Top Tips for Staying Cool
It’s been a week of record temperatures in the North West, so we thought we’d dedicate this blog post to all those sweltering in the heat – with our top tips on how to stay cool and the science behind it.
Cool, Cool Water!
The way humans have evolved to stay cool is through perspiration – sweat glands mean that we can expel water onto the skin. From here the water evaporates and takes that excess body heat with it. It’s the same reason you see dogs panting in the summer; their tongues are wet and water evaporates off the surface of it.
We can use the science of evaporation and apply it ourselves. A great way of doing this is to wet our clothing in cool water: this has a great two pronged approach – it means that the water is cool but also keeps our skin wet, helping to remove body heat.
If you don’t fancy walking about in wet clothing, then another way to cool down quickly is to put our wrists and hands in cold water. Why wrists and ankles? These areas have a high amount of blood vessels like capillaries – the higher the surface area of blood vessels, the better. This also applies to ankles and feet too, if you want to try a cool water bath.
Light Clothing
The clothing we wear makes a big impact on how we maintain our body temperature. This goes far beyond choosing not to wear an anorak in July!
A common assumption is that lighter coloured clothing is better to wear in the heat – this is based on solid science; light clothing does reflect more light. However, another aspect to take into consideration is that black radiates more heat. Think about women in Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula that wear long, loose fitting black garments; this is also another good route to take in hot weather clothing – it allows the skin to breathe properly.
Freshen Up!
There’s nothing like freshening up with a cool drink on a hot day. We’ve got two examples of great, simple recipes that will help you cool down with a tasty tang along the way:
· Our watermelon smoothie is packed out with vitamins, it’s also got a bit of Greek yogurt too, which gives it that protein push. There’s a little mint in there too, just to add to the refreshment. See the full recipe here.
· Another treat for you to try is our fantastic strawberry cooler. It’s got that summertime taste, thanks to all the strawberries in the recipe too. Here it is in all its glory.
Sip, sip, sip
Staying hydrated is key to staying cool – we’ve got a wide range of different drinks in our online store. Even better, when you order them – they’ll be delivered straight to your doorstep. There’ll be no heavy lifting in the heat for you!
