hot spices—the sort of spices common to  cuisines near equator.  

Whether Latin American or Indian or African.

Big salad with radish, daikon,  and chilies to spice it up.  Jicama for crunch and fibers.  

Vietnamese type mixtures. (Salad with shreds of meat and hot spices).   Tacos with hot spice...

etc.

 

probably should get your thyroid checked

Edited January 28, 2019 by Pen

[Liz CA]

You could try Maca and Black Cohosh. Results vary from person to person.

[BeachGal]

Very hot baths can help, too. Not as good, but they could help. I think Rhonda talks about this with Charles Raison, although the interview is more about how heat affects the opioid pathway and has been used by Raison to treat severe depression. The interview is on YouTube.

[Pen]

http://Gaia Herbs Women's Balance Liquid Phyto-Capsules, 60 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1J80L6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MoZtCb9QDHTX8

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, sheryl said:

 

Pawz - thanks but if an hrt I'm just not going to do it.  I took hrt 1-2 months a decade ago and thought to myself this is not what I want. 

 

Brisdelle is a very low dose anti-depressant, not HRT. 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

2 hours ago, BeachGal said:

Regular saunas can change thermoregulatory control. Rhonda Patrick (researcher) has spoken about this in one of her interviews. Regular saunas also reduce overall mortality by 40%. They’re beneficial in many ways.

 

I don't understand this.  Do 40% of sauna users become immortal?  

[BeachGal]

45 minutes ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

I don't understand this.  Do 40% of sauna users become immortal?  

No, it’s more of an actuarial/statistical term but is somewhat imprecise in what it may mean unless certain parameters are used such as age, sex, etc.

[klmama]

Pay attention to your diet.  I finally realized I was having hot flashes every time I ate tomatoes in any form - salads, lasagna, tacos, spaghetti, chili, BBQ chicken, burgers, veggie soup, pot roast, salsa, guacamole, etc.  When I cut tomatoes from my diet, the hot flashes stopped completely.  

[Pen]

3 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

I don't understand this.  Do 40% of sauna users become immortal?  

 

Weird term isn’t it ?

It would mean a 40% lower death rate in a year for sauna users as compared to a supposedly similar cohort of non sauna users.  

(That is afaik it’s a rate of death per population per annum. We presume 100% of both groups to be mortal. And the majority of both groups won’t die in that year unless they are very old, sick, or in some unusual bad circumstances.) 

So, say, (someone should check my math) if 1000 people were in each group, and if 100 non sauna users died in that year, that would be 10% death rate for non sauna users.

 40% lower would be a 6% death rate in that year for the sauna users.  Or 60 sauna users out of 1000 dying, for that example.  

But it might be correlation not causation.  Maybe the sauna users in study eat better food, use gym, hike, were more healthy in first place, or other things different than non sauna users. Even if they are trying for similar people aside from sauna use.  

Or maybe the sauna users were saved from car accidents during sauna time.  Hard to say.  

Edited January 28, 2019 by Pen

[BeachGal]

20 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

Weird term isn’t it ?

It would mean a 40% lower death rate in a year for sauna users as compared to a supposedly similar cohort of non sauna users.  

(That is afaik it’s a rate of death per population per annum. We presume 100% of both groups to be mortal. And the majority of both groups won’t die in that year unless they are very old, sick, or in some unusual bad circumstances.) 

So, say, (someone should check my math) if 1000 people were in each group, and if 100 non sauna users died in that year, that would be 10% death rate for non sauna users.

 40% lower would be a 6% death rate in that year for the sauna users.  Or 60 sauna users out of 1000 dying, for that example.  

But it might be correlation not causation.  Maybe the sauna users in study eat better food, use gym, hike, were more healthy in first place, or other things different than non sauna users. Even if they are trying for similar people aside from sauna use.  

Or maybe the sauna users were saved from car accidents during sauna time.  Hard to say.  

