Staying cooped up inside your air conditioned home to avoid melting may result in a serious case of cabin fever. The scorching summer heat can take a toll on your energy and vitality but only if you are unprepared. Follow these tips to beat the heat, stay cool and still enjoy the outdoors.
Drink, drink, drink!
Not just any liquid will do. Drinking water is one of the simplest ways to hydrate your body at a cellular level. As experts have been telling us for years, once you are thirsty, you are already on the road to dehydration. Dehydration is not only dangerous for your heart health, but being chronically dehydrated is bad for your skin as it speeds up the aging process.
Read more about preventing dehydration in kids
Many people find drinking plain water to be boring but there are far more effective and tasty ways to hydrate. My personal favorite is coconut water, especially after exercise. The electrolytes hydrate you more quickly, there is more potassium than a banana (which you need to replace if you sweat) and it tastes good. It’s not just my secret – Madonna drinks it too!
Eat More Cooling Foods
Eating more “cooling” foods is an effective way to lower your body’s core temperature. They also perform double duty because they contain more water than most other foods. Try adding more of these foods to your diet in the summer months:
- Cucumbers: Slice them up and sprinkle in a salad, dip in hummus, or juice for a refreshing drink
- Watermelon: Just slice and enjoy
- Iced green tea: Simply make half a cup of tea then top up with lots of ice. You’ll get a healthy dose of skin-loving and cancer-preventative antioxidants too!
- Citrus fruits: Lemons, grapefruits and oranges are water-dense, sweet and delicious. Plus they pack a healthy dose of vitamin C – one of your body’s most commonly used antioxidants. Slice them up for a salad or eat as is.
Read more about fruits and vegetables to keep you hydrated
Read Your Labels
Lastly, it can be tempting while grocery shopping to stock up on frozen yogurt, ice cream and popsicles for a cool treat. But do yourself a favor and avoid these types of foods unless you are confident the ingredients are simple, healthy and natural. For instance, most popsicles contain artificial flavors and artificial sweeteners which have been linked to everything from allergies to obesity to tumors in animals.
Cool Summer Recipe
Here’s my favorite cool treat to beat the heat; not only is it super simple to make, but it’s as refreshing as jumping in a lake!
Peaches N’ Cream Popsicles
- 2 peaches, peels removed, sliced
- 1 cup of organic vanilla yogurt
- ½ cup of almond milk
Place all the ingredients into your blender and process on high until completely combined. Transfer to your popsicle mold and freeze. At about 3 hours into the freezing point, place wooden popsicle sticks into the mold, freeze overnight and enjoy the next day.
Image: Jennifer Chait
