Can We Talk About Body Temperature Regulation?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Okay, so yesterday we had triple digit temperatures here. It just so happened that our AC decided to quit working. It was 95 degrees in my home and I was barely able to move. My heart felt like it was pounding in my ears and I was very near to passing out, despite taking several cold showers and drinking lots of ice water. It was also very difficult to breath. My husband agreed it was too hot and didn't want to do much, but he was not nearly as bad as I was. We left the house before too long and went to the mall for a while then out to eat and to a few other places with AC. I was better in the AC but as soon as I walked outside I had those symptoms of heatstroke again. Fortunately when we came home at the end of the day the air had been fixed, however this really has me concerned that I might have another condition that's preventing my body from regulating the temperature. This is not the first time I have felt this way. A few weeks ago we were out and about in the heat and I nearly passed out from it. I had my thyroid checked six months ago and it was fine then (I know it could change but I don't think my insurance will cover another test this year). I have also had a full cardiogram ultrasound and wore a heart monitor for a week about a year ago (this was due to randomly passing out/falling asleep, which has not happened since I went gluten free) and my heart was fine and strong. So I'm wondering if this is gluten-related or if I should look for another cause?

[kpryan]

I don't know...I think that heat is difficult for anyone. Do you work out? I know when I am in better shape (and exercising outdoors) I can better handle the heat.

Where do you live? Has it just gotten hot there? If so, your body may not have had time to adjust yet to the high temps. Here in NJ, it's been in the high 90's for a few weeks which is unseasonable...so it's been rough.

Not to say that it might not be related, but I think 95 in your house would be very hard for anyone....esp if you are not used to that kind of heat.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I don't know...I think that heat is difficult for anyone. Do you work out? I know when I am in better shape (and exercising outdoors) I can better handle the heat.

Where do you live? Has it just gotten hot there? If so, your body may not have had time to adjust yet to the high temps. Here in NJ, it's been in the high 90's for a few weeks which is unseasonable...so it's been rough.

Not to say that it might not be related, but I think 95 in your house would be very hard for anyone....esp if you are not used to that kind of heat.

I live in Virginia (near the ocean) but I grew up in the midwest, so it's very possible I am just not used to the heat and humiditiy. I don't work out as much as I should, but I am building my strength back up after three years of being very, very sick (to the point of being bedridden for a few months). I live close enough to a stores that I can walk and since being gluten free requires lots of fresh fruit and veggies (at least the way I eat it does) I walk to the store almost every other day. Except in this heat I have not been able to and I have stayed home mostly for the past couple weeks. It has been in the upper 90's for the last two weeks with barely a break--it doesn't even get cool at night here.

[kpryan]

Heat is just taxing on the body no matter what. So if you are not at 100%, I am sure it'll be more taxing. Like you said trying to keep cool and hydrate would be the best course of action.

I am dairy free as well. Can I ask what you commonly eat? I often get so sick of my stand-bys ....esp in terms of snacks. I also notice that I have adverse reactions to a lot of fruits & veggies (apples, pears, brocolli...) so I know I need to up my fruit and veggie intake, but a lot of them bother me as well...

[tmbarke]

I live in Virginia (near the ocean) but I grew up in the midwest, so it's very possible I am just not used to the heat and humiditiy. I don't work out as much as I should, but I am building my strength back up after three years of being very, very sick (to the point of being bedridden for a few months). I live close enough to a stores that I can walk and since being gluten free requires lots of fresh fruit and veggies (at least the way I eat it does) I walk to the store almost every other day. Except in this heat I have not been able to and I have stayed home mostly for the past couple weeks. It has been in the upper 90's for the last two weeks with barely a break--it doesn't even get cool at night here.

I can relate to your issues

I myself seem to get overheated when the temp goes up and the humidity makes it harder for me to breathe.

I take a cool shower or a warm shower - but the relief is still only temporary.

I want to sleep but can't - I can't move - I get very irritated/awnry/angry....almost furious and want to cry - face turns red and body gets weak.

I almost passed out a couple times.....definitely get the headaches.

I also get overheated if I get cross contaminated ....... and the anger sets in with a red face.

So related? I do believe so.