 

It’s the effect of heat shock proteins for one thing. Studies are pretty robust. 

More info here:

https://selfhacked.com/blog/reasons-sweating-far-often/

Edited January 28, 2019 by BeachGal

[Pen]

7 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

 

It’s the effect of heat shock proteins for one thing. Studies are pretty robust. 

More info here:

https://selfhacked.com/blog/reasons-sweating-far-often/

 

Interesting!

[sheryl]

Pawz,  I'm not depressed.  Although I know some meds are useful for more than one issue. Chris, that's interesting.  No, I don't use Stevia or artificial sweeteners on a regular basis.  Pen, my understanding is that "spicey" foods are worst for feeling heat.  Liz, I've heard of Black Cohosh but not Maca.  I've been shopping health food stores for decades.  One thing I've learned is to be careful with supplements (I'm for them) because some can actually not be effective, perhaps dangerous if not used properly or used with traditional meds. Beach gal, I haven't looked at the link yet but I don't have depression.  Hot baths - really?  Can you rinse off with cold afterwards?  🙂   Klmama,  thanks.  After I read your reply, I googled foods that I might want to try and stay away from.  It's interesting y'all. 

 

[BeachGal]

19 minutes ago, sheryl said:

Pawz,  I'm not depressed.  Although I know some meds are useful for more than one issue. Chris, that's interesting.  No, I don't use Stevia or artificial sweeteners on a regular basis.  Pen, my understanding is that "spicey" foods are worst for feeling heat.  Liz, I've heard of Black Cohosh but not Maca.  I've been shopping health food stores for decades.  One thing I've learned is to be careful with supplements (I'm for them) because some can actually not be effective, perhaps dangerous if not used properly or used with traditional meds. Beach gal, I haven't looked at the link yet but I don't have depression.  Hot baths - really?  Can you rinse off with cold afterwards?  🙂   Klmama,  thanks.  After I read your reply, I googled foods that I might want to try and stay away from.  It's interesting y'all. 

 

 

Yes. Even hot baths but only to an extent.

Making the body hotter can reset the body’s thermoregulatory control which can help people who tend to feel hot all the time moderate their temperature better. Charles Raison mentions this in his interview with Rhonda, iirc.

[Pawz4me]

19 minutes ago, sheryl said:

Pawz,  I'm not depressed. 

 

I think you're misunderstanding. Let me try one more time.

The brand name medication Brisdelle is a low dose of the anti-depressant paxotene (Paxil). It is FDA approved for relieving hot flashes.  It is not FDA approved to treat depression and is not used to treat depression. Studies have shown that it IS effective at relieving hot flash symptoms in some women. Again, that is what it is FDA approved for. This information and more is in the link I provided.

FWIW, I wasn't depressed when I took it either. But it sure did help with the hot flashes.Which is what it is FDA approved for. Not depression. 

[sheryl]

Beachgal,  thanks.   I have time now to check out the link.  Pawz, got it.  LOL!  I'm wanting to try natural approaches if possible.   Perhaps a low dose would be ok.  Thanks for sharing.  FWIW, I don't necessarily have night sweats anymore (although I probably would if the house wasn't kept so cool) but my body is warm.  I have to kick my legs out from under the covers and feel the cold air (remember I keep it pretty cool, but to be fair our 1967 house is drafty. I'll have central ac on, ceiling fan, window ac and other fans on in ONE ROOM during the summer. This warm winter I have the window up about 4". Love the fresh air. How inefficient how house seems to be is another issue) and have to go back under the covers to warm up.  But, I'm not sweating.  I think what I'm trying to say is I run WARM ALL OVER and I sleep better with air circulation.  For me, good sleeping is when it's spring or fall and our windows are up for the night and "whole house fan" runs.  

Do you think I've conditioned my body to prefer cooler temps?  Could it be as easy as implementing some of these ideas and slowly warming my bedroom?  

