30 STEPS TO BEAT HEAT

1.  Drink plenty of water: Your body needs water to
prevent dehydration during warm summer days. Take special care to make
sure infants and toddlers drink enough water. They can become
dehydrated much more easily than adults.

2. Wear Sunscreen:
Sunburn is painful and unhealthy. Use a sunscreen that is right for
your skin, ideally one with sun protection factor (SPF) rating of 15 or
higher. While pale skin is the most likely to burn, darker skin can
burn also if they stay in the sun too long. Use protection no matter
what skin tone you have.

3. Take it easy: A rest or nap can do a lot of good. Don’t push yourself beyond your physical limits.

4.Wear cool clothes: Light,
loose-fitted, light-coloured clothing is the best. Wear white clothing
to stay cool. It reflects the heat away from your body while dark
clothing absorbs the heat making your body temperature rise.

5. Protect your peepers: Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

6. Reduce: Your intake of fatty foods.

7. Eat: More
carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. Try a variety of summer fruits
and vegetables in your diet. Mangoes, for example, contain large
quantities of antioxidants and are effective in relieving clogged pores
in the skin.

8. Avoid: Alcohol. It’s extremely dehydrating. And if you must consume it, do so with lots of water.

9. Drink: Juices of grapes, watermelon, banana, jack fruit, lemon and pineapple as they are cool and can be easily digested.

10. Avoid: Spicy or sour foods, especially if you plan to go out and enjoy the sun in the day, to keep your skin from breaking out.

11. Cleanse your skin: The
sun can increase sebum production, causing your skin to look oily. When
the oil combines with dirt and sweat, pores get clogged. Be meticulous
about your cleansing routine, morning and night. Use a non-soap based
gentle cleanser that will deep cleanse without drying out the skin. A
good cleansing mix for dry/normal skin can be made with almond meal,
oatmeal, milk and rosewater. For oily skin, try chickpea flour or
oatmeal with yoghurt and a little lemon and neem powder. If you use a
toner, look for one without alcohol.

12. Massage: Use
essential oils such as lavender, orange, and grapefruit, in a coconut
oil base for a body massage. This will produce a cooling effect and
cleanse your skin. Massages could be followed by a warm (not hot) bath
by adding rose buds or lavender to the water for cooling effect.

13. Thanda matlab lassi: Milk
and Lassi are excellent coolants. Lassi can be prepared by blending
yoghurt and water in the ratio 1:3, and adding a few curry leaves, a
pinch of powdered asofoetida, finely copped ginger slices and salt (if
required). Apart from quenching thirst, this drink aids digestion and
purifies the skin.

14. Let your skin breathe: Lighten
your skin care in summer. This is the time when your skin gets oilier
and more pimple prone. You might want to switch to skin care products
that are water-based instead.

15. Cool with cucumber: Cucumber
is a great protection against the sun. Peel and grate a cucumber, take
out the juice and mix half a teaspoon of glycerine and half a teaspoon
of rose water. Pat this mixture on sunburns for a mild bleaching and
soothing effect. Another way to use cucumber for sunburns is to soak
some pieces of it in a cup of milk for a few hours and then apply the
milk on sunburns.

16. Keep cool with Aloe: Arm
yourself with a tube of aloe vera gel. It is wonderful for healing
sunburns. On top of that, it is a great oil-free moisturizer for face
and body.

17. Pesky pests: Arm
yourself with repellent spray to keep off wasps and mosquitoes. Carry a
travel-size spray in your bag. Avoid unnecessary outdoor activity when
mosquitoes are most prevalent, such as dawn, dusk and early evening.

18. For babies: A
constant irritant during the summer months is diaper rash. Never let
the nappy area remain wet; always keep it dry, and use talcum powder
liberally on the areas to keep baby smiling and happy.

19. Cover up: Make
your child wear clothes that cover most of their skin as it will help
protect against UV rays. Although a long-sleeved shirt and long pants
with a tight weave are best, they aren’t always practical. A t-shirt,
long shorts or a beach cover-up are good choices, too — but it’s wise
to double up on protection by applying sunscreen or keeping your child
in the shade when possible.

20. Exercise: While
swimming is the best for of exercise in the summer, walking, cycling
and sailing could be enjoyable outdoor activities too while aerobics
and Tai chi can be done indoors. Always have a light snack
before the exercise, warm up right, keep a steady pace, tune down and
do not forget to drink water after the round of exercise.

21. Hat for hair: Your hair can be damaged by the heat and harmful rays. Wear a hat to protect your hair.

22. Don't shun the sun: Get moderate exposure to the morning sun. Build up on those vitamin D reserves.

23. Avoid: Caffeinated beverages that dehydrate your body.

24. In case of heat cramps or heat exhaustion:

Cool the body slowly. Get the person to a cooler place and have him or her rest in a comfortable position.

Give fluids. If
the person is fully awake and alert, give a half glass of cool water
every 15 minutes. Do not let him or her drink too quickly. Do not give
liquids with alcohol or caffeine in them.

Loosen clothing. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths such as towels. Call a doctor immediately.

25. Don’t: Leave your child/pet in the car while you are out shopping. They may get severely dehydrated and even die of a heat stroke.

26. Know your body: If you are feeling ill, see a doctor. Hundreds of people die each year in India due to extreme heat.

27. Caution: If
you have allergies and plan on travelling or going on a vacation, find
out which plants will be pollinating in your vacation spot.

28. Monitor your intake of salt: An
imbalance of salt in your body – too much, or too little – can readily
occur when temperatures are hot. You will know you’re getting too much
salt if you find that rings you wear get tighter, and socks or shoes
that fit you comfortably during cooler weather, leave lines or wrinkles
on your feet or ankles because of too much fluid in those areas.

29. Overcome grill overkill: Nothing
says, “fire up the grill” quite like warm weather. However, the
chemistry of carcinogens produced by grilling can increase cancer
risks. Studies suggest that following grilled meat with antioxidants
such as vitamins C, E and carotenoids may offer protection against harmful grilling carcinogens.

30. Don’t sweat it:
Even walking to your car in extreme heat can cause those little salty
beads to pop out under your arms and on your face. Since sweating
causes you to lose precious minerals, keep your electrolytes in balance
by getting plenty of minerals from fresh fruit, vegetables and health
supplements.