Beat the Summer Heat

Six Tricks to Help You Feel Cool

Want to feel cool? Here are 6 tricks to help you chill out this summer, without diving into a swimming pool or cranking up the A/C.

• Rub on some aloe. The fact is, you don’t need to be sunburned to feel the cooling benefits of aloe vera. Rub some on your skin when the weather gets hot, and you’ll feel five times cooler than if you took a cold shower. Why? Because aloe penetrates skin cells 500% better than water!
  
  
• Wrap ice packs around your wrists. Blood moves very fast through the pulse points in your wrists. So if you can make blood colder at that spot, it’ll quickly cool the rest of your body too. How fast? Studies show that cooling your wrists can reduce your core body temperate by 3 degrees – in as little as 30 seconds!
  
  
• Cool your head. Studies show that 50% of your body heat is stored in your head. So wrap a moist towel around your forehead, or place an ice pack against your neck, and your entire body will feel cooler. Also, if you can’t sleep because it’s unbearably hot, toss your pillowcase in the freezer for 10 minutes before bed. The cold fabric against your head will help you nod off faster.
  
  
• Wear something blue. Swiss researchers found that people feel cooler when they see the color blue. Wearing a blue shirt helps even more. Because ultraviolet rays from the sun actually bounce off – protecting your skin, and lowering your risk of sunburn by 544%!
  
  
• Stop eating sugar. Studies show that your pancreas, liver and gallbladder heat up more than usual when your body digests sugar. You can lower your core temperature simply by eliminating sugary foods and drinks from your diet.
  
  
• Chew gum. It’s the ultimate chill pill – especially if it’s cinnamon, spearmint or peppermint gum. Why? Because those scents stimulate your brain’s sensory perception and literally trick your body into thinking it’s cooler than it really is.