Keeping Your Cool In the Heat of Summer
Summertime is a wonderful time to experience the beauty of God’s creation and to spend precious time with the ones we love. Summer can evoke memories of hopscotch, lemonade, and picnics with the family. However, with the heat of the summer can also come the burden of discomfort. I live in the north, so summers aren’t usually too severe – yet, we can still suffer in the heat. If you live in the south, you might just have more memories of sweaty nights, chiggers and sunstroke. There are some ways that you can have the best of both worlds – enjoying God’s beautiful Creation while staying comfortable at the same time.
Look at Your Wardrobe
Some fabrics can hold in the heat and cause a person to feel sweaty and uncomfortable. Avoid polyester, nylon and other synthetics such as wool and stay away from knits and thermal fabrics, as these heavy textures can hold the heat too. Select breathable fabrics such as cotton, linen, and silk that can dry quickly. Choose an open or boat neckline rather than a turtleneck or collared style, and avoid layers. Shorts will be the coolest, but when not appropriate, select pants with a looser fit and also in breathable fabrics.
Seek the Shade
Trees not only produce oxygen, but they also have a cooling effect, so if you must participate in outdoor events, look for a shady tree to stand or sit beneath to help keep you from overheating. When considering recreational opportunities, opt for a museum, movie theater, indoor swimming pool or other air-conditioned activity. If you do want to enjoy your back patio, choose morning or early evening, as the afternoon can be the hottest. Choose to join the other residents who are enjoying retractable shades in Austin. You may do well to look into Shade Outdoor Living Solutions to see what can be done in your home.
Choose Foods That Cool
Foods high in fat can raise your body temperature, as can some spices like cayenne, ginger, and peppers. Likewise, protein and heavy carbohydrates can make you feel hotter after eating. Red meat, cheeses, nuts, pancakes and waffles, and heavy desserts fall into this category. Choose lighter selections, such as fish, salads, fruits and lighter carbohydrates, such as rice. Fruit or sorbet is a good choice for a dessert.
Stay Hydrated
To stay cooler and maintain good kidney health, drink plenty of fluids – primarily water. Find a water bottle you like and keep it full and close at hand to make staying hydrated easier. A thermal bottle can also help keep water chillier, although water at around 70 degrees is more easily absorbed by the body.
Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are nothing to take lightly, and taking some of the above items seriously can help you avoid dealing with it. Stay cool and make the most of the hot summer months.
Don’t Let the Heat Keep You Away from God
Why would a Catholic blog be writing about keeping cool in the summer? The bottom line is this: we need to remove every excuse that keeps us distant from God. Too often getting bogged down in the heat can keep people away from parish activities or even the Holy Mass. Hot, sweaty days can get us into the slump of feeling sorry for ourselves rather than appreciating the wonders of Creation and the beauty of relationships. So this summer let’s make a resolution not to take a vacation from God. Instead, let’s
- Do what we can to be as comfortable as possible.
- Accept the discomfort we do experience in the spirit of salvific suffering (offer it up, y’all!)
- Take advantage of the joys of the season to move us closer to God
- Don’t let the heat stop us from learning, loving, and living the faith!
Thanks to Shades and More for sponsoring this post. If you’re looking for outdoor solutions to keep your home and yard cool, check them out here!