Here in the UK I think it’s fair to say it’s been pretty damn hot these last couple of weeks! Don’t get me wrong, I love some sunshine and warmth, but even with my pregnancy aside the temperatures we’ve had have been challenging for a lot of us. When you are on holiday in a warm country, you aren’t usually having to carry out normal day to day activities or working in an office or driving in a car with no air con!
I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been doing to stay healthy and comfortable in this heat, as well as a lot of other tips I picked up from my fab community on Facebook!
Lots of raw fruit and vegetables
I totally face planted that watermelon after I took the picture above! Raw fruit and vegetables are super hydrating as well as being packed with anti oxidants that will help protect your skin from the sun from the inside out. So fill up on salads, smoothies and fresh fruit.
Coconut water
Coconut water is the perfect hydrating beverage as it contains a good balance of electrolytes. When it comes to staying hydrated, sometimes water isn’t enough, especially when you sweat because you are also sweating out minerals like sodium. For your body to be able to maintain cellular function, it needs an adequate supply of electrolytes in the right balance to enable the cells to do their jobs correctly, hence coconut water is great for drinking in hot weather or during physical exercise when you sweat a lot!
Cheaper alternative to coconut water – your own electrolyte drink
I love coconut water but it is pricey! Plain water is great, but if you are sweating a lot try adding a tiny pinch of salt and some sugar or something like orange juice or honey to the water to balance electrolytes. I also love this recipe for a homemade sports drink from Wellness Mama. If you struggle with plain water try carbonated water, cooled and iced herbal or green teas or fruit infused water. I love the ideas here on the Free People Blog.
Quality salt
Linked to the electrolyte balance discussed above, I like to make sure I’m getting in some good quality salt. Salt has been vilified over the years linked to high blood pressure, however when you are eating a diet made up of mostly whole foods, there’s nothing wrong with adding a little mineral rich sea salt or my personal fave, pink himalayan salt, to your meals and drinks. Most salt in people’s diets is the salt added to processed food, so if you aren’t consuming that processed food and are instead eating a lot of fresh fruit and veg, a little salt will help maintain electrolyte balance and a host of other functions within your body. This post from Chris Kresser explains why we all need salt.
Water mist brumisateur
Yep, they are expensive, but I have been loving mine! I know you can use a cheapo spray bottle filled with water but somehow it just doesn’t feel the same! I’ve been misting myself with this before bed and it really helps cool me off which in turn leads to a much better sleep. I have also found that using this over the past week has kept my skin feeling really fresh. A little luxury, but a worthwhile one in my opinion.
Good antiperspirant
You know I love my natural beauty and skincare, but as I’ve said before there are some occasions when only the big guns will do! I like Mitchum for really stopping me sweating but I don’t use it often, only when I am doing something where sweating would be uncomfortable, like out for a meal or to an event. When I’m home I go deo free or use a Dr Organics from Holland and Barrett Roll on. A great tip I got from one of the ladies in my 12 weeks to feeling fab course private Facebook group is using antiperspirant between your legs if you get a bit of sweaty thigh rub. I haven’t tried it yet, but it does make sense!
Sunscreen or SPF containing products
I always use a face cream that contains SPF, Green People Day Solution is my favourite and over the last couple of weeks I’ve returned to using my Bare Minerals Tinted Moisturiser on top which is SPF 20. Tip – make sure you apply your daily face cream right down your neck and on to your chest to prevent against sun damage in that area as at this time of year it’s often just as exposed as your face. As I said in my post about the sunburn map, definitely make sure you have some stronger SPF for days when you’ll be out and about longer. I like the Green People range for something more natural. As long as you don’t burn in an instant, think about having a few minutes of sun exposure on your arms, torso and legs without SPF to help your body manufacture vitamin D. Then make sure you cover up and get the sun screen on!
Ice lolly moulds
I love my ice lolly moulds and have been using them none stop! There’s loads of recipes for them online or check out my raw choc dipped strawberry ice lollies or low sugar chocolate crunch ice lolly recipes. Lately I’ve just been blending some plain organic natural yoghurt with fresh or frozen fruit and a little honey and they have been tasting amazing. I love these ones from IKEA which you can also get on Amazon.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds are awesome at any time of year, however they are fabulous in the heat as they absorb several times their own weight in liquid and are therefore super hydrating as well as providing your body with healthy fats and antioxidants to look after your skin. Add them to smoothies, overnight oats or simply soak them in some liquid to make a delicious pudding like my coconut and lime chia pudding recipe!
