PRO TIP
11 Hot Weather Hacks
How to survive the heat (without sleeping in your fridge)
BY JENNIFER REYNOLDS
Things are heating up and summer has only
just begun. When it comes to beating the heat,
focus on keeping your body cool rather than
cooling the air around you. Here are 11 ways
to keep the air conditioning costs down while
remaining comfortable: Give your feet a treat. Did you know cooling
your feet will help your whole body feel cool?
Keep a bottle of lotion in the refrigerator to
massage into your feet after coming indoors.
For added refreshment, try lotion with
peppermint oil. fashioned” incandescent bulbs put off a great
deal of heat, warming up the room and costing
you more in electricity to cool it. In addition,
dimming your room tricks your brain into
thinking it’s cooler.
Smaller is better. Eat small meals more often
so your body doesn’t have to work so hard to
digest a large amount of food, leading to a rise
in body temperature. Get cold-blooded. Place a wet cloth in the
freezer, then apply it to your neck or wrists —
places where you can feel your pulse. This will
cool the blood traveling through your body,
lowering your temperature from the inside out. Close the blinds and curtains during the
day. Blocking out the sun will keep your home
cooler and cost less to keep cool.
Just say no to steak. Avoid foods high in
protein, which increase metabolic heat.
Go raw. Try uncooked meals, such as
zucchini linguine, to avoid having to heat the
kitchen. Also, eating cold foods such as yogurt,
Popsicles, and refrigerated or frozen fruit will
help keep your body cool.
Avoid alcohol. A cold beer sounds like a great
way to cool off, but alcohol dehydrates your
body — as do caffeinated drinks. Instead, try
water infused with frozen fruit.
Rock a bandana. If you’re going to spend
time outside, roll a few ice cubes in a bandana
and tie it around your neck.
Get a cool night’s sleep. There’s nothing
worse than trying to sleep when you’re hot.
Place a frozen water bottle unde r your pillow
and another under the sheet at your feet to
heat-proof your bed.
Dim down. If you haven’t switched to energy-
efficient light bulbs, now’s the time. “Old-
Do nothing … for a little while. Yes, being
active is part of a healthy lifestyle, but a little
downtime here and there isn’t going to hurt.
During the hottest hours of the day, give
yourself permission to take a snooze, read a
book or catch up on a favorite TV show.
Finally, keep in mind that some medications
can increase the risk for heat-related illness. If
this is a side effect of a medication you are taking,
don’t stop taking it. Know the signs of heat-related
illness (for more on that, see page 14), and take
extra care to stay hydrated and cool.
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