How to survive the heat in a stuffy city?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
To survive the hot summer days in a stuffy city with minimal health losses, you need to follow a few simple recommendations. And remember that in the quest not to overheat it's important not to overcool too much.
Do not overeat
In hot weather, the body must actively resist high temperatures, so do not overload it with heavy food. In a heat it is necessary to exclude from a diet fat, fried food, too sharp or spicy dishes. Hot soups on meat broth should be replaced with okroshka or cold beetroot, steak - salad with chicken breast, and a piece of cake - sorbet or fruit jelly. Doctors recommend "eating water," that is, eating high-water foods: fresh vegetables, leaf salad, juicy fruits. It will not be superfluous to remember that strong (and ideally any) alcoholic beverages should be excluded in the heat. And certainly refrain from buying food on the street.
Drink plenty
In the heat, the body loses a lot of moisture, which must be replenished. If in ordinary days the daily rate of fluid intake is two liters, then on hot days it is necessary to increase this figure to three liters. It is important not only the quantity, but also the quality of the drink. Best if it is ordinary water (even carbonated), green tea is also considered (in a cold form it is good with a slice of lemon) and freshly squeezed juices (without pulp). Soups, coffee and drinking yogurt are not taken into account. Together with sweat, so important salts of potassium and sodium come out of the body, so if you sweat profusely, you need to think about maintaining the water-salt balance and include in the diet drinks with electrolytes (they can be found among sports nutrition). A natural drink with electrolytes is coconut water.
Dress properly
To avoid overheating, you need to choose the right clothes. It should be free cut and sewn from natural fabrics - cotton, linen or silk, preferably of light colors. No less important is the laundry. Synthetic underwear in the heat can provoke an exacerbation of some gynecological diseases. Pulling panties or bras with foam inserts also leave for colder weather. The best choice is comfortable cotton underwear.
Avoid excessive loads
In the heat, you should change your physical activity somewhat. For example, a daily jog should be transferred from the tracks of the park to the treadmill in the cool hall of the fitness club. And the exercises on the simulators are replaced by swimming in the pool. Yoga, Pilates and other exercises associated with breathing, will help saturate the body with oxygen.
[4]
Precautionary measures
In the heat, the desire to be somewhere closer to the air conditioner is quite understandable. However, the cool air of the air conditioner can be of poor service, so in rooms with air conditioning or in a car, take care that the flow of cold air is not directly directed at you. Cold drinks are another danger. According to statistics, the heat increases the number of colds. Remember, in the quest for saving coolness, it's important not to overdo it.