Simple, life-saving tips to survive heat wave conditions

Water is something we can’t live without, especially in summers because the specific heat of water is 1 calorie/gram °C = 4.186 joule/ gram °C, which is higher than any other common substance. As a result, water plays a very important role in temperature regulation. 

Meaning, if you drink a lot of water it will take much longer for your body to get hotter. So keep drinking a lot of water and juices which help you eliminate the excess heat from the body through sweat and urine. Do not wait to get thirsty, rather drink a lot of water throughout the day. This makes it clear that there is no replacement for water at all. 

To increase the antioxidant content, it is becoming popular to soak some fruits and vegetables in water overnight and drink the water the following day. Some very tasty and widely used foods include mint leaves, tulsi leaves, coriander leaves, lemon slices, cucumber slices, carrot slices, apple slices, oranges, sweet lime, strawberries, blueberries, Kiwi fruit, capsicum, raw mango, etc. 

Try it, it’s amazing. Avoid foods that dehydrate and increase the water requirement of the body. These include alcohol, tea, coffee, colas, sugar, very sweet fruits etc. It is better to avoid taking fruit juices which are strained and do not contain the pulp. Our bodies are not used to such a high load of sugar and this can increase the requirement of water in the body. 

Eat frequent small meals and avoid large meals especially junk food, high protein non- vegetarian foods, sugary and fatty foods. Include a lot of salads and fruits, as they contain a lot of water and nutrients. High caloric intake increases the temperature and metabolism of the body.

Balance the salt intake, to match the loss from sweat and urine. Citrus foods and fruits rich in Vitamin C are very important to boost immunity. Avoid eating frozen and cold foods like ice cream and chilled water. They disturb the natural body mechanism of regulating temperature. It may be tempting, but leads to difficulty later. It has also been found that continuous consumption of cold water or frozen foods affect the thymus function, which is important part of the immune system. 

Stay indoors to avoid exposure to heat, especially during the day time. Fix your appointments early in the day or late in the evening. Better to make a mobile or Skype call. Wear loose cotton clothing, which will reduce the contact of the outside heat with the body. 

Wearing a hat or sunglasses and carrying an umbrella is the new cool. Avoid any excessive excercise that can dehydrate you. Sleep well and in a cool environment, using coolers or ACs as required. The world is getting hotter and deadlier by every passing day. It’s very important that we take good care of our body. Grow a garden, plant trees around your home. 

This helps to reduce the temperature around your house and in the world as a whole. The temperature rise is because of carbon dioxide increase, which creates a greenhouse effect around the earth. Plants consume carbondioxide and release oxygen. 

It is very disheartening to say that there is only one awesome country, ‘Bhutan’ in the world which is carbon negative. There people celebrate the birthday of their beloved king by planting trees. We need both short term relief and long term plans, to fight the rise in mercury. Small steps collectively can have a huge impact on the environment.