The heat and the scorching sun have left many feeling pretty uncomfortable in the last few months. I remember a friend of mine telling me how she keeps two bottles of water in the freezer at work and only brings them out when she is going to pick up her children from school.  You can imagine the first thing they ask for or reach out for is that frozen bottle of water. 

With this heat, a lot of people have been sweating endlessly like a Christmas goat when he sees the butcher arrive and notices the pots, pans, nicely arranged firewood, and soon it dawns on him that he is in actual fact dinner. 

The sun has not been smiling, global warming has taken its toll and we are left to deal with everything that comes with it. But how do we make it through this heat with our hearts, bodies and mind intact? 

Firstly, wear clothes to match the weather. Cotton has got to be your very best friend. Cotton is light, breathable, soaks up sweat and helps you stay cool because it allows heat to escape from the body. Rayon, a blend of cotton and other fibres also comes in handy. The thin fibre prevents it from sticking to the body while allowing it to breathe and is pretty comfortable too. The same goes for linen which absorbs a lot of moisture that dries fast, keeping you cool all day. Colours are important. White for instance reflects all colours thereby absorbing less heat while black or dark colours absorb all colours, trapping heat in the process. 

Secondly, drink a lot of water, have a handy bottle wherever you go. You see, when you sweat, your body loses a lot of fluid you, therefore, have to consciously keep topping up your tank to prevent dehydration and heatstroke. Aim for 2 – 3 litres of water a day. Room temperature water may be a struggle at this time; it isn’t a bad idea to have water that is a bit cold or cool. Interestingly, sweating although annoying has a cooling effect, a soft handkerchief can help reduce this discomfort.

Next, having a shower before going to bed can be very soothing. A cold bath might be the first thing that comes to mind, but a warm bath is actually better because it helps improve sleep. Going further, if you are in a region where power outages are common, a warm bath reduces sweating since you have prepared your body for a similar temperature. Yet, a cold shower isn’t a bad idea too. What I’d say is find a balance and do what works for you. 

Food can help a lot too, fruits especially. Strawberries, cucumber, lettuce and watermelon are a top choice, but other fruits and foods with a high fluid content are also good.  These include soups – pepper soup, chicken soup and the likes; and porridges. Although these are hot, they can help regulate your body temperature as you sweat. Believe it or not, ice-cold lollies, ice cream and the rest should be avoided because they lead to an increase in temperature of your body in the long run thereby increasing the heat. 

Finally, get a lot of rest. Remember the eight hours rule? Yeah, it also applies here. But then, what do you do when there’s no electricity for some reason and your generating set is not functioning. A rechargeable fan will go a long way. This is closely followed by filling a hot water bottle with ice-cold water and placing it beside you. This will help cool not wet the sheets enabling you to sleep. 

I must confess I look forward to the rains coming. But while we wait for cooler weather, we can make the best of this by following these few tips and a few more you can research or discover. As I write this, I remember a song by Nelly – ‘Hot In Here’ and I smile, you get the feeling right? But please do not take off your clothes, keep them on and maintain your dignity, that doesn’t mean you can’t still slay right? 😉