LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The UK is set to be hit by the blistering heat of the sun this July as warned by the Met Office. While the bright sunshine is a welcome change to the usually grim and grey weather of London, it must be admitted the heat is getting a little too hot to handle. Find ways to deal with the rising temperature efficiently without falling victim to dehydration and heat exhaustion below.Â
1. Use sunscreen
Skin needs protection from the harmful UV rays of the sun. These are believed to cause skin cancer. Moreover, burning skin is not a good sensation. Use a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF and reapply after every two hours if you are outdoors. You can choose to wear a hat and sunglasses. However, as stylish as they are, remember, sunglasses and hats are not an alternative to sunscreens!
2. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day
Always have water at hand and drink at least 2 litres per day. With these temperatures you perspire much more than usual. If you don’t top this up with water, you’ll dry out in no time. The first signs of dehydration are: dark urine, constipation, dry skin, lips and mouth. If you wait any longer, you can get a headache and become nauseous. A good moisture balance is essential for all kinds of body processes to run smoothly.
3. Take a cold foot bath
Feet are like little heat regulators. When you are cold, you wear thick socks to retain heat. If you are warm, you can cool down quickly by putting your feet in a bucket or tub of cold water. This way the heat can easily leave you body, bringing the body temperature down.
4. Drink lukewarm herbal tea
A large glass of lemonade with ice cubes is tempting but not useful if you want to cool down. Ice cold drinks temporarily lower your body temperature. Result: the body turns on the heating and you get even warmer. Lukewarm herbal tea does the exact opposite. So drink something warm to cool down.
5. Eat small portions and avoid spicy foods
A large plate of hot food is a big job for your body to burn. If it is also heavily seasoned, you will break out in a sweat. Therefore, opt for smaller portions spread over the day. Let the food cool slightly or make a nice fresh salad. Avoid eating spicy foods. As tempting as they are, the spice will bring your temperature up and you don’t want to be burning from the inside out quite literally.Â
6. Add mint leaves to your water
Mint is fresh and invigorating and your taste buds feel it too. They are a bit fooled by the menthol dust and think it is very cold. That is why mint has a refreshing effect. And it is delicious too!
7. Put a cold towel on your neck
The blood vessels in your head, neck and wrists are just under the skin. The body uses these spots to dissipate heat. To speed up this process, hold your hands under the cold tap for a while or place a cold wet towel around your neck.
8. Wear light clothes
Choose clothing that is made of a natural and airy fabric and let it fall and flutter! Linen, cotton or silk are good choices. Tight clothing and synthetics such as acrylic or polyester are not. And the colour? Preferably as light as possible. Dark colours absorb more light and heat. In terms of shoes, sandals have the most cooling effect because then the heat from our feet can escape. No sandals allowed at work? Then don’t wear socks in your shoes.
9. Keep calm
Sigh, groan and annoy: getting worked up about the heat won’t help you cool down. In fact, getting worked up about it raises your heart rate and makes you more stressed. This increases your body temperature even more. So stay calm, don’t exert yourself unnecessarily and take enough rest.
