HOT tips to “KEEP COOL” in the summer months

Thursday, 17 June 2010

HOT tips to “KEEP COOL” in the summer months

Those most at risk from the sun or suffering ill effects from the heat include children under four,  people over 65 whose bodies adapt more slowly to the change in temperature, overweight people whose bodies tend to retain heat more and people who are ill.

• Eat small meals and eat more often. The larger the meal, the more metabolic heat your body creates breaking down the food. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat.
• Run your wrists under a cold tap for five seconds each every couple of hours. Because a main vein passes through this area, it helps cool the blood.
• Eat spicy food. Although this may be the last thing you fancy in hot weather, curries and chillies can stimulate heat receptors in the mouth, enhance circulation and cause sweating, which cools the body down.
• Take a tepid bath or shower just below body temperature, especially before bedtime. Although a cold shower might sound more tempting, your body generates heat afterwards to compensate for the heat loss.
• If you have a basement, use it during the hottest hours of the day when the sun is highest. Basements are usually 10-15 degrees cooler than the upstairs part of the house.
• Wear lightweight, light-coloured cotton clothes. Heat is trapped by synthetic fibres, but cotton absorbs perspiration and its evaporation causes you to feel cooler. The light colours reflect the sun's radiation.
• While you're out, keep the house curtains drawn to stop it heating up like a greenhouse.
• Arrange your daily activities in the early morning hours or late evening hours, if possible because these are the cooler times of the day. Slow down and avoid strenuous activity which will stimulate your body and raise its core temperature. The coolest part of the day, is usually before 7am.
• Get some Migraine Ice patches. These soft gel patches - designed to soothe headaches - come into their own during heat waves as they instantly reduce skin temperature when applied. They can be found in most larger chemists.
• Sleep on a feather or down pillow with a cotton pillowcase. Synthetic pillows will retain heat.
• Hire an air-conditioning unit from £30 a week. Placed in the corner of the room, this box - no bigger than a bedside cabinet - will cool things down within half an hour.
• The night before you go out for the day in the sun, roll some damp flannels up and pop them in the freezer. Take them with you in a plastic bag or a cool bag. Ideally a pack lunch size cool bag will do  Then, when you start to feel hot, un-wrap them and place them over your face, the back of your neck, around your wrists or even your feet.
• Ditch your duvet and sleep under a sheet instead. As we fall asleep our body temperature lowers, which is why it's difficult to sleep in hot weather.
• Sit back, close your eyes and picture snow. Research has shown that the body reacts to these daydreams, reducing its overall temperature.
• Keep your skin care lotions in the cool place.  These will gives you cool feeling when you apply them to your skin.
• Drink lots of liquids because as you will be losing more fluid than normal, it is important to top up your supplies. This will also help your skin looks more refreshing and fair. Avoid alcohol because it dehydrates the body. You are better off with mineral water or low-sugar fizzy drinks. Also, avoid drinks with caffeine such as coffee and colas. These increase the metabolic heat in the body. OR, drink chrysanthemum tea. Practitioners say chrysanthemum is a cooling herb which clears the head.
• Keep drinking water or liquids in the freezer in a slightly under-filled plastic bottle. Take a bottle with you on a day trip and as the day goes on, the ice will melt and give a refreshing and cool supply of water or drink. This should not be done with fizzy drinks.
• Fill a standard hot water bottle with iced water. Use it to cool your ankles and the back of your knees — it works
• Make a Rice Sock and place it in the freezer and leave it there for at least two hours. When you turn in, bring a bag with you to use as a cool compress. Try placing it under your pillow so it's nice and cool when you flip your pillow over.
• Make a Cold pack. Place some GREEN dish soap in a sealable bag style container. Only fill approximately 1/4 of the bag space with soap,(the green tends to work much better) and place it in the freezer. The soap doesn't harden but holds the cold temperature longer than ice and/or the blue ice containers. Once you are ready to use, place in a pillow case or fold in a towel. This allows several options for placement. Because the pack is not solid, it allows for versatility and comfort. This can also be used as an "Ice Pack" for muscle aches and pains. This is a much cheaper option to the store bought "Soft Packs" and works in the same way.

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