Tips to Beat the Heat

Summer is finally here. Trying to stay cool – both literally and figuratively – can be a challenge. In addition to the obvious solutions in sweltering weather (ie: constantly cranking up your air conditioning or running ceiling fans), there are other budget-friendly methods to stay cool.

Dress Appropriately

One of the major factors in regulating your body’s temperature is what you wear. Dark colors attract light, and therefore more sunlight, which contributes to raising your temperature. Additionally, thicker fabrics allow less air to circulate between the material and your skin, preventing your body to sweat without making your cloths stick to you. Though wearing form fitting clothing seems to be the trend, it does not help when it comes to cooling you off; lose fitting clothes enable air to circulate and the sweat on your skin to dry off.

Create a Breeze

Instead of running up your utility bills, try using natural methods to bringing down the temperature in your home. Open windows wherever possible to create any cross breeze. To help initiate a breeze, use ceiling fans instead of air conditioners. Ceiling fans provide a natural cool instead of a bone-chilling freeze associated with air conditioners.

Remain Calm

This tip might be hard to do with children, but nonetheless, remaining slow and calm during the hottest hours of the day (mid-day hours between 10 am and 3 pm) will help reduce your temperature. Try to get your strenuous tasks out of the way in the early morning hours or save it for dusk when the sun is already setting.

Dish Out the Treats

If unbearable heat is just too much to take, consider treating yourself to something cool and tasty. In addition to the traditional ice cream, fresh yourself with lemonades and ice teas. Be sure to read instructions thoroughly as many powdered drinks are high in sugar. To reduce the percentage of sugar, mix half a serving of the drink with a half serving of water. This will not only cool you down but also re-hydrate you in the severe heat.