1. Avoid strenuous activity. This is a suggestion I can embrace, as it endorses my natural tendency to sit in front of a fan with lemonade and a novel (my current choice is Gilead, which I heartily recommend). If you absolutely must do something more arduous than turning a page, try to schedule it for early or late in the day when temperatures are more reasonable.2. Dress for the weather in light-weight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. The streets of New York City are aflutter with filmy slips of clothing—cool and comfortable. And really, there’s no reason boys can’t wear sundresses. I think we’re nearly there, as a country.
3. Eat small, light meals and eat more often. Forgo the bacon cheeseburger (foods high in protein increase metabolic heat production and water loss) and opt instead for cold chicken breast with taboule or hummus and cucumber in pita.
4. Drink plenty of fluids, but skip the alcohol and the caffeine. Water is best, but juices and other non-caffeinated soft drinks are okay too. If that Corona with the lime wedge is simply too tempting to pass up, take it easy with the quantity and make sure to hydrate with plenty of water.
5. Spend time in air-conditioned places. This is kind of a no-brainer. For those of us who have only a single unit (and some who have none), it’s trickier than it sounds. I’ve got a touch of cabin fever, wherein “cabin” means “bedroom.” For a change of scene, visit the library, a bookstore, a movie theater, or even the grocery store to get in out of the heat.
Oh, and don’t leave Baby in the car, even for a moment. Or Rover or Grandma either. It takes a short time for temperatures to soar inside a vehicle, and every summer there are a couple of stories about kids who died in their carseats while their parents ran an errand.
Check out the Red Cross site for signs of heat-related illness. Particularly in the very young and in older people, overheating can be serious, even deadly.
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