Beat the Heat!

As the temps climb much of our country is looking for a way to stay cool. Here in MN it hasn’t been unbearably hot. However, some friends are traveling out west and I know they could use some tips for dealing with the heat there.

Here are a few ideas for them and for you to keep your cool.

1.Eat something spicy.  They’ll make you sweat for when all your sweat evaporates, you’ll feel cooler.

2. Make a cool dessert.  You can buy popsicles or dilly bars or make your own cold summer treats.

3. Visit the library or a mall. Love yourself in the stacks of books and enjoy the air-conditioning.

4. Keep your windows and blinds closed while the sun is up. Keeping windows and doors closed will allow the house to stay as cool as possible for the longest amount of time. 

5. Staying downstairs can also keep you cooler. Heat rises to the upper floors of your household, so staying downstairs makes a big difference. 

6. Limit your physical activity, as well as your child's, to the coolest times of the day -- early morning or late evening. 

7. Spritz yourself. Keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator, and when the going gets hot, give yourself a good squirt. As the water evaporates, it cools you. (I put a body spray in the fridge. Then I just spritz myself after exercising or gardening.) Keep one in your cooler!

8. Go barefoot. As the sweat on your feet evaporates, it cools the skin and the blood in your feet.

9. Make a cold compress. Fill a cotton sock with rice, tie the sock and freeze it for two hours before bedtime. Then slide it between the sheets. Rice retains cold for a long period because it's dense and starchy. (I’m going to try this to help with my night sweats!)

10. Close your eyes and imagine yourself somewhere really cool.

*Remember symptoms of heat stroke include a headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting and dizziness or fainting. You should probably seek medical attention if you suffer any of these and you’ve been in the heat.

What’s your favorite way to beat the heat? (I sat in the wading pool yesterday with my grandkids!)