Vest tops and leggings
This might be a personal one for me, but vest tops and leggings rock. They are just so comfortable and cool, especially when you are preggers!
Exercising earlier in the day
This doesn’t affect me so much as I tend to work out early anyway, but for more regular exercisers working out earlier when it’s cool just makes good sense! Whatever time you are exercising make sure you are drinking lots of water and or homemade electrolyte drink as above!
I also put the question out to my fabulous Facebook community and got a great response with lots of tips!
Read the all the comments and tips here. There’s also these great tips on staying cool via Greatist and my good friend Chris that works for Age UK linked me up with these tips for older people to stay cool in a heat wave.
Do you have any more tips to add? How have you been staying healthy in the heat?
I love the vest top and leggings idea, on the weekend I pulled on a pair of cropped workout leggings I haven’t worn in a few years and I haven’t taken them off since …. I know I will have to because at some point there will be too much doggy slobber abad hair on them to ignore but DANG it they are sooooooooooo comfy :-)
Workout leggings are soooo comfortable! I’m planning a big workout clothing spree after baby arrives :-)
I have felt for all you pregnant ladies over the past couple of weeks. It’s just been so hot lately.
For the days I’ve struggled to get up early enough to beat the heat, my runs have been later at 8-9pm when it’s so much cooler.
I know I’m not wishing it away but it has been a challenge! You are good running that late, that was one thing I could never seem to manage was running later in the day!
Thanks for including my hydration tip! I currently have my big glass of iced water with lemon on my desk at work :) Love everyone else’s tips too, so many good’uns!
My pleasure! I’ve just drank a glass of lemon water actually, so refreshing!
Frozen watermelon is the only way to go in this heat. I can’t get enough of it!
I need to get on that!
Great tips Laura. I’m a big fan of those water sprays, they may be pricey but they’re so lovely in the heat. I’ve also been washing my legs and feet in icy water when I get in from work – bliss.
That sounds like heaven, there’s something about cooling your feet off that feels so good!
Love this! And I’m glad I’m not alone on ‘this heat is too much’ thing hehe! I’ve literally been eating a whole watermelon a day lately..makes a great workout when I do the shopping anyway! Also I’m all about frozen blueberries in greek yogurt (I always am but even more so now!). I get so hot at night I’ve also been sleeping on the floor right by the open window..pretty desperate but it’s the only way I can sleep right now!
Haha tell me about it! For a while I was getting baby watermelon just so they were easier to carry but now I need the big ones to keep me going ;-)
Water water and more water oh and the odd twister but thats not really healthy! ha x
Haha I haven’t had a Twister in forever!
I love having frozen smoothies – they feel a bit like soft serve ice cream and help cool me right down. I also run my hands and wrists under cold water as I heard some where that help cool the body right down??
I used to always eat my smoothies like ice cream! Great idea about running your wrists under the cold tap, I think it cools the blood?
Having lived in Vietnam for 10 months I think I’ve built up a slight tolerance to the heat!! However, I do still feel it, and find it annoying especially when I’m teaching in a hot classroom with no aircon!! Then I swear by wearing floaty skirts and dresses and making sure I stay really well hydrated. Green smoothies and lots and lots of herbal teas! It doesn’t matter how hot it is, I still love my teas!! Also, I have just discovered coconut water in the supermarket. I used to drink a coconut everyday in Vietnam and have been missing it! It is expensive though so might try your tips on home made electrolyte drinks!
I bet you have being in a hot country for so long! I have completely stopped drinking herbal teas hot, I can only manage them iced. Having a coconut a day sounds like bliss :-)
I’m totally over the heat now! Not having an ac, or a pool/the sea at hand makes it no fun :P I’ve been eating loads of watermelon, smoothies, raw foods and coconut water, and running really early in the morning.
Yep, I think if we all had swimming pools in our back garden it would be far more pleasant ;-)