Beating the Heat Ideas

Air Circulation

• One of the quickest ways to keep your house cool is to allow air to circulate. Keep your doors open and position fans to blow air. Direct one fan in front of an air conditioner if you have one to start the chain. Position the next fan in the path of the first and repeat until each of the rooms in your house has some air circulating through it until you have a complete circuit of air.

  You can also put up white or pale curtains over the windows; white reflects heat. Keep your body low to the ground to keep cool. Hot air rises and cool air sinks.

Heat Sources

• Turning off lights and energy-intensive appliances when not in use can prevent excess heat. For example, incandescent light bulbs give off 90 percent of their energy as heat instead of light. Invest in fluorescent bulbs; these will also decrease your utility bill. Avoid keeping appliances that generate heat close to air conditioners because the heat affects the internal thermostat settings and makes the unit have to run more often.

Regular Hydration

• Keep hydrated; sweat keeps your body cool through evaporation. If you're constantly sweating, you need to replenish your body's water supply. Drink cool water, not cold. If you drink cold water or lower your internal temperature too quickly, your body will try to heat reflexively, defeating the purpose. Take cool showers as well and limit your physical activity.

Food

• Avoid cooking on the stove. Eat cool, fresh foods that don't require cooking. You can also eat spicy foods to increase sweating, but drink at least eight glasses of water per day. If you have to heat food, do so in the microwave when possible to contain heat within the microwave unit. Eat small meals or graze throughout the day. When you eat a large meal, it triggers your metabolism and forces your body to heat up and burn the food as energy.