If anyone finds a way to deal with this - let me know!

Tena

[GlutenFreeManna]

Heat is just taxing on the body no matter what. So if you are not at 100%, I am sure it'll be more taxing. Like you said trying to keep cool and hydrate would be the best course of action.

I am dairy free as well. Can I ask what you commonly eat? I often get so sick of my stand-bys ....esp in terms of snacks. I also notice that I have adverse reactions to a lot of fruits & veggies (apples, pears, brocolli...) so I know I need to up my fruit and veggie intake, but a lot of them bother me as well...

Oh gosh, I don't know what I would eat if fruit and veggies bothered me. I have bananas and apples most often for snacks because they are cheap most of the year. I'll either eat them with some peanut butter or drizzle with a little honey if I want something sweet. I eat eggs multiple ways--hard boiled, scrambled, poached--but most often hard boiled because it's also a good portable snack. For veggies snacks I like carrots, celery, cucumber dipped in hummus.

Most meals are simply a piece of grilled or broiled beef or chicken with steamed veggies and rice or potatoes. I vary the seasonings and way it's prepared, but it does get boring sometimes. I really like stir-fried veggies and meat over rice. I use garlic infused olive oil or sesame oil for the flavoring in place of the soy. Balsamic vinegar has also made a good sub in some recipes that call for soy sauce. Lately I have been playing with rice paper wrappers from the Asian food store. You can wrap just about any meat or veggie up in those and eat it hot or cold.

I shop for my veggies based on what is seasonal and what is on sale that week. I'll plan one or two meals around a specific veggie--for example, recently red bell peppers have been at a low price here so I bought a bunch and made stuffed peppers (stuffed with ground bison, onions, garlic cloves, rice tomato sauce and seasonings. I also roasted some in the oven to made roasted red peppers. I used some for salads, stir fry and to top my burger patties and then froze the rest. I'll take a burger and add red onions, ketchup (I like Annie's organic) and pickles and then "wrap" it with a couple pieces of lettuce so I can eat it with my hands. Zucchini and yellow squash are two other veggies in season right now that I love for stir-frying and I'm sure to make a stuffed version of them one of these days similar to the peppers. I do cabbage rolls in the winter time stuffed with much the same mixture of meat and rice as the red peppers.

I make some type of salad at least twice per week (but never two days in a row because I can't handle having that much raw veggies at a time). This week I made a really good one with baby bok choi, carrots and apples. Here's the recipe I followed: Open Original Shared Link The only thing I changed was I left out the ginger and I used olive oil instead of canola. It was so refreshing and nice not to cook. I can tolerate some yogurt and some low-lactose cheeses now, so I will use plain yogurt in some things as a sub for sour cream, but I rarely make meals that have cheese. I also have found I can eat goat cheese and goat milk without any problems. So if I'm feeling like I really want cheese on my salad I'll get some goat cheese.

Let's see what else...Oh I eat Mexican quite frequently too without any cheese: Tacos and fajita's in corn tortillas mostly. Just load up on other toppings that we can have and you don't miss the cheese. I'll do whole roasted chicken or a beef roast in the crock pot pretty often too--add potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic at the bottom of the pot and then set the meat on top. Rub the meat or chicken with whatever spices you like or pour over some bottled gluten-free BBQ Sauce (I haven't found one yet that doesn't have soy though so I'm staying away from the bottled sauces for the most part).

[GlutenFreeManna]

I can relate to your issues

I myself seem to get overheated when the temp goes up and the humidity makes it harder for me to breathe.

I take a cool shower or a warm shower - but the relief is still only temporary.

I want to sleep but can't - I can't move - I get very irritated/awnry/angry....almost furious and want to cry - face turns red and body gets weak.

I almost passed out a couple times.....definitely get the headaches.

I also get overheated if I get cross contaminated ....... and the anger sets in with a red face.

So related? I do believe so.

If anyone finds a way to deal with this - let me know!

Tena

Thank You! It's good to know I'm not alone. Oh I get what I call the "gluten fever" too. When I've been glutened I get alternating fever and chills--this is regardless of the weather.