[CinV]

I've had great success with the supplement DIM to help with the hot all over, all the time feeling.

[gardenmom5]

ashwagandha and black cohash.    however, neither helped with regulating until I got my thyroid and mineral levels under control.

 

a good all- round yoga practice really did help.  then I injured my knee - twice, doing other things (one was someone crashed into me head-on while I was sitting at a stop light.)

[Pen]

15 hours ago, sheryl said:

Beachgal,  thanks.   I have time now to check out the link.  Pawz, got it.  LOL!  I'm wanting to try natural approaches if possible.   Perhaps a low dose would be ok.  Thanks for sharing.  FWIW, I don't necessarily have night sweats anymore (although I probably would if the house wasn't kept so cool) but my body is warm.  I have to kick my legs out from under the covers and feel the cold air (remember I keep it pretty cool, but to be fair our 1967 house is drafty. I'll have central ac on, ceiling fan, window ac and other fans on in ONE ROOM during the summer. This warm winter I have the window up about 4". Love the fresh air. How inefficient how house seems to be is another issue) and have to go back under the covers to warm up.  But, I'm not sweating.  I think what I'm trying to say is I run WARM ALL OVER and I sleep better with air circulation.  For me, good sleeping is when it's spring or fall and our windows are up for the night and "whole house fan" runs.  

Do you think I've conditioned my body to prefer cooler temps?  Could it be as easy as implementing some of these ideas and slowly warming my bedroom?  

 

Your preferences sound to me like they may be in “normal” realm.    

They don’t sound especially hormonal in this explanation.

 

  It’s often considered healthy to sleep in cool room and to have air circulation especially of natural outdoor air (if the outside air is clean ish).   

?  

ETA:

People do get habituated to temperature—a move from one climate to another can show this.  Also a layer of fat can be very insulating and warming—as for marine mammal animals .  Or applying a coat of oil on skin can help to keep warmer.  Different body builds also can be better or worse for different climates.  Inuits tend to have short extremities for example.  And there are differences in metabolism too.

 

Have you tried an ice pack neck / shoulder fabric wrap? 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Pen

[Pen]

16 hours ago, BeachGal said:

Pen, my understanding is that "spicey" foods are worst for feeling heat. 

 

My understanding is that they induce sweat at lower ambient temperature than might otherwise cause sweating—the sweat then cools you down after spicy meal. 

It is supposed to have a longer effect of cool than an iced drink.  But I don’t know if that’s true.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Pen

[stephanier.1765]

On 1/28/2019 at 11:41 AM, Selkie said:

There are studies showing that a plant based diet minimizes hot flashes, which I have found to be true. I am 49 and eat only plants and have never had hot flashes or night sweats or anything like that.

 

I'm a vegan and I have frequent hot flashes. I never realized just how bad they could be. It's awful! Once upon a time, I used to always be cold but now I'm hot even when I'm not having a hot flash. Too bad nudity is frowned upon.

[EKS]

On 1/28/2019 at 8:41 AM, Selkie said:

There are studies showing that a plant based diet minimizes hot flashes, which I have found to be true. I am 49 and eat only plants and have never had hot flashes or night sweats or anything like that.

Perhaps this is because you haven't aged into them yet.  I never had a hot flash until 3 months before my 51st birthday.

[sheryl]

cinv, what is dim?  see, I'd rather not use "meds" and go the natural route as much as possible.  and, even then, supplements and natural remedies really need to be thoroughly researched. some are just not as effective as they claim to be and others may have negative consequences.  one just needs to be very knowledgeable of natural remedies/supplements, etc. 

gardenmom5,  mineral levels checked? Which ones?  Each time my thyroid is checked, it's fine. your knee - ouch!   I've had 10 blows to my left knee in 13 years.  I know where you're coming from. 

Pen, yes it is healthier to sleep in a cooler environment with natural air (preferably).  And, yes, I do have weight to lose but it's very hard the older you get (not always but generally speaking).      

