Staying Cool In the Summer Heat
7:20 AM Posted by jo
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It was really hot here the other day when I went for my walk. I never checked the temperature before I started my walk but I could tell that it was hotter than the other days. I later found out that it was 105 outside. I normally walk very early in the morning once the summer heat starts. We haven't had too many triple digit days so far so the hot day surprised me. I always bring water on my walk but it wasn't enough yesterday so I was very hot when I came back. Fortunately it didn't take long to cool down once I was home.
A quick cool down
After my walk:
I refilled my bottle with water and I added a couple of drops of peppermint essential oils for it's cooling effect. See my post, Make Your Own Flavored Water for more tips adding essential oils to drinking water. It is important that you use essential oils that are safe to ingest, most companies don't guarantee that their oils should be ingested.
I love spritzers since they can be very cooling and refreshing during the summer time. They can also be used for insect bites, sun burns, as insect repellents, as deodorants, or as room purifier. I like to keep a 4 oz. glass spray bottle with distilled water and 4-6 drops of peppermint essential oil in the house. I use this spray often when it is hot since peppermint is a very cooling and refreshing oil. I sprayed my neck and upper body with the peppermint spray for a cooling effect. Be careful and keep the spray away from your face.
You can also:
- Apply peppermint essential oil on the bottom of your feet, or on the spine for a cooling effect. Make sure to dilute when applying on the spine.
- Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with massage oil and apply on the skin.
- Make a cooling and refreshing foot bath. Add a couple of drops of peppermint to a bowl of lukewarm water.
- Make peppermint ice cubes. Dip a tooth pick into the peppermint oil bottle and swirl it around in water added to an ice tray. Put the ice tray in the freezer and add to a glass of water for a cooling and refreshing summer drink.
- If you don't have peppermint essential oil, make a regular peppermint tea and put it in a spray bottle. Keep it in the fridge.
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| My dog has her own spritzer but the blend can be used by the whole family if needed. |
I lived in hot climates for many years and I find it harder to deal with heat than with the cold. At least when it is cold I can bundle up but when it is 105 degrees outside my body shuts down and I don't feel like doing much. I remember the first year when I lived in a place where it often reached triple digits in the summer time. Back then I couldn't handle the heat very well, but I learned some tricks over the years so the heat doesn't bother me as much anymore.
Some other tips
- Keep hydrated. Make sure that you drink enough water and avoid drinks with sugar and caffeine. I also add Cellfood drops to our water and this is especially important for my oldest son since he practices football in the 100 degrees weather. Cellfood includes important electrolytes.
- Eat more raw food such as fruit and vegetables. Leafy greens are cooling and so are fruits due to their water content. Cucumber, cabbage, celery, broccoli, zucchini, radishes, asparagus, and cauliflower are good choices.
- Spice up the food with cayenne pepper, black pepper, and ginger. Believe it or not, but spicy food cools you off.
- Peppermint, red clover, lemon balm, cilantro, and marjoram are some herbals that are considered cooling. Alteratives such as red clover, burdock, dandelion, nettles, barberry, yellow dock and cleavers contain electrolytes.
- Eat more seaweed.
- Eat clean and stay away from processed junk food.
- Plan your days so that you don't have to be out and about during the hottest time of the day.
- Sarah The Healthy Home Economist also recommends to "avoid processed polyunsaturated vegetable oils in the diet as it makes the skin prone to sunburn. Eating lots of whole saturated fats like butter, coconut oil strengthen the skin and make it less prone to damage and wrinkling."
Other useful essential oils for the summer heat
Citrus oils such as bergamot, lemon, orange, mandarin, and tangerine are very refreshing in summer. Be aware that citrus oils are phototoxic and should not be applied on the skin prior to sun exposure.
Roman chamomile, eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender, and Mountain Savory are considered cooling oils. Cypress and rosemary induce sweating to lower body temperature indirectly.
The amazing thing about the essential oils is that they also possess other properties useful for minor summer troubles such as insect bites, sun burns, stomach problems, stress, and blisters just to name a few.
Before you leave:
I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.
Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.
Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:
- Topical Application
- Inhaling Essential Oils
- Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?
- How to Dilute Essential Oils
- Vita Flex Technique
If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.
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This post is linked to:
Fight Back Friday
Fresh Bites Friday
Monday Mania
Real Food Wednesday
Simple Lives Thursday
Food and Health Carnival - June 16
