Summer is the season to live our best life. Longer days and more sunlight boost our vitamin D, serotonin, and mood. Who could ask for anything more? Unfortunately, there is a minor drawback to this beautiful season. It’s suffocatingly hot!
We sweat, we’re uncomfortable, and we’re dehydrated before we even leave the house. It would be best to crank up the air conditioning and stay inside until autumn. Unfortunately, high temperatures result in high electric bills.
Because we can’t control the weather, the best way to enjoy our summer is to use these five inexpensive ways to stay cool this summer. They will not only help you enjoy your summer, but they will also help you reduce the cost of your electric bill and save you money.
1. Stay Hydrated
Keeping the body fully hydrated has numerous advantages, one of which is that it will feel cooler. A properly hydrated body can function optimally, including the cooling mechanisms that keep you comfortable. Some liquids work against hydration! Coffee, sugary sodas, beer, wine, and hard liquor, as well as lemonade, sweet tea, energy drinks, smoothies, and flavored milk, are all culprits. They are high in sodium, sugar, and other ingredients that dehydrate your tissues. Consider swapping some of these out daily or rehydrating with more water for each dehydrating drink consumed. Fill up on water; it’s not only good for your body, but it’s also an inexpensive drink!
The scorching heat can make you sweat a lot during the hot summer days and that’s when you start losing a significant amount of fluids. To stay more hydrated this summer, make sure to follow these tips,
- Drink water throughout the day and don’t wait to get thirsty or your kidneys to start screaming until you get reminded of water.
- To find out if you are hydrated enough, observe the color of your urine, i.e. the clearer, the better.
- Make use of natural juices without sugar. They are a source of essential nutrients, such as Vitamin C, that’ll keep you nourished and active in hot weather.
- While an iced cocktail might quench your thirst for time being, it is not a good substitute for water/juices, as it can dehydrate your body even more.
2. Wear Loose Cotton Clothes
Wearing tight and fitting, dark-colored clothing can make you sweat more. Choose loose, light-colored cotton clothing if you like to stay cool and avoid excessive sweating. Sweat does not evaporate when you wear thick clothing. Dark colors also absorb more light wavelengths, making you feel hotter.
On the other hand, cotton is breathable. It does not absorb odors like other fabrics, and cotton is not manufactured with chemicals and, as a result, does not cause any skin irritation and is completely non-allergenic.
3. Let the Cool Air In
Allow a cool breeze to get in your home and cool it down. This is how you do it.
- At night, open the windows and create draughts to ensure that cool air circulates throughout the house.
- Use a ceiling fan to circulate the hot air accumulated overhead, removing some of the humidity caused by condensation and sweat.
- To avoid catching a cold, use standing fans rather than remaining directly in the draught!
- If you’re drying clothes, put a fan behind the dryer. Your clothes will be ready faster, and you will benefit from the coolness provided by the humidity.
One of the most basic steps you can take to beat the heat is to not soak too much sun! A little sunlight won’t hurt anybody but don’t just sit in front of the sun for hours. Avoid peak hours of sunlight, i.e. normally between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. That’s when UV rays are at their highest. It’s the best time to head inside, drink some water and let your body cool down for some time.
In case you’re outdoors for work, make use of sunglasses. They are chic and functional. Invest in some high-quality sunglasses and they’ll prevent UV rays from entering into your corneas and protect your eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one should pick sunglasses that significantly block 99 to 100 percent of UVB and UVA rays.
4. Take a Warm Shower
A cold shower to “cool off” may appear to be an excellent immediate option. We feel cooler because of the cold water and decreased blood flow to the skin, but our core will actually get warmer due to reduced heat loss from the body without skin blood flow. We felt hot again a few minutes later. A warm sensation on the skin, on the other hand, will cause increased blood flow to the skin and increasing heat loss from the body.
So, a warm shower will be more effective in the summer. It will appear warm at first, but it will provide better comfort in the long run after a few minutes.
5. Eat Light Meals
Eating large meals can also cause heat in the body, making you feel uncomfortable. After a large meal, your body has to work harder to digest and metabolize the food. This eventually raises your core temperature and causes you to feel sweaty and exhausted. In the summer, eat light, freshly prepared meals. Reduce your intake of processed foods and salty foods.
Fresh, raw fruits and vegetables contain more water naturally. As a result, eating light produce in its natural form will help you stay hydrated. Light foods are made up of nutritious ingredients that are easy for the body to digest and absorb. Broccoli, tomato, beetroot, carrot, sweet potato, cucumber, eggplant, scallions, and other seasonal vegetables, semolina, wheat pasta, wheat noodles, skinless chicken, fish, egg, etc. are examples of light foods.
Eating light meals will not only help you beat the heat during this summer but also fill you up with essential nutrients.
- Make sure to consume spicy foods in warm climates. The sweat caused by such types of foods, along with a tingling feeling, has a purpose. It actually helps cool your body down. For this purpose, try garnishing your everyday meals with salsa or a little cayenne pepper.
- Fats are loaded with higher salt content and our bodies can’t digest them so quickly. Excessive consumption of salt also increases the risk of dehydration. If you eat meat during summer, make sure to choose low-fat versions, such as chicken breast.
Be Prepared to Beat That Heat!
Extreme heat can strike suddenly and without warning. Extreme heat slows evaporation, requiring the body to work extra hard to maintain an average temperature.
It’s also worth noting that extreme heat can occur anywhere. When you think of heat in the United States, you probably think of the Gulf Coast’s beaches or the West’s deserts. Extreme heat is most dangerous where you least expect it because you are most likely unprepared.
As you can see, there are inexpensive ways to keep cool this summer without breaking the bank. What matters is that you think outside the box and be creative. Summer will bring hot temperatures, so be prepared and safe!