[tmbarke]

Thank You! It's good to know I'm not alone. Oh I get what I call the "gluten fever" too. When I've been glutened I get alternating fever and chills--this is regardless of the weather.

I can usually tell when I'm accidently glutened or reacting to something other than gluten........I take my pulse before I put anything in my mouth while relaxed.......then, when I take a sip of tea (new try out) or milk......or eat something I'm curious about........then I take my pulse again and then every 10 minutes for about 30 min or 45 min.

If your pulse increases (my normal is 88bpm) from your normal - then your body is fighting harder to get it out of the system (my highest was 130bpm) and you will know from that one sip or bite to stop.

It will come back down in that amount of time usually.

But that 'fever' you get is very similar to mine as well.

When I'm glutened, it attacks my thyroid......like Hasimotos....so I feel it in temperature and pulse and mood. (I have warned my coworkers of the 'mood' since I could bite their head off Open Original Shared Link!)

You mentioned you had your thyroid checked - but perhaps you're experiencing what I do when glutened....and it is the thyroid after all.

All I know, is that in our cases.......it's like being in haites with no escape.......and that's being nice

Perhaps a pool would be like a diamond ring! and a mojito!

BTW - PASS ON THAT STUFFED ZUCCHINI RECIPE! I JUST MADE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA - SLICE ZUCCHINI IN PLACE OF PASTA.....HEAVEN!

[GlutenFreeManna]

I can usually tell when I'm accidently glutened or reacting to something other than gluten........I take my pulse before I put anything in my mouth while relaxed.......then, when I take a sip of tea (new try out) or milk......or eat something I'm curious about........then I take my pulse again and then every 10 minutes for about 30 min or 45 min.

If your pulse increases (my normal is 88bpm) from your normal - then your body is fighting harder to get it out of the system (my highest was 130bpm) and you will know from that one sip or bite to stop.

It will come back down in that amount of time usually.

But that 'fever' you get is very similar to mine as well.

When I'm glutened, it attacks my thyroid......like Hasimotos....so I feel it in temperature and pulse and mood. (I have warned my coworkers of the 'mood' since I could bite their head off Open Original Shared Link!)

You mentioned you had your thyroid checked - but perhaps you're experiencing what I do when glutened....and it is the thyroid after all.

All I know, is that in our cases.......it's like being in haites with no escape.......and that's being nice

Perhaps a pool would be like a diamond ring! and a mojito!

BTW - PASS ON THAT STUFFED ZUCCHINI RECIPE! I JUST MADE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA - SLICE ZUCCHINI IN PLACE OF PASTA.....HEAVEN!

I don't really have a recipe, but I'll tell you basically how I make the filling:

Ingredients:

several zucchini (2-4 depending on how big they are)

Cooked rice, cooled

1 lb raw ground meat (lean meats like chicken, turkey, or bison work well, but beef will be fine)

tomatoes sauce (here is where I change it up a little, sometimes I use jarred spaghetti sauce, sometime just plain and add my own spices, I have even used a canned of diced tomatoes (drained) in place of the sauce)

1 large egg, beaten (optional)

1/2 of an onion, diced (may sub onion powder)

2-3 cloves of raw garlic finely chopped (may sub garlic powder)

about a teas of kosher salt

about 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

about a TBS Additional Italian seasonings if using plain sauce or dice tomatoes

Directions:

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise.

Hollow out the seeds with a spoon to make a "canoe". A melon baller works well for this.

Salt the zucchini and set aside.

In a large bowl mix meat, rice and egg. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, HALF of tomato sauce and seasonings. Mix Well.

Rinse the zucchini to remove excess water drawn out by the salt. Pat dry with a paper towel.

"fill" the zucchini with the stuffing.

Top witht he remaining tomatoes after you put them in crock or on baking sheet.

There are two different way I have cooked these--in the oven or in the slow cooker. I much prefer the slow cooker for hot summer days. Spray a little olive oil in your slow cooker to "grease", place the stuffed zucchini in the bottom. Cook on low for 5-6 hours (this will vary depending on how big your zucchini is and how big of a slow cooker you use.

