Hot tips for keeping cool this Summer

It's normal to feel warmer when you're pregnant due to changing hormones, increased blood supply, and carrying extra weight in pregnancy.  Even though the actual increase in temperature is very subtle (less than 0.1 degree) it can feel like a lot more, especially in the heat of summer!

Keeping your body cool will also help to keep your mood calm too, because feeling overly hot can often increase feelings of stress, tension and frustration. There are lots of simple and effective ways to stay cool in the summer heat, they may not all be glamorous...but they are all very practical!

Below are Aquabub's top tips for keeping cool in the Summer heat.  

• Run your wrists under a cold tap. The water cools the veins that run through your wrists, which will lower the temperature of your blood flow help you to feel cooler.

• Use Sitali breath technique to help cool your body.  Roll your tongue so it resembles a straw, then breathe in through your rolled tongue, and breathe out normally.  Do this for at least 3 minutes.

• If you can't roll your tongue, you can try the Sitkari breathing technique.  Do this by simply breathing in through your closed teeth and breathing out normally.  Both Sitali and Sitkari breathing techniques are used to cool and refresh the body and mind.

• If you use a ceiling fan make sure it is set to 'summer' mode (usually this means the fan will spin counter-clockwise), so that the warm air in the house is drawn up and pushed outwards, rather than drawing in the hot air from the ceiling and pushing it down.

• If using a pedestal fan, place a large block of ice in front of it so the air cools on the ice.  Try freezing water in an ice-cream container, keep the ice in the container, and place it on a towel to catch drips / condensation.

• If you are using air-con to cool your house, make sure the windows are closed, and you have closed as many doors as possible inside the house, so your air-con can effectively cool the room you're in.  Also make sure the filters are clean so it's working as effectively as possible.

• Close your curtains on the sunny side of your house, so the heat of the sunshine stays out as much as possible.

• Soak your feet in a bucket of cool water.

• Use Aloe Vera gel on your skin for an instant cool feeling.

• Drape a small damp towel / tea-towel around your shoulders or wear a damp t-shirt. 

• Stay in the shade as much as possible, especially during the hottest times of the day (usually 10am to 4pm).

• Wear light coloured, loose clothing, made from natural fibres such as cotton or linen.

• Stay hydrated.  Take a drink of ice-cold water with you when you leave the house, so you can sip it while out and about, and hold it against the pulse points on your wrists if needed.  

• Make your refreshing drinks a bit more interesting by using fruit tea, herbal tea, iced tea, or coconut water.

• Make a rose water facial spritz, keep it in the fridge and spritz as needed throughout the day.  Rose water has a lovely fragrance and is a great skin toner.

• Avoid sleeping nude.  Wearing a light-weight cotton top to bed will regulate your body temperature and reduce sleep disturbances due to waking up feeling too hot or too cold.

• Fill your hot water bottle with cold water to rest your feet on or take to bed.

• Sleep on a cooling gel or cooling foam pad.  These are available from good bed shops and some hardware stores.

• Choose foods with a high water content to help with hydration and energy throughout the day, for example: Cucumber, watermelon, pineapple, oranges, nashi, apples, strawberries, lettuce, radish, celery, tomato, pears.

• Make some of the above snacks a bit more fun by turning them into a Hwachae bowl for cool snacking.  Hwachae punch is a Korean dish and is usually made from a combination of fruits like water melon, berries, and pears, and added to a mixture of flavoured milk, lemonade, and ice cubes, but all of the ingredients can be substituted to your own tastes.

• Avoid eating meat or high protein foods during the heat of the day as they can increase your body's heat production and cause your body to loose water.

• Meals like clear soup also have a high water content and can be more refreshing than heavier meals.

• Spicy foods like curries and chilies increase sweating and can help cool you down.

• Rest when needed.  Feeling extra hot can be exhausting.  Reduce errands especially during the heat of the day.  Delegate 'hot' jobs (like cooking and hanging the washing out) to other family members.