“Good words cool more than cold water.”- John Ray
No matter if your mantra is “Stay cool,” “Keep cool,” “Be Cool,” or just plain “Cool,” these are perfect sentiments to keep in mind as the warm weather approaches. .
In this series on ways to stay cool and enjoy the warm weather, we’ll address three important areas:
- Maintaining a healthy, cool body, including staying hydrated, dressing for the temperature, skin protection, eating refreshing foods, and thinking relaxing, cooling thoughts.
- Ensuring a comfortable environment at home and in your vehicle, caring for plants and pets during the hot weather.
- Indoor and outdoor activities to plan during the day and at night for a fun and healthy warm weather season.
So how do you maintain a healthy, cool body as the temperature rises? As temperatures increase, the body compensates by trying to cool itself. Sweating is one effective way. In order to maintain proper balance, as the body releases moisture, it’s important to replace moisture and stay hydrated. Drinking pure water goes a long way in cooling the body. Make sure the water is cool and as fresh as possible. Avoid leaving plastic water bottles in a hot vehicle as the toxin build-up in the water, although tasteless, is very harmful. Carrying a personal insulated water bottle is best, enabling easy fill up with fresh water. Eating light foods require less energy to digest making it easier on the body. Fresh salads with light freshly-made dressings are delicious, healthy and cooling. Fresh fruits and fruit-based drinks energize the body without heating it up. Eating cold chicken, salmon or beans in a salad is a good way to take in protein without overloading the body. Smaller meals, more often, with plenty of fluids in between will keep the body healthy and happy throughout the hot weather.
You can look good as well as feel good when the temperature rises by wearing loose clothing that breathes, such as cotton or linen, allowing air to circulate around the body. White or light colors are cooling colors. Wearing a hat that has a wide brim will not only protect the top of the head and deflect strong, harmful sun rays from the face and neck, it will also give you a jaunty look. Good quality sunglasses are very effective in protecting the eyes and the delicate skin around the eyes and come in a variety of styles and colors. Go out of your comfort zone and choose a pair of wildly colorful or printed frames. Wearing a broad spectrum skin block protects the skin from the intense, harmful rays of the sun. Re-applying skin block during the day, especially if work or activities cause you to be outside often, will give added protection.
Can thinking relaxing thoughts actually have a cooling effect on the body? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Negative, angry, resentful thoughts actually rev up the body, increasing blood flow and blood pressure, creating a warming effect. If something upsetting happens, remember to pause, take some deep breaths, and calm the mind. Use your favorite cool mantra, such as “Stay cool,” or “Be cool,” to calm yourself, slow things down, and cool off the mind and body.
Remember what John Ray, the father of natural history said, “Good words cool more than cold water.”
Michele Senac is co-author of Around the Table, A Culinary Memoir by Two Sisters,
available at amazon.com. For more information, visit AroundtheTableCookbook.com or FineRedesigns.com
Copyright ©2014 Michele Senac ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