In the oven: Preheat oven to 375. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

I make essentially the same filling for stuffed peppers and cook them the same way. Most the recipes out there have cheese added on top, but for people that can't eat cheese it's just as good without. Just be sure your seasonings are not very old or they won't have much flavor.

[jerseyangel]

I JUST MADE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA - SLICE ZUCCHINI IN PLACE OF PASTA.....HEAVEN!

Hi, I've been wanting to try that. Do you do anything to the zucchini slices before assembling the lasagna? Thanks

[sb2178]

I find that when it's hot I have to make sure that I get some salt as well as water. Since going gluten-free, I went from low prepared food intake (already salted) to basically none (larabars & canned tuna). Otherwise I'm constantly lightheaded/dizzy. I've passed out doing low key gardening because I can't keep my BP up.

Today, for example, it been low 90s and I've been fairly active (involuntary... would rather have been lying on a beach towel in the shade by some water) and felt much better after I had salted rice cakes with salted PB for lunch. I'm not talking large amounts. Just a little to replace what's dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose... basically think gatorade.

I've never tolerated the heat well. But the regular dizziness etc is new this year. Does that line up with gluten issues...? Maybe.

[tmbarke]

Hi, I've been wanting to try that. Do you do anything to the zucchini slices before assembling the lasagna? Thanks

JUST PEEL THEM AND CUT INTO 1/8" SLICES LENGTHWISE IS ALL.....MAY NEED TO BAKE A TAD LONGER IF FORKED AND STILL FIRM.

BUT OH BABY! THIS IS FANTASTIC! AND I USED CLASSICO TRADITIONAL BASIL SAUCE WITH HAMBURGER AND MUSHROOMS.

SKIPPED THE COTTAGE OR RICOTTA AND MIXED A BIT OF CHEDDAR IN WITH THE MOZ.

COVERED WITH FOIL THE WHOLE DURATION.

GOT THE IDEA FROM THE SCD DIET SITE OF RECIPES - ONLY THEY USE TOMATO JUICE.....NOT ME - GOTTA HAVE A THICKER SAUCE!

GOOD LUCK!

[tmbarke]

I find that when it's hot I have to make sure that I get some salt as well as water. Since going gluten-free, I went from low prepared food intake (already salted) to basically none (larabars & canned tuna). Otherwise I'm constantly lightheaded/dizzy. I've passed out doing low key gardening because I can't keep my BP up.

Today, for example, it been low 90s and I've been fairly active (involuntary... would rather have been lying on a beach towel in the shade by some water) and felt much better after I had salted rice cakes with salted PB for lunch. I'm not talking large amounts. Just a little to replace what's dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose... basically think gatorade.

I've never tolerated the heat well. But the regular dizziness etc is new this year. Does that line up with gluten issues...? Maybe.

I KNOW THAT LIGHT HEADED DIZZINESS IS HAPPENING TO ME - SO HOPE SOMEONE ELSE CHIMES IN WITH MORE INFO

[tmbarke]

FANTASTIC! THANKS! THEY SOUND VERY GOOD!

[tarnalberry]

If you either haven't gotten out into the heat this year, or it's the first heatwave for your area, your body may need time to adapt and acclimate to the different temperature, as well. It's kind of like easing your way into exercising - ease yourself into tolerating the heat. (One way to do this would be to start upping the indoor temperature (a bit) so that the AC is running, but not keeping it as cool. The sudden temperature shifts from a cool indoors to a hot outdoors can also be taxing on the body.)

[jerseyangel]

JUST PEEL THEM AND CUT INTO 1/8" SLICES LENGTHWISE IS ALL.....MAY NEED TO BAKE A TAD LONGER IF FORKED AND STILL FIRM.

BUT OH BABY! THIS IS FANTASTIC! AND I USED CLASSICO TRADITIONAL BASIL SAUCE WITH HAMBURGER AND MUSHROOMS.

SKIPPED THE COTTAGE OR RICOTTA AND MIXED A BIT OF CHEDDAR IN WITH THE MOZ.

COVERED WITH FOIL THE WHOLE DURATION.

GOT THE IDEA FROM THE SCD DIET SITE OF RECIPES - ONLY THEY USE TOMATO JUICE.....NOT ME - GOTTA HAVE A THICKER SAUCE!

