I LOVE summertime. I love the beach trips, the vacations, eating ice cream, going on adventures, and all the other summer day activities. ALL of that being said, the heat this year has been a force to be reckoned with! There is, "Let's go out to the park", kind of weather and then there is, "Why even bother going outside", kind of weather. Unfortunately, I've found myself choosing the second because I am NO MATCH for the heat. On top of all the Nashville heat, we are in the middle of planning a trip to India in a few weeks and, again, all that's been on my mind is the heat we're flying into. For those of you who don't know, Indian weather is a bit more tropical and humid because of its location near the equator. I've had the heat on my mind for a bit now so I thought I'd share a few ways I've been fighting the heat!
1. Drink lots of water!
I know. It's very overstated. There is a reason for it though! Our bodies are made up of 75-80% water. On an average day, a person loses 1500 mL of water a day. On top of that, an average amount of sweat water lose is about 800 mL. So account that to a 95-degree day when the sun is out and you're out at the park or running errands... that's a lot of water loss. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated as much as possible!
2. Wear sunscreen.
Let's just say, the sun isn't the kindest to your skin. Especially for people with less melanin, it can cause different skin condition or irritation. Sunscreen helps shield your skin from the harsh effects of the sun.
3. Avoid spicier foods.
Spicy food actually changes your body odor. I personally LOVE spicy food but, unfortunately, it doesn't do great things for your odor. Especially in a climate where you're prone to sweat more, the odor will be a LOT more obvious.
4. Use deodorant.
In general, this is a good rule of thumb. That being said, make sure to use deodorant and not antiperspirant. If I learned anything in high school biology it's that antiperspirant actually KEEPS you from sweating which isn't the healthiest way of fighting the sweat odor. Not being able to sweat will cause build-ups and clogging in your body that will then lead to other issues. Deodorant simply keeps your fresh while still allowing for your body to do what it needs to, to cope with the heat or vigorous activity.
5. Sleep.
Look at it this way- when your phone starts to heat up, you don't knowingly just keep using it. You either turn it off completely until it cools down or just stop using it for a while. Similarly, our bodies can't keep functioning in high heat for too long without the necessary amount of rest or time to cool off.
Stay cool and have fun this summer, Y'all!
