Spell It: 5 offbeat ways to stay cool this summer

It’s already been a record-breaking summer of heat around the world, and we’re still only halfway through.

Click start to play today’s Spell It, where we learn how to cope with the ‘ripping’ heat.

When temperatures peak, and even air conditioners start conking off, it leaves many of us wondering how to cope. Most of us know the basics of staying healthy when it gets really hot. From wearing breathable clothes to drinking lots of fluids, these steps help us limit exertion in scorching hot temperatures. But we can also take advantage of the body’s own natural regulatory systems by using a few uncommon tricks.

Here are a few interesting ways you can stay cool this summer, according to a July 2023 report in the US-based psychology website Psychology Today:

1. Choose hot drinks, not cold ones

Residents of Asia and North Africa are used to drinking tea during summer, and there’s a reason why. According to an October 2012 study published in the Scandinavian journal Acta Physiologica, hot beverages cool the body down faster than cold drinks. It’s because thermoreceptors in the stomach sense heat, and then quickly increase the body’s sweat output, thereby bringing down skin temperature more rapidly. This trick works best in hot but dry environments, with limited humidity, since the sweat is allowed to evaporate fully.

2. Apply cold to pulse points

Run cold water or apply a cold compress over places where you can easily feel your pulse, like your neck, wrists, inner elbows or temples. This practice helps discharge heat. Since veins are closer to the skin at these points, the blood flowing through the skin cools down more efficiently before returning to the body’s core.

3. Go barefoot

Take advantage of specialised blood vessels in the soles of your feet. Called arterio-venous anastomoses (AVAs), these vessels play a massive role in temperature control, according to a January 2016 study published in the journal Temperature. So, kick back and relax without socks or shoes on, or wade into a pool to instantly cool down.

4. Cut down on protein

Proteins are more complicated to digest than carbohydrates, which is why the body expends more energy when breaking them down. The energy gets transformed into heat, something that’s known as diet-induced thermogenesis. An old, March 1936 study published in the US-based journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that a person’s skin temperature increases an average of 2°C after a protein-rich meal.

5. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are very easy for the stomach to digest. They’re also high in water content, and are a source of fluids for the body, which can be converted to sweat. Increase your intake of melons, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and other fruits and vegetables with a high ratio of water per serving.

How are you trying to stay cool this summer? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.