Heat stroke, hypoglycemia, stress… Public transport is a place where people can feel unwell. The number of blackouts is even higher in the summer, when temperatures rise and there are many passengers. This state of discomfort can have different intensities, it can appear suddenly or gradually. It includes fatigue, loss of muscle tone, impaired alertness, sweating, and can even lead to loss of consciousness. To avoid getting to this point, naturopath Hélène Comlan shared her tip with us.
The first thing to know is that “To avoid discomfort, we must first prevent it”. Concretely, prepare your body to withstand the heat of public transport. This starts by avoiding dehydrating drinks, therefore alcoholic drinks, sodas and sugary drinks. “Avoid eating spices that will generate heat such as ginger, chili pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and star anise” adds Hélène Comlan. Your clothing choices are also important to ensure your comfort on public transport. Certain fabrics prevent sweating, which increases body temperature. “We should turn to natural materials such as cotton, hemp, silk, linen and avoid polyester and viscose.” And if despite all these reflexes, you fear heatstroke, you should slip a small specific remedy into your handbag.
This remedy recommended by the naturopath is a lavender or mint hydrosol spray. Hydrosol is a distilled aromatic water sold in drugstores, organic stores, specialty stores such as Aroma-Zone or even organic cosmetics stores. Lavender has soothing and antispasmodic properties to relax during times of stress. As for mint, it is stimulating and refreshing, ideal against fatigue and heat. For greater effectiveness, you can keep the hydrosol cool and put it in your bag just before leaving.
When discomfort occurs, spray the hydrosol on the neck, face and thighs. “You also have to think about hydrating yourself regularly and, we don’t think about it enough, but hydrosol is drunk” completes the expert. If you want to try, you can add a tablespoon of mint hydrosol to your water bottle or gourd. This additional tip can encourage you to drink more and refresh you more effectively.