GOOD LUCK!

Thank you!

[K8ling]

Thank You! It's good to know I'm not alone. Oh I get what I call the "gluten fever" too. When I've been glutened I get alternating fever and chills--this is regardless of the weather.

Me too! I break out in a cold sweat and drench the sheets. My husband likes to say "You got the FEVAH baby!" to make me smile when I feel terrible.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Me too! I break out in a cold sweat and drench the sheets. My husband likes to say "You got the FEVAH baby!" to make me smile when I feel terrible.

Oh, that's so sweet of your Hubby. Mine jokes that I'm his little space heater or electric blanket.

[GlutenFreeManna]

If you either haven't gotten out into the heat this year, or it's the first heatwave for your area, your body may need time to adapt and acclimate to the different temperature, as well. It's kind of like easing your way into exercising - ease yourself into tolerating the heat. (One way to do this would be to start upping the indoor temperature (a bit) so that the AC is running, but not keeping it as cool. The sudden temperature shifts from a cool indoors to a hot outdoors can also be taxing on the body.)

Okay, what temperature do you keep the AC? We keep it between 76-77 right now and it's just barely tolerable to me heat-wise if I'm doing housework. Today it's set to 76, but not keeping up (which means they didn't really fix it yesterday ) so the actual temperature in here is 78. I don't think I could stand to go much warmer.

[Fey]

I find that when it's hot I have to make sure that I get some salt as well as water. Since going gluten-free, I went from low prepared food intake (already salted) to basically none (larabars & canned tuna). Otherwise I'm constantly lightheaded/dizzy. I've passed out doing low key gardening because I can't keep my BP up.

My mom had low BP issues, and ate olives in bulk. Easy and quick snack

[GlutenFreeManna]

I find that when it's hot I have to make sure that I get some salt as well as water. Since going gluten-free, I went from low prepared food intake (already salted) to basically none (larabars & canned tuna). Otherwise I'm constantly lightheaded/dizzy. I've passed out doing low key gardening because I can't keep my BP up.

Today, for example, it been low 90s and I've been fairly active (involuntary... would rather have been lying on a beach towel in the shade by some water) and felt much better after I had salted rice cakes with salted PB for lunch. I'm not talking large amounts. Just a little to replace what's dripped down my forehead and off the end of my nose... basically think gatorade.

I've never tolerated the heat well. But the regular dizziness etc is new this year. Does that line up with gluten issues...? Maybe.

Oooh, I think you may have hit on something here. I have always had very low BP. Sometimes it was too low to donate blood. One time the nurse told to go eat something salty and come back in 30 minutes. I don't get light-head though, just the pounding heart in my ears and difficulty breathing. I have been drinking tons of water to stay hydrated, but I will pick up some gatorade for next time the AC stops working or I need to be out in the heat. The rice cakes with peanut butter are a good idea. I also like to eat stove cooked popcorn as a snack so I guess I have a reason to eat it more often.

[conniebky]

I got "hot flashes" that last 2-3 hours when glutened. I sweat and my hair gets nasty and all that, and it lasts for a long time.

It's in the 90-100's here, too, and I'm way used to it, but when I ingest gluten, I sweat really bad.

[K8ling]

HAHA it looks like we are a community of space heaters.

[kayo]

I've always had issues regulating my body temperature. I get hot really quickly and once I heat up it takes forever for me to cool back down again. That leads me to feeling anxious and claustrophobic. I sweat like crazy all year round. I'm often hot when everyone else around me says it's comfortable or even cool. I'm super sensitive to humidity. I take tepid showers because the hot water makes me feel faintish. Since going gluten-free it seems to be a bit better but not great. My husband calls me his little space heater.

[tmbarke]

Thank you!

Many of my coworkers look forward to my gluten free cooking because it tastes better than what they are used to! 'go figure'

One person told me......'I think you've missed your calling - because of your celiac....you could make many more people happy that truly need your cooking'....(bows with honor and a grin)

Anywho...........You are so welcome!

If you need the recipe....just hollah and I'll post.

I have so missed lasagna and this is far better than the real thing for me! imho