5 Ways to Beat the Heat

With temperatures likely to reach the 90s today, and probably not for the last time this summer, we all need to keep cool.

Here are some suggestions from the Grafton Senior Center:

Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated or rescheduled to the coolest part of the day. Stay in  the coolest area available. The Grafton Senior Center, for example, is air-conditioned but not too cold.

Dress for summer. Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.

Eat a bit less. Food such as proteins that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss, which is not good.

Drink plenty of water or non-alcoholic fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty. People with heart, kidney or liver problems, or those on a fluid-restrictive diet, should contact their physician before increasing their fluid intake.

Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat loss even more difficult.