Parenting Pointers 1111 - The dreaded brain freeze!

The dreaded brain freeze! Really hot and thirsty? Gulp that ice-cold glass of tea and seconds later, realize your mistake? When we gulp icy beverages, an artery behind our eyes dilates and presses on a nearby nerve and wham-o, brain freeze. Rub your forehead like mad, but it’s no use. What other things happen when you drink cold beverages? Ice cold water slows your digestion to a crawl by narrowing your blood vessels. Cold water solidifies the fats you’ve just eaten and take longer to be digested. Sip room temperature water between bites. Cold water can give you a sore throat and a stuffy nose by causing the build-up of mucus. Cold water can decrease your heart rate and you can pass out. If you’ve just finished a workout, cold water will pass right through you and won’t rehydrate you. Teach kids to sip, not gulp cold drinks when they’re super-hot and thirsty.