The Heat, Energy Levels, and Saturated Fat

(At least the plants like the heat!)

As you probably know, we’ve had quite the heat wave here on the east coast – Tuesday and Wednesday were back-to-back triple digit days.  Sunday and Monday were hot, up in the 90s.  This morning the news predicted temperatures in the 90s with humidity that would pump the heat index to triple digits again.  The air conditioners have been trying to cool things down at home, but it’s been oppressive, still. In a word, miserable.

Silver linings for us, though – our guest room is small and therefore the air conditioner is doing a great job in there.  We sleep there nowadays, so at least we’re getting a good night’s sleep. I work in an air conditioned office most of the day, so I am shielded from the worst of the heat.  I’m so fortunate to have air conditioned refuges; my heart goes out to those who don’t.  And today, the temperatures feel downright balmy!  It’s overcast, and a cool breeze is blowing.  Waiting outside for my lunch (a grass-fed burger, yum), it was actually comfortable.  Such a relief!

Still, I’ve found myself feeling really tired in the evenings this week.  I thought it was the heat, but like I said, I’ve only had to deal with the heat in the evenings.  I’d come home and be ready to collapse around 9pm, feeling like I normally do around 1am, drained.  Not fun.

And while I do understand that being in the heat in the evening can sap some of my energy, it seemed too extreme.   I thought, maybe I’ve just been working too hard and intensely at the office (totally possible).  Perhaps it was the sugar in the homemade gelato I ate earlier in the week?  Or not being able to run this week during the heat?  Whatever it is, it’s been a bummer.

Then yesterday afternoon I read a post by Kelly, which mentions an experience that her friend Sarah, of the Healthy Home Economist, had with her son being at camp and not eating any saturated fats, and feeling blah, tired, and anxious (I’ve been feeling a little more anxious than normal this week, too).  I reviewed in my mind what I had been eating this week and lo and behold my intake of saturated fats has been the lowest it’s been in some time.  The fat I have been eating has pretty much come from a few scoops of gelato and a little bit of raw yogurt; I ate a little pastured beef on Monday, but it is pretty darn lean and I added no fat to it when I cooked it.  Normally I have eggs a few times a week for breakfast, as well as drinking plenty of raw milk – I hadn’t had any of that this week.

Now, part of this is that since it’s been so hot, I haven’t had the desire to eat much of anything, especially in the evenings.  Mostly salad with no protein and little fat (just olive oil).

So, this morning I chose to up the saturated fat intake in the form of two pastured eggs fried in grass-fed butter, along with a glass of raw milk.  I had a grass-fed burger for lunch topped with some good cheese.  Tonight I’ll finish off the delicious fresh pea and pepita salad (recipe to come), but will accompany it with more eggs in butter, and topped with some raw cheddar, since I have no meat defrosted.

So, I’ll be curious to see the effects what I’ve eaten has on me tonight and into the weekend – I must say, I already feel better than I have all week.  Those eggs really gave me a solid foundation for the day.  I’ll be very happy if I can stay up later than 9pm.  Will report back!

This post is participating in Fight Back Friday, hosted by Food Renegade.