Is there anything better than the summer? You can finally say goodbye to the bitter cold, shed your layers, and head outside to soak up the sun!
However, heat waves can throw a wrench in your summer plans. Instead of enjoying the warm summer air, you may find yourself lounging around in your birthday suit under a rickety old fan.
If you’re unsure how to beat the heat, keep reading for some of the best tips to help you stay cool this summer.
Stay Hydrated
One of the most essential ways to stay cool is to keep yourself hydrated. Cold drinks help cool you down, giving you the chance to feel less warm and stuffy.
While you may reach for a cool, alcoholic beverage, you’ll want to reconsider. Alcohol contributes to dehydration while also making you feel warmer than you are.
Instead, choose non-alcoholic, refreshing drinks like water or sports drinks. When you aren’t hydrated, you are more prone to dehydration, as your body isn’t replenishing the water from all the sweat you’re releasing.
Sports drinks are helpful, as they can replenish your body’s electrolytes while helping keep your sugar levels up. However, you’ll still want to get proper nutrition, as too much sugar can affect your body.
While water is the best option, you don’t want to drink too much water a day as this can throw off your body, causing serious health complications.
Watch What You Eat
Though you might find yourself craving a greasy burger or oven-roasted chicken, you’ll want to steer clear of heavy foods.
It’s no surprise that when you eat and digest, you can find yourself sweating and feeling heavy. This is because your body is working to digest complex foods, thus raising your body temperature.
Similarly, you’ll want to stay away from spicy foods. These can raise your body temperature, causing you to feel warmer and triggering your body to start sweating.
One of the best hot weather tips for the UK is to stick to light, cold, and refreshing meals. Water-based foods like watermelon, celery, and lettuce can help keep you hydrated while satiating your hunger.
Take Advantage of Technology
If you’re experiencing an extra hot summer in the UK, you may be like a lot of the other citizens with no air conditioning in their homes. However, investing in an air conditioning system for a week or two may not be a smart financial investment.
Luckily, you can find a much more affordable and functional option by looking into portable air conditioning units. These are significantly cheaper than traditional central air systems, with the added benefit of being transportable.
However, if you don’t want to make the smart investment, you can rely on traditional fans to help keep you cool. Though they aren’t as powerful as air conditioning units, they can still help keep you cool.
One of the best ways to improve the feeling of a fan is to place a bowl full of ice behind it. This will help pull cold air through the fan, dispersing it effectively throughout the room.
However great the modern age of electricity is, you’ll want to turn off the lights when possible, as lightbulbs emit heat. Though it may not be a large amount, reducing the heat in your home can make a massive difference.
Wear Light Clothing
Though it may seem like a no-brainer to ditch your heavy sweaters during a heat wave, opting for light clothing is a key way to stay cool and keep your body temperature down.
Instead, you’ll want to pay attention to the colors and fabrics you wear. Cotton and linen are great fabrics, as they are lightweight and breathable, helping to eliminate body heat in order to keep you cool.
However, these fabrics tend to soak up sweat, meaning they can become heavy and laden with moisture. Also, when wearing light-colored clothing, you may find that sweat shows easier.
However, wearing light colors is a great way to ditch the sun’s heat, as dark colors like navy, purple, and black attract the sun, making you feel warmer.
Stay Safe in the Sun
Though you may be desperate to achieve a stunning summer glow, a nasty sunburn can make you feel much warmer than you are. When you have sunburn, you may find that your body is seemingly radiating heat. This is due to the increased blood flow to the area.
Though you may want to avoid the sun to prevent burns, you can still head to the beach or pool. However, you’ll want to protect yourself from the harsh sun.
Wearing proper sunscreen is essential to keeping your skin safe while helping you stay cool. You’ll also want to limit sun exposure by seeking shade or wearing protective clothing while outdoors.
Finally, you’ll want to ensure that you keep the top of your head and your eyes protected while enjoying the summer sun.
Don’t Let Heat Waves Ruin Your Summer
Knowing how to keep your house cold while keeping yourself cool and safe is crucial to enjoying your summer safely.
Remember to check on your elderly neighbors to ensure they are safe and well. Similarly, you’ll want to keep an eye out for any animals that may need water or shade during periods of extreme heat.
If this guide on how to stay cool in the heat has you ready to brave the UK heat waves this summer, you’ll want to check out the rest of our website. There, you’ll find more helpful health and lifestyle tips and tricks.
