The clouds are finally starting to clear and the sun is welcoming in the spring and summer seasons. While this weather calls for afternoon trips to the beach and acai bowls on the lawn, it also means you’ll be sweating through your top before you’ve even entered the second hour of your day. If you’re going to make it through the remaining seven weeks of this quarter, you’re going to need to consider something other than your usual ice cream cone after dinner at the dining commons.
Natalia Spritzer / Daily Nexus
Mint
Mint is known to have a naturally prolonged cooling effect. The sensation is familiar from chewing gum and hard candies. Adding a few mint leaves to your water or lemonade will prove refreshing.
Fruit
Fruits rich in water regulate your body temperature and keep you hydrated during those blistering hot days. These include cucumber and watermelon, to name a few. Coconut water is a popular choice, as the electrolytes in it replenish ions lost in sweat.
Citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges are particularly cooling and help to cleanse the body of toxins. Lemon water is a good alternative to plain water and is often offered more frequently at restaurants, as the lemon helps to rehydrate the body by balancing pH levels.
Hot and Spicy
Contrary to popular belief, hot foods should be an essential part of any summer diet. This doesn’t just refer to foods hot in temperature, but to those packed with spice. Countries with warm and tropical climates are known to turn to steaming hot drinks or spicy soups to cool down. Doing so allows for the body to be alerted to changes in internal temperature and cool itself down, albeit with a bit of sweat. (Does your mom forcing you to drink tea when you have a fever make sense now?)
Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine
Both coffee and alcohol are diuretics, removing water from the body and increasing urine production. The two cause you to dehydrate much faster when consumed in large quantities. Needless to say, despite how appealing a cold drink of either may look during the summer, it is best to stay away from those during a heat wave.
