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21 Ways to Beat the Heat
I'm not sure if any of these will actually work for us, but I have been so desperate this summer, especially with the heat waves that I am willing to try anything! Here are some tips to keep cool and beat heat-induced hassles. (Just because we have MS doesn't mean that we don't want to look good!)
I read these tips in FIRST magazine and I am sharing them without permission. I gave credit to the magazine so hopefully the won't sue me! :) They don't have an online version of the magazine.
I put a (*) next to the ones that I thought might be especially helpful. :)
1. Go for a Dip (I sort of said "Duh" when I read this one.)*
Apparently the heat dampens serotonin and lounging in a cool pool for 30 minutes also normalizes serotonin levels. Double bonus!
2. Slip on shades sooner. (I always wear them, sometimes even inside if it's really bright.)*
Putting on your shades BEFORE you go outside will shield your eyes from the first headache-triggering last of light.
3. Dab your face with witch hazel.
it is rich in catechins - antioxidants that tighten capillaries which reduces puffiness in as little as three days. Apply to your face with a clean cotton ball twice daily.
4. Switch to Potassium Rich salt substitutes. (This might help for all of us spacticity sufferers!)
Potassium is a proven muscle relaxer, but it is lost through heavy sweat. AlsoSalt is an example of a potassium-rich salt substitute.
5. Spritz your wrists.*
Tuck a spray bottle in the fridge and wet the insides of your wrists. Blood vessels run close to the wrist's surface, so chilling that area can lower your blood - and body - temperature fast.
6. Serve up Citrus
Enjoy half a grapefruit or an orange daily to bolster you skin's defenses against UV rays. helping prevent summer breakouts. The bioflavonoids in these types of fruit make skin cells more resilient to weather fluxes.
7. Have a big Breakfast*
Almost 60 percent of a meal's calories are given off as heat. Consuming your biggest meal early when it's still cool allows heat to dissipate before the temperature skyrockets.
8. Massage your shins*
Firmly rubbing this area - which is packed with acupressure points that stimulate the brain - helps chase away heat-induced dizziness in 30 seconds.
9. Fire up your meals* (My husband is from the southwest where it is very hot and this is very common there. They eat jalapenos with everything!)
Eating spicy food makes you sweat and as perspiration evaporates, it takes body heat along with it. This helps you fell cooler.
10. Keep Walking (For those who can)
You'd think scrapping your workouts would keep you cool - but according to Georgetown University scientists, women who walk for 20 minutes a day have better temperature control and are less bothered by the heat than women who are sedentary.
11. Choose iced tea over soda* (This is going to be a tough one for me!)
When the temperature soars above 80*F, your body dampens adrenaline production. Sugary sodas worsen the problem, but iced tea can chase away the groggies, thanks to its energizing caffeine and flavonoids.
12. Eat more ice cream (YES! Now this one I can do!)
Digestive upset is a common summer scourge, but ice-cream's digestive enhancing calcium and magnesium quell queasiness in 20 minutes. :)
13. Take a P.M. shower*
Hot nights make women three times more likely to struggle with insomnia now in than in the spring, but a 2 minutes shower before bed can cool skin, helping you drift off 15 minutes faster.
14. Lie in the grass.
Intense heat triggers stress hormone surges making 65% of women more edgy, but inhaling the smell of grass dirt or freshly trimmed trees calls inner turmoil but switching on the brain's calming alpha waves.
15. Catnap on weekends* (I try to take one every day that I have off from work :-). )
Napping slashes your risk of heat-triggered blue moods in half, because your body produces more mood-boosting dopamine and serotonin as you snooze.
16. Check your meds*
Many prescription and OTC meds increase sensitivity to sun and heat, raising the risk of sunburn or heatstroke. Ask your doctor if you'd benefit from extra sun protection.
17. Add another fan*
When two fans are placed at opposite ends of a room so air circulates, your skin loses heat more quickly, making the room feel 10 degrees cooler. Suffering at work, a small desk fan pointing at your chest can have the same effect.
18. Snack with you're sweaty*
Just two hours of outdoor activity can trigger dehydration. The symptoms: plummeting energy levels, weakness, nausea and headaches. To replace lost water and electrolytes fast, sip 12 oz. of water and munch salty pretzels or crackers.
