The weather is beginning to get unbearably hot as we delve deeper into the summer months of the year.  Actually, it was getting too hot for me weeks ago despite the fact that I live in a relatively neutral climate here in Vancouver.  The high 20s begin to turn my place a greenhouse.  Some might enjoy the roast but I’ve always maintained that I have abnormally high body temperature to begin with so I can’t wait for the winter chill to cool me down again.

These days, it takes little provocation for many of us to reach over and turn on the air conditioning whether it be in our homes or in our cars.  It’s hot so why not cool down our surroundings?  The irony, however, is that the thing cooling us down is contributing to heating up our world even more year by year.  The energy costs of air conditioning are simply staggering.

There are ways to cut down on our energy usage during the hot summer months.  They include not eating high-fat, heavy meals that cause our bodies to heat up and doing less strenuous activities indoors.  They can even be as simple as…well, wearing less clothing when you’re at home.  I don’t know about you but simply not wearing a shirt at home drops your body temperature significantly.  Not wearing pants, however, could present a problem if you have to get out of the house quickly (in case of fire, tornados, killer bees…whatever) or answering the door when UPS knocks.

Drinking plenty of water is also essential to regulating body temperature during hot summer months so be sure to get your fluids consistantly.  While a cold beer can temporarily cool you down, alcohol in general raises your body temperature so try to not overdo it.

Other helpful tips include spending time in your basement or the bottom floor of your home.  Hot air rises so naturally, your top floor will be hotter than your ground floor.

Most importantly, keep air circulating throughout your home.  Stale, muggy air is more uncomfortable than heat and some people mistake uncirculated air as heat.  A few ceiling fans and open windows can make a world of difference.

When all else fails?  Sometimes, just sweat it out!  Yep, embrace the heat and sweat out some of those toxins that you might be carrying in your body and replace your perspiration with some fresh, clean and cool water.  Think of it as nature’s sauna.  Keep hydrated and fight that heat head on!