July 2026 Newsletter
Health Tips: Looking After Your Body and Mind During Prolonged Heat
The UK has experienced an unusually prolonged period of hot and, in many areas, dry weather this summer. Temperatures reached exceptional levels during May, June and July, while rainfall remained particularly limited in parts of England, although conditions varied considerably across the country. Temporary hosepipe restrictions were also introduced in some areas as water demand increased and supplies came under pressure.
Most people recognise that hot weather can cause thirst or sunburn, but its wider effects are easy to overlook. Heat can contribute to dehydration, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, muscular cramping and reduced exercise tolerance. It may also disturb sleep and leave some people feeling more irritable, anxious, mentally foggy or less able to cope with everyday demands.
A Few Practical Reminders
- Drink regularly throughout the day. Do not wait until you feel intensely thirsty. Water is usually the best choice, although people who sweat heavily may also need to replace fluids and salts through normal meals or an appropriate rehydration drink.
- Adapt your activity rather than stopping completely. Walking and gentle movement remain useful, but demanding exercise may need to be moved to the early morning or later evening. Reduce the intensity if you feel unusually tired, dizzy, nauseated or weak.
- Keep your home as cool as possible. Close curtains or blinds in rooms exposed to direct sunlight during the day. Open windows when the air outside becomes cooler, particularly in the evening or overnight, where it is safe to do so.
- Allow for slower recovery. Poor sleep and heat-related fatigue can temporarily increase muscular tension, pain sensitivity and irritability. A lighter training session, gentle mobility or a calm walk may be more appropriate than forcing your usual routine.
- Protect your sleep. Use lighter bedding, keep the bedroom shaded during the day and reduce unnecessary heat from lighting or electrical equipment. A cool or lukewarm shower before bed may also help.
- Be aware of medication. Some medicines can affect hydration, temperature regulation or blood pressure. People taking regular medication, particularly diuretics, lithium or certain psychiatric medicines, should seek advice from their pharmacist or prescribing clinician rather than changing medication themselves.
- Check on other people. Older adults, young children and people living with heart, lung, kidney, neurological or mental-health conditions may be more vulnerable during sustained heat. A brief telephone call or visit can make a meaningful difference.
This Month’s Article
Beyond the Divide: A Non-Dual Perspective on Pain, Health and Healing
This month’s article explores how a non-dual perspective can help us understand pain without reducing it either to anatomy alone or to “just stress”. It considers how chiropractic care, rehabilitation, photobiomodulation therapy, breathwork, mindfulness and lifestyle support may work together as parts of a broader, individualised approach.
The intention is not to reject conventional diagnosis or medical care. Rather, it is to recognise that although different aspects of health can be examined separately, they continue to function as part of one interconnected human experience.
Positive News: Could Less Sugar Early in Life Support Better Brain Health Later?
This month’s positive news comes from research suggesting that lower sugar exposure during the earliest stages of life may be associated with better brain health many decades later.
Researchers analysed data from almost 65,000 people in the UK Biobank and used the end of post-war sugar rationing in Britain as a natural experiment. They compared people who experienced sugar rationing during the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to around two years of age, with those born after restrictions ended.
Researchers also identified associations with healthier brain structure and certain measures of cognitive function.
These findings do not prove that sugar exposure alone determines future brain health. The research was observational, and genetic, social, dietary and lifestyle factors may also influence the results.
However, the study adds to growing evidence that nutrition during pregnancy and the first years of life may have consequences extending far beyond childhood.