19. Smooth on aloe
Sunburns heal almost twice as quickly if the are treated with nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory aloe vera gel twice a day. One that gets a 5-Star review, Fruit of the Earth (which happens to be one of my favorite brands) 100% Aloe Vera gel - $3 for 6oz. at drugstore.com
20. Soothe your eyes with a compress
Heat induced ozone surges inflame eye tissues, causing dryness. Applying cool black or raspberry tea compress for 10 minutes helps prevent and treat this problem.
21. Nosh on cantaloupe*
Eating 1 cup of cantaloupe daily helps almost 80 percent of women chase away heat-triggered fatigue. Cantaloupe is packed with enzymes that rapidly convert your food into ATP (Not sure what that is exactly) - your body's sources of fuel (according to the article).
I hope that all of your find these tips helpful. I am off to the store to buy some cantaloupe and ice cream! :)
I read these tips in FIRST magazine and I am sharing them without permission. I gave credit to the magazine so hopefully the won't sue me! :) They don't have an online version of the magazine.
I put a (*) next to the ones that I thought might be especially helpful. :)
1. Go for a Dip (I sort of said "Duh" when I read this one.)*
Apparently the heat dampens serotonin and lounging in a cool pool for 30 minutes also normalizes serotonin levels. Double bonus!
2. Slip on shades sooner. (I always wear them, sometimes even inside if it's really bright.)*
Putting on your shades BEFORE you go outside will shield your eyes from the first headache-triggering last of light.
3. Dab your face with witch hazel.
it is rich in catechins - antioxidants that tighten capillaries which reduces puffiness in as little as three days. Apply to your face with a clean cotton ball twice daily.
4. Switch to Potassium Rich salt substitutes. (This might help for all of us spacticity sufferers!)
Potassium is a proven muscle relaxer, but it is lost through heavy sweat. AlsoSalt is an example of a potassium-rich salt substitute.
5. Spritz your wrists.*
Tuck a spray bottle in the fridge and wet the insides of your wrists. Blood vessels run close to the wrist's surface, so chilling that area can lower your blood - and body - temperature fast.
6. Serve up Citrus
Enjoy half a grapefruit or an orange daily to bolster you skin's defenses against UV rays. helping prevent summer breakouts. The bioflavonoids in these types of fruit make skin cells more resilient to weather fluxes.
7. Have a big Breakfast*
Almost 60 percent of a meal's calories are given off as heat. Consuming your biggest meal early when it's still cool allows heat to dissipate before the temperature skyrockets.
8. Massage your shins*
Firmly rubbing this area - which is packed with acupressure points that stimulate the brain - helps chase away heat-induced dizziness in 30 seconds.
9. Fire up your meals* (My husband is from the southwest where it is very hot and this is very common there. They eat jalapenos with everything!)
Eating spicy food makes you sweat and as perspiration evaporates, it takes body heat along with it. This helps you fell cooler.
10. Keep Walking (For those who can)
You'd think scrapping your workouts would keep you cool - but according to Georgetown University scientists, women who walk for 20 minutes a day have better temperature control and are less bothered by the heat than women who are sedentary.
11. Choose iced tea over soda* (This is going to be a tough one for me!)
When the temperature soars above 80*F, your body dampens adrenaline production. Sugary sodas worsen the problem, but iced tea can chase away the groggies, thanks to its energizing caffeine and flavonoids.
12. Eat more ice cream (YES! Now this one I can do!)
Digestive upset is a common summer scourge, but ice-cream's digestive enhancing calcium and magnesium quell queasiness in 20 minutes. :)
13. Take a P.M. shower*
Hot nights make women three times more likely to struggle with insomnia now in than in the spring, but a 2 minutes shower before bed can cool skin, helping you drift off 15 minutes faster.
14. Lie in the grass.
Intense heat triggers stress hormone surges making 65% of women more edgy, but inhaling the smell of grass dirt or freshly trimmed trees calls inner turmoil but switching on the brain's calming alpha waves.
15. Catnap on weekends* (I try to take one every day that I have off from work :-). )
Napping slashes your risk of heat-triggered blue moods in half, because your body produces more mood-boosting dopamine and serotonin as you snooze.
16. Check your meds*
Many prescription and OTC meds increase sensitivity to sun and heat, raising the risk of sunburn or heatstroke. Ask your doctor if you'd benefit from extra sun protection.
17. Add another fan*
When two fans are placed at opposite ends of a room so air circulates, your skin loses heat more quickly, making the room feel 10 degrees cooler. Suffering at work, a small desk fan pointing at your chest can have the same effect.