Stephanier, LOL!  

So, in bed last night I think I'm just warm "more" on the lower half (legs mostly) although I am running warm ALL OVER - I notice "more" the entire length of my legs. Weird huh!?!??!!?!  Some of these ideas might help.  Beachgal's idea of saunas - is that wet or dry?  I'm thinking dry.  I've done both more than once.  Other ideas to consider which I actually already do: water, light foods, lose weight and spicy foods - well, still trying to lose weight! 

[geodob]

Sheryl, as you want to go a more natural route.  Perhaps you could look at the 'way that you breathe'?

Our body heat, is being constantly produced in every cell of our body/ brain. With energy being produced in cell, with heat as a bi-product.
The body needs to be kept at a constant temperature.  So that it uses various mechanisms to try and keep it constant.
But one of the main ways that it uses to control temperature?
Are the Blood Vessels just under the surface of our skin.
What the Blood Vessels can do, is vary between being dilated and contracted.
Being just under the skins surface. When they are dilated, more heat is lost through the skin.
Though to retain heat, when it's cold.  The blood vessels are contracted/ shrunk.  With less heat loss.
So that this the primary way that our body temperature is regulated.
With Sweating as a secondary method.
So that I wonder if what is happening. Is that the Blood Vessels under your Skin.  Aren't effectively Dilating, to enable the loss of heat?

But then, their is a mechanism that effects the Dilation/Contraction of the Blood Vessels?
Which is the amount of Carbon Dioxide in our blood.
Where a certain ratio of Oxygen to Carbon Dioxide is required.
So that as we breathe in, and breathe out. This ratio is maintained.

But, this ratio can be effected by the way that we breathe?
By simply exhaling a bit more, than we inhale.  With each breathe.
Which will lower the Carbon Dioxide in our Blood. In turn, reducing the Dilation of the Blood Vessels.
Resulting in less removal of internal body heat.
So that what you could try?  Is to observe your breathing?  Then to do some trials.  Where you intentionally try to raise your Carbon Dioxide blood levels.  By trying to Exhale a bit more than you inhale.  Then observing whether this causes you to 'feel cooler'?

Edited January 30, 2019 by geodob

[sheryl]

geodob, well, that is interesting indeed!  I would want more information on that.  I do wear a cpap machine and I'm certain that weight gain over the years has contributed to the necessity of my wearing one.  I'd really like to lose weight to sleep better (no cpap machine and cooler).

There might be some merit to it though.  I'm on blood pressure med.  Do you have a source/link for the above info?  Thanks for your input!

[sheryl]

On 1/28/2019 at 11:47 AM, BeachGal said:

Regular saunas can change thermoregulatory control. Rhonda Patrick (researcher) has spoken about this in one of her interviews. Regular saunas also reduce overall mortality by 40%. They’re beneficial in many ways.

Do you have a specific link or address where I can find this interview?  Is it You Tube or other?  Thanks! 

[BeachGal]

It’s in one of Rhonda Patrick’s interviews which you can find on YouTube. Her channel is called Found My Fitness. I think maybe it was with psychiatrist and professor Charles Raison but not sure. Her interviews tend to go off on rabbit trails which personally I love but it can be hard to find particular info.

[Pen]

 

On 1/30/2019 at 4:16 AM, geodob said:

But, this ratio can be effected by the way that we breathe?
By simply exhaling a bit more, than we inhale.  With each breathe.
Which will lower the Carbon Dioxide in our Blood. In turn, reducing the Dilation of the Blood Vessels.
Resulting in less removal of internal body heat.
So that what you could try?  Is to observe your breathing?  Then to do some trials.  Where you intentionally try to raise your Carbon Dioxide blood levels.  By trying to Exhale a bit more than you inhale.  Then observing whether this causes you to 'feel cooler'?

 

I am very interested in this!

but not clear which direction will or might  increase blood vessel dilation. And Vice versa?