If heading to the beach for a dip in the sea, during the hottest part of the year, isn’t an option, here’s a few tips on how you can beat the heat while at home.
Sweating is your body’s way of cooling down, so make sure you’re drinking lots of water to replace what you’re losing. Plus, the resulting trips to the toilet are your body’s way of getting rid of more heat, so it’s a win, win there.
Choose the cold options for your meals. Salads are a great choice and healthy too. Plus, it means that you don’t need to put the oven or stove on to cook your meals.
Eating an ice-lolly always worked when you were a child so why not do it again: Use a handful of fresh basil leaves, 1/2 a watermelon and place them into a liquidiser. Pour the resulting juice into ice-lolly molds and freeze.
Cool down with a smoothie. Coconut water or wheatgrass have hydrating properties so try to include those: 1 cup/mug watermelon, 1/4 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1/2 cup pure, unsweetened coconut water, 4 ice cubes, a handful of wheat grass. Liquidise until smooth, then enjoy.
Avoid coffee as it can have dehydrating effects.
Use a dampened flannel on your pressure points for an instant cool down. So, on your ankles, behind the knees, wrists, elbow bends, neck or your temples will all help.
If you have a skylight, make sure you keep it open through the day and night to allow the hottest air in the house to escape and draw cooler air in. But do remember to close it if it rains!
Keep your curtains and windows, on the sunny side of the house, closed until the sun has gone round. Then throw them all open.
Turn off unnecessary electrical items that can generate quite a bit of heat.
Houseplants help to cool the environment.
Dress appropriately, think cotton, airy and light clothing. Try not to have any footwear or socks on at all. You can really appreciate it if you have a cool tiled floor.
How to sleep at night: Consider having a cool bath or shower in the evening and go to bed with your hair still damp. I can’t vouch for the hairstyle you’ll have in the morning but at least you might get some sleep.
Damp down some socks and wring them out so they are damp but not dripping. Put them on at bedtime and they will really cool you down and help you drift off to sleep.
If you can, consider sleeping downstairs or even outside.
Stay cool!