18. Snack with you're sweaty*
Just two hours of outdoor activity can trigger dehydration. The symptoms: plummeting energy levels, weakness, nausea and headaches. To replace lost water and electrolytes fast, sip 12 oz. of water and munch salty pretzels or crackers.
19. Smooth on aloe
Sunburns heal almost twice as quickly if the are treated with nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory aloe vera gel twice a day. One that gets a 5-Star review, Fruit of the Earth (which happens to be one of my favorite brands) 100% Aloe Vera gel - $3 for 6oz. at drugstore.com
20. Soothe your eyes with a compress
Heat induced ozone surges inflame eye tissues, causing dryness. Applying cool black or raspberry tea compress for 10 minutes helps prevent and treat this problem.
21. Nosh on cantaloupe*
Eating 1 cup of cantaloupe daily helps almost 80 percent of women chase away heat-triggered fatigue. Cantaloupe is packed with enzymes that rapidly convert your food into ATP (Not sure what that is exactly) - your body's sources of fuel (according to the article).
I hope that all of your find these tips helpful. I am off to the store to buy some cantaloupe and ice cream! :)
Alot of people in the southwest have both, an Evap and an AC - it helps with the electric bill. They also have portable Evaps that people can use if they do an outdoor party and don't want to use a mister system ( a line of little sprinkler heads that is attached to a hose so you can mist a larger area and not just one person or can roll around to where they want to be.
A cold shower when your tired can perk you up.
Running or pouring cold water over your wrists can help too.
Wildcat
A cold shower when your tired can perk you up.
Running or pouring cold water over your wrists can help too.
Wildcat
I wish we sill had ice trucks!
I live in the midwest (Michigan). I had never heard of a swamp cooler until I went to New Mexico to meet my new in-laws after I got married. I remember asking. What is that ugly giant thing hanging out of everyone's windows?
I then told my husband that id we ever moved there I wanted REAL A/C, and that was before I was sick. :) (Or if I was I didn't know it yet.)
I live in the midwest (Michigan). I had never heard of a swamp cooler until I went to New Mexico to meet my new in-laws after I got married. I remember asking. What is that ugly giant thing hanging out of everyone's windows?
I then told my husband that id we ever moved there I wanted REAL A/C, and that was before I was sick. :) (Or if I was I didn't know it yet.)
Living out west, I can't imagine that the ice would last very long. Dry ice may last longer but I don't know and I think it is more expensive. If you had regular ice I would suggest to get the block and not the ice cubes as the block lasts longer.
The evap coolers do work great when the humidity is low, however when the humidity rises it does nothing. I know the evap cooler wouldn't work that well in the midwest where there is a lot of humidity.
The evap coolers do work great when the humidity is low, however when the humidity rises it does nothing. I know the evap cooler wouldn't work that well in the midwest where there is a lot of humidity.
lol...I am old enough to remember the ice truck coming up and down the streets. Mostly I remember the huge tongs used to lift the blocks...
I am old woman...lol
I am old woman...lol
Lu,
The ice block/ice water in front of that fan reminded me of the swamp coolers they have out west. :)
Amy
The ice block/ice water in front of that fan reminded me of the swamp coolers they have out west. :)
Amy
I've done that before too Shannon! Great suggestion. Sometimes I have used warm clothes. (Whatever seems to work at the time.)
Another thing that can be done (it can work for migraine/headaches sometimes too) is take a wash rag - get it wet and wring it out as best you can, put it in the freezer, (or just keep one in the freezer) when it's frozen you can lay it over your eyes for a head ache, or put it on the back of the neck, for a little while if you are hot.
Although for me the spritz of water and the fan work best.
Shannon
Although for me the spritz of water and the fan work best.
Shannon
those tips are greaat - we need all the help we can get. The ice block in front of the fan is the old version of a/c before air conditioning was commonplace. It really does work.
Lu
Lu
That's a good one. I'll have to add that to the list. Someone once told me to put a bowl of ice water in front of a fan. I never tried it, but I thought about it when our A/C went out the other day.
Living in the heat, another cool down is to have the fan on - and have a spritzer bottle by you, when you feel warm - spritz yourself and let the fan blow on you.
These are great recommendations... I love that magazine myself... I think I'll try a few of them and see how well they work... Of course this list needs to go on the frig..lol... Thanks for posting...
Carol
Carol
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