protecting the brain: heat exhaustion

So it's been hot here!  And normally, that doesn't concern me a whole lot.  I do have light skin and light eyes, which the experts say are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses.  But I deal.  You know?  I deal with it.  

But with Alzheimer's possibly looming, brain health is my #1 priority.  So this past week, I've experienced heat exhaustion 3x.  3x in 1 week.  What does that do to my brain?  It honestly scares me -- what did I do?  

And all 3 of the heat exhaustion incidents could've been avoided.  The first was at HotWorx, an exercise spa.  I did 2 exercises in a row.  Dumb.  The second was a Friday night farmer's market during a heat advisory.  I should've canceled.  Dumb.  And the third was a KC Royals game, in the middle of the day, temps in the high 90's.  That one I was locked in because it was a family excursion.  I could've stayed home.  I definitely should've stayed home. But I went.  And it was not only a heat exhausting day -- it was an emotional exhausting day.  Adult kids are complicated.

So the third day of being exposed to high heat, not only did my brain have to work EXTRA hard because of the heat, but also it/I was put in a high-stress emotional situation all day!  

Advocating for yourself for brain health is difficult --  and can get lonely.  This culture, at least America's culture, does not make it easy!  As an example, it's a hot day at a baseball game -- and what do they have available?  Fried foods, ice cream, beer, other alcohol options, and water.  There was more than that, mind you, but you get the jist.  The only option that was going to help with any type of heat illness or ward off heat illness was water.  There was one spot where you could get some Hawaiian food - but that was heavy on teriyaki sauce, which meant sugar.   But I knew this going in -- I knew that food was going to be limited for me.  And I could've packed a nice lunch for me, but to make it harder -- there are so many restrictions on what you can/cannot bring in to a ballgame. 

Honestly, the deck is stacked against you in this culture to live a brain healthy lifestyle!

Imagine this, America -- imagine a ballgame where there is a farmer's market with local growers set up to sell.  Imagine offering more than just plain water -- but also sparkling water!  Would it be so hard to have grilled chicken w/grilled vegetables available?  Why does everything have to cater to the unhealthy?  

It's frustrating, to say the least, to see what's coming down the line for me if I don't make significant changes.  And I've been making those changes.  But as I've been doing this, my eyes are more and more open at just how unhealthy our culture operates.  It's like it is set up to watch us fail -- and then pharmaceutical companies can swoop in and provide a quick solution.  That's a whole other rant. Sorry!

So I guess today I will focus on hydration and trying to do things that bring me joy/calm/peace to help heal this brain of mine after subjecting it to heat exhaustion 3x and emotional stress.  Taking a nice walk outside is not an option -- to day we have another heat advisory and air quality advisory.  But I should have a calm day at my contract job today -- and I watch my mom this afternoon.  Hopefully it's a good day for her -- because the good days do bring me joy.