ON THE COVER Keep Your Cool
What practical steps can you and your family take to beat the heat? Here are our simple, hot tips…
GO AROUND EVERY ROOM AND UNPLUG!
Gadgets and other small appliances give off heat – even when turned off. Reduce total heat in the house (and save energy!) by keeping plugs out of sockets when appliances aren’t in use.
MAKE A RICE PACK
Applying ice to hot spots can be uncomfortable on skin and melts away quickly. So try a clean tube sock stuffed with plain, dry, rice instead. Simply fill up the sock, tie it at one end, and put it in the freezer for a few hours. It makes a great cold compress to apply to pulse points at the wrists, neck, elbows, groin, ankles, and behind the knees.
CHILL YOUR PILLOW
Go one better than turning to the cold side of the pillow, says Richard. “Fill your hot water bottle with cold water then pop in the freezer to create a bedfriendly ice pack. And put your pyjamas or sheets in the freezer in a clean plastic bag for a few hours before bed.”
DIP YOUR FEET
Our feet have lots of pulse points and can help us maintain a lower temperature – the main reason we move feet out from under the covers when we’re hot. Dip feet in cold water for a couple of minutes – or spray them with a cooling spray (try Carnation’s Footcare Foot Antiperspirant, WWW.FIRSTAIDFAST.CO.UK, £3.14).
PICK THE RIGHT DRINK
Use herbs as your night time tipple, says Eileen. “What you eat and drink in the evening is significant, as the liver creates heat in the process of digesting food and detoxifying alcohol. Eat lightly and avoid alcohol/tea/coffee. And try cold herbal infusions with ice for a refreshing change.”
EVENING COOL DOWN
“Cool your body down before bed,” says Eileen Durward, A.Vogel Menopause Expert: “Take a lukewarm – not cold – shower or bath with lavender oil or shower gel. Freezing cold water will simply tighten the blood vessels and send signals to the body to generate heat afterwards to compensate for the heat loss.”
ALOE ALOE!
Forget creamy body lotions and moisturise with Aloe Vera. This natural extract is known for its cooling properties and has been used for years to help with sunburn. Go for Soothing Skin Gel by What Skin Needs (available from WWW.WHATSKINNEEDS.CO.UK, £9.99). And keep in the fridge for extra effectiveness.
COTTON ON
“Just as natural fibres help you stay warm in winter, they also allow your body to breathe in summer,” says Richard. Choose cotton sheets and pyjamas to help promote ventilation – better than sleeping nude as natural fabrics draw sweat away from your body allowing you to feel more cool and comfortable.
SIT UNDER A TREE
Shade cast by a tree is usually much cooler than cover coming from high buildings. Why? Trees are alive, just like humans, which makes them sensitive to temperature. That’s why they can cool themselves off by evaporating water moving through a tree into the air through the leaves which helps keep the surrounding air cooler.
EAT CHILLI
It sounds bizarre but a spicy curry or chilli can help cool the body by making you sweat, which in turn cools the body as it evaporates. It’s no coincidence that some of the hottest countries in the world have the spiciest food.
TOO HOT TO SLEEP?
Covering yourself with a damp sheet will keep you cool in the same way that sweating cools your body down. Soak a sheet or a bath towel in water, then spin it in the washing machine or just wring it out well to stop any dripping. To maximise effectiveness, you’ll need some air circulation so open a window or use a fan in the room. Alternatively, hang a wet sheet in front of an open window for a similar effect. Or sleep in cool damp socks – or even a damp T-shirt. The heat produced by your body will cause the water in the clothes to evaporate – producing a cooling effect on your skin and lowering your temperature.