Heatwave: The (not so) silly questions you're asking yourself
Our answers to those not-so-silly questions you're asking yourself about what to do, and what you can do in the summer with the heat, as an early wave of high temperatures hit France on Thursday, June 19.
1. What should you avoid eating during a heatwave?While no foods are truly contraindicated, it's best to maintain a balanced diet and avoid foods high in salt, such as processed meats. These can lead to water retention.
Fatty meats are among the foods doctors recommend avoiding during hot weather. Proteins, on the other hand, are harder to digest and tend to make you feel hot during digestion.
The Heatwave Info Service platform strongly recommends eating fruits rich in water, such as watermelon or melon. As for vegetables, it's recommended to eat leeks because they are rich in trace elements. Indeed, sweating causes us to lose a lot of mineral salts, so we should try to replenish them as much as possible. Finally, water should be preferred over sugary drinks such as soda and fruit juice.
The Ministry of Health recommends that older people drink regularly without waiting until they are thirsty and continue to eat normally: "Sweat production causes a loss of water and salt that must be compensated. Don't forget to accompany drinking with a varied diet, splitting meals if necessary, to maintain the body's salt intake (bread, soups, etc.).
2. Can you swim in the Seine?Since 1923, a prefectural decree has prohibited swimming in the Seine . Since 1970, another has also prohibited swimming in the Marne, a tributary of the Seine.
However, swimming is permitted in exceptional circumstances in certain restricted areas. In Paris, for example, swimming will be possible in three locations on the Seine and inthe Bassin de la Villette from July 5 to August 31. In Seine-et-Marne, nine natural swimming areas are open to the public.
While swimming is recommended to combat the heat, beware of thermal shock. French firefighters have warned of the risk of hydrocution, which can result from too great a difference between the body and the coolness of the water, potentially leading to drowning.
3. Is a bar required to offer me a glass of water even if I don't drink anything?Restaurants and bars are required to offer their customers free drinking water with a meal or coffee. However, they are under no obligation to provide a free glass of water to non-consumers: they can set a price for a glass of water, provided it is clearly displayed . "A glass of water is a specific and identified service, just like other drinks," explained the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) in a 2018 fact sheet.
So much for the theory. In practice, especially during heatwaves, it's more than likely that the café owner won't let you die of thirst and will offer you a glass of water.
4. Can we water our garden or wash our car?During periods of extreme heat, water restrictions may be imposed by prefectures to address insufficient water resources. The government website VigiEau lists all orders limiting or suspending water use in French departments.
There are four levels of drought severity:
- vigilance (information and encouragement of individuals and professionals to save water);
- alert (reduction of withdrawals for agricultural purposes or ban on a few days a week, measures prohibiting nautical activities, banning watering gardens, green spaces, golf courses, washing cars at certain times, etc.);
- increased alert (increased reduction in withdrawals for agricultural purposes, greater limitation of withdrawals for watering gardens, green spaces, golf courses, car washing, up to the banning of certain withdrawals);
- crisis (stopping non-priority withdrawals, including withdrawals for agricultural purposes. Only withdrawals allowing priority uses to be carried out are authorized for health, civil security, drinking water, sanitation).
Athletes are advised to add a little salt to their drinks during prolonged exercise in intense heat to prevent dehydration – for desert walks, some athletes even take salt tablets. Similarly, it's good to "recharge" with salt in hot weather, as we lose it through sweating. Especially since salt makes us thirsty and encourages us to hydrate. That said, there's no need to add more salt to your meals at the cafeteria, as food-processed dishes already contain too much.
Overall, doctors recommend avoiding sugary drinks, alcohol, and all diuretic drinks – they increase urine output and decrease the body's hydration level.
6. How many liters of sweat can you lose without rehydrating?An average-sized adult produces between 0.5 to 1 liter of sweat per day in a normal situation, not including the water lost through urination. In cases of extreme heat, this figure can rise to 2.5 liters or even 3 liters.
Depending on the water lost – through sweating and urination – certain symptoms may occur in an average-sized adult who does not rehydrate:
- 3 liters: fatigue or beginning of nausea;
- 4 liters: increased breathing, headaches;
- 5 liters: dry tongue, speech difficulties;
- 6 liters: the blood – made up of more than 80% water – begins to have difficulty circulating due to increased viscosity, possible kidney pain.
In adults under 70, thirst begins to appear when they are about 1.5 liters short of water.
7. Should we drink 1.5 liters of beer a day, as was recommended on television in 1975?"The National Committee for the Defense Against Alcoholism states that you can drink 1.5 liters of beer per day without any health risks. Enough to quench your thirst in one day. And why deprive yourself?" With every heatwave, the video becomes cult again. An old France 3 report from 1975, republished by the INA (National Audiovisual Institute), recommended drinking 1.5 liters of beer during a heatwave. More than forty years later, the message has changed significantly. The Ministry of Health recommends "not drinking alcohol" during these extreme heatwaves.
Alcohol has diuretic properties, which by definition stimulate urinary secretions – you go to the bathroom more – and therefore dehydrates. It is therefore better to drink a beer rather than a glass of whiskey, especially since it contains large quantities of water compared to wine or spirits. Again, the ideal is to drink water because it contains mineral salts that we get rid of through sweating.
8. Is it better to sleep naked or clothed?It is recommended to close shutters and windows during the day and ventilate at night. To facilitate sleep, the question of whether to sleep naked or clothed is difficult to decide. It depends on several factors: the temperature of the room, the degree of sweating of the individual, the type of fiber of the sheets, etc.
Heatwave Info Service concludes that there are no specific rules and leaves it to everyone to figure it out. It does, however, recommend that people who sweat a lot sleep in cotton clothing to absorb the perspiration that appears during sleep. It's also best to avoid synthetic materials, which are not very breathable.
9. Can you cook a fried egg on the asphalt or on the hood of a car?Since the cooking temperature of an egg is around 65°C (the white coagulates at around 62°C and the yolk at 68°C), it is not impossible to cook it on dark asphalt which can reach 70°C or on the hood of a car which can reach this temperature in full sun.
Under the same conditions, the temperature inside a car can rise above 70°C, which allows you to bake cakes at a moderate temperature, or dry tomatoes .
Remember that for this same reason, you should never leave your children or animals in a car, even if you have "five minutes" .
10. Can you leave your cat or dog in an apartment during a heatwave?Like humans, dogs and cats suffer from heat and must be protected during a heatwave. Dogs are more sensitive to heat than to cold because they don't sweat much through their skin and therefore have more difficulty regulating their temperature. Several signs indicate that a dog is overheated: it often sticks out its tongue, pants heavily, breathes faster, and starts drooling more than usual. It is recommended to provide a shady area for your dog, regularly provide clean, fresh water in its bowl, wipe its head with a damp washcloth, and walk it often.
Same thing for the cat, but because of its Near Eastern and desert origins , the cat has adapted better to the heat than other pets like the dog: its urinary system, for example, is prepared to concentrate urine to keep a maximum of water. In case of strong heat, it will also seek shade and sleep even more than usual (it is possible, yes) to protect itself. Among the strategies of the cat to cool its body, it can also wash itself a little more than usual: the saliva that it will deposit on its fur will lower the temperature by evaporating.
However, common sense actions can help:
- check that he has enough fresh water;
- give him a little more pâté than usual – it contains more water than dry kibble;
- Try to keep the room cool – this applies to you too.
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