Taming the heat
Summer can be taxing on both body and mind. Here’s how you can learn to enjoy the hot season
With the mercury hitting the high 30s and 40s, summer’s the season when the earth gets a mighty roasting. It’s part of the cycle of seasons, and there’s no way out but to learn to cope with it. Those who come up with sensible strategies to deal with the summer -- both traditional and modern – even learn to enjoy these months! Sounds a little unlikely, but it’s true. With body and mind equipped to deal with the heat, you’re free to enjoy many of summer’s bounties: mangoes, refreshing drinks, the burst of colour when the flowers bloom, the simple charms of a khus curtain or clay-pot cooled water…
Here are a few strategies to help you keep cool through summer.
Take it easy:
Don’t make unrealistic lists of household chores, travel plans, entertaining and work schedules. You’ll be surprised how insidious summer fatigue is. Suddenly, you’re doing much less than usual, and you end up thinking that you’re going all inefficient, lazy, slow -- when it’s just your body preventing you from straining yourself. So accept its message gracefully, and don’t punish yourself for getting much less done. Less fret, less sweat.
Grab a nap:
If possible, take a light cat-nap sometime in the middle of the day; if this is not possible, grab a little shut-eye on your way to work, or back. You don’t have to slumber for hours: even a short nap works wonders -- a guaranteed restorative strategy for an overheated mind.
Dress cool:
Suddenly you find your everyday close-cut clothes, fitted elastic and tight drawstrings making you distinctly uncomfortable, and you begin to worry that you’ve put on a lot of weight. Switch to summer options in fits and fabrics. Thin but firm fabric works the best, staying away from the body, absorbing some amount of perspiration, and also allowing the skin to breathe. Don’t wear very loose and flowing clothes either -- they may look cool, but are difficult to manage.
Water, water:
You’ve heard this before, but it’s worth repeating: drink plenty of water. Doctors of every hue insist that there’s nothing like good, plain water, preferably slightly cooler than room temperature. Adding loads of ice to the water may be tempting, but remember that your body has to work overtime to cope with the effects of ice-cold drinks, says Dr Jyoti Shirodkar, MD, a private ayurveda practitioner attached to KEM, Pune.
Wash up:
When you come home from a long, hot day, there’s nothing better than the traditional wash (`Moonh haath dho lo!’). Put your feet and legs under running tap water right up to the calves and feel the fatigue draining away. Avoid very cold baths. Lukewarm water is the best, so that the body is not shocked by the contrast.
Get some shades:
The eyes take quite a hit in summer. Get yourself some UV-protected eyewear and go easy on the makeup. At home, you can rest with eye pads soaked in rose water. Watch out for eye infections that are rampant around this time. If you’re swimming, be sure to use water-goggles, and use cleansing eye drops regularly.
Watch that diet:
Give fried foods and sweets a miss, and don’t overeat. Dr Vinay Dhir, consulting gastroenterologist at the Lilavati Hospital and Raheja Hospital, Mumbai, says you should stick scrupulously to boiled water, as infectious diseases are rampant at this time. “For the same reason, eating out at your favourite street joints is highly avoidable. Drink plenty of fluids -- water, juices or buttermilk; avoid cola drinks,” he adds. Light meals -- soups, salads or good old curd-rice -- work wonders and prevent your body from being overworked. Traditional cooling remedies like kokum, lemon, variali/ saunf (fennel) and dhania (coriander seed) water keep your system hydrated and cool and help flush out the toxins built up in your body. Work these into your daily routine.
Now that you know how to cope with the summer, go out and enjoy yourself before the monsoons set in!