Drink A LOT of water (preferably not iced)
Usually, the
recommendation for an average adult is to drink 1.5L minimum per day. When it’s
really hot outside, your body sweats more in an attempt to maintain your body
temperature at a normal level. This means that we need to drink even more to
compensate that loss. Doctors say that in case of high temperatures, an adult
should drink up to 3 or 4L of water per day. And don’t wait until you feel
thirsty!
TIP: avoid
drinking iced water, it’s going to have the opposite effect on your body and
make you feel even hotter.
Avoid the hottest hours of the day
Stay inside
between 11am and 9pm if temperatures get unbearable for you. And try to spend
at least 2 hours of your day in an environment with AC or with shade and air.
Avoid drinking coffee and alcohol
Alcohol
accentuates the dehydration of the body, which you want to avoid in case of
very high temperatures. Same with a soda or a cup of coffee because of the
sugar they all contain.
What to eat
It’s normal
to not feel really hungry during hot days: the less your body has to digest,
the less it warms up! But still, you should not skip a meal because you need to
compensate the loss of mineral salts due to the sweat. Just reduce the
quantities and avoid fatty meat, diuretic food (mango, fennel, artichokes or asparagus)
and carbohydrates (pastries, candies, sugar, pasta). Prefer food such as
vegetables and fruits full of water (cucumber, watermelon, tomato, lettuce,
zucchini, spinach, strawberry, peach, melon, apple…).
Keep your room cold
Keep your
blinds and windows shut during the day and open them at night when temperatures
cool down. You can also try putting your bed sheets in the freezer for a few
minutes.
Choose wisely your clothes and shower often
Wear lightweight, light-colored clothes to help
cool down your body temperatures and stay cool by taking showers throughout the
day or using water misters.