10 Tips to Lower Your Home and Heat Without Using Your Air Conditioner

It seems that every summer comes earlier, longer, and longer. hot. So, we bring you 10 tips to keep the temperature down without an air conditioner.

Just look at the data from the National Weather Service (AEMET). According to the agency, the average temperature on the peninsula in August 2022 will be 24.7 degrees Celsius. That means it was the second-hottest August of the 21st century, behind only August 2003.

The point is, everything bodes well for things to come, so we’ve collected some ideas to try and make excess heat Don’t ruin your summer vacation.the good thing is we have many attack fronts: Food, clothes, habits…it’s important to get used to a few weeks of rising temperatures.

1. Shower with water

Seemingly contradictory, if you want to cool down in summer, it is best to bathe in warm water, not cold water. This is because, due to the body’s self-regulating system of temperature, the blood will irrigate the skin less so that the area does not lose its temperature, and more heat will be generated inside the body.

So while you may feel momentary relaxation in a cold shower or bath, the truth is that after a few minutes, the heat will overwhelm you again.

2. Cool your house without an air conditioner

Given the price of electricity, it doesn’t hurt to learn about some cheaper options for keeping your home cool without having to plug anything in.

Some ideas are: lower the blinds and draw the shades during the day, create drafts, wet the floors, put ice in front of the fan, place plants, turn off lights and appliances you don’t need, hook up the water heater and water heater. The room was cold, the windows were closed at noon and opened in the late afternoon.

3. Prepare light recipes

Digestion has a lot to do with body temperature. Digestion is the process by which the body absorbs the nutrients it needs from the food it eats. During this process, the circulatory system directs a large amount of blood to the digestive system, which causes an increase in temperature.

The increase in temperature depends on the amount of calories burned. The higher the calorie content, the hotter you will feel.

Lettuce or tomato salads are ideal for the perfect summer meal. You can serve it with roast chicken or turkey breast, slices of cod or cuttlefish, also grilled.

4. Wear light clothing

Whatever you’re wearing, ideally it should be made of a lightweight fabric that breathes well and reduces heat sensation. Clothes made of cotton, natural silk or linen are best suited and feel great to the touch.

In addition to the fabric, the color of the clothes is equally important. It has long been believed that light colors are conducive to a fresh feeling. So why do Bedouins in Africa wear black? White clothes reflect sunlight, yes. But it also reflects the heat our bodies produce. Black, on the other hand, absorbs heat from the sun and the body. It appears that the Bedouins were right.

5. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to start

Hydration is vital to good health, especially in summer, because in the heat, we sweat more, and a lot of the time we don’t even realize it. Therefore, it can be handy to increase your water intake a little (but no more). While it doesn’t have to be just water, infusions are also a good option.

Drinking water is fine, but not too cold. Because of the thermal contrast, drinking water that is too cold can interfere with digestion and the secretion of bile and pancreatic juices, experts say. In short, don’t get carried away by the overwhelming heat and sip fresh (not cold) water.

6. Look for shadows

Staying under an umbrella on the beach or under an awning on the promenade are two good options for staying cool. Now, if we focus on the health field, being in the shade is not enough to properly protect ourselves from the damage caused by UV rays and the sun.

Even if you’re in the shade, surfaces like sand, grass or sea foam can scatter the sun’s ultraviolet rays, according to the World Health Organization. Their percentages were 15%, 20% and 25%, respectively, according to the agency.

In water we are not protected from solar radiation or its harmful effects on the skin. Some investigations ensure that 95% of UV radiation can penetrate water, and that up to 50% of UV radiation can reach a depth of three meters. Therefore, regular application of sunscreen is recommended.

7. Eat spicy food

Forget triple scoops of ice cream and add chili to your pasta salad! Capsicum, cayenne, mustard, or padrón peppers (those pungent peppers) seem like great helpers to keep you cool this summer.

This possibility is not an unfounded rumor, but a scientific conclusion based on the behavior of one of the ingredients in these foods, capsaicin. published in” scientific american Explains that these foods stimulate blood circulation, leading to sweating, and the evaporation of sweat droplets makes us feel cool. So yes, add a little joy to your stew.

8. Cut back on sugary drinks

Juice, not even natural juices, is the best way to hydrate, whether in summer or winter. And experts never tire of reminding us that squeezed fruit contains the same free sugars as the fruit juice we buy at the supermarket. So fruit is best eaten whole.

As for sugary industrial soft drinks, be they fruit juices or fizzy drinks, no matter how much they tempt us in August, the truth is that instead of hydrating us, they’re actually dehydrating us. These drinks provide an excess of empty calories, that is, little to no usable nutritional content. Avoid them.

9. Don’t binge on alcohol or coffee

Although summer more than any other time of year invites you to go out and drink, it’s important not to forget that alcohol doesn’t refresh you, it dehydrates you. One reason for this is that it is a diuretic which causes your body to release more fluid than it absorbs, on the other hand its excessive consumption causes your body temperature to rise which causes you to sweat and lose more of fluids, that is, you become more dehydrated.

The diuretic effect of coffee should also be moderate. Another different thing is whether it is better served cold or hot.In this regard, published in nutrition review Point out that the temperature of the coffee does not affect health or digestion.

10. Walking is better than running

You shouldn’t stop exercising in the summer. This is general advice from physical activity experts. What they recommend, however, is acclimatization, especially high temperatures. In this sense, there are two basic measures: reduce the intensity of your training, for example, change from running to walking at a good pace, and avoid exercising outdoors in the middle of the day. It is recommended to do it first thing in the morning or at sunset.

For example, when exercising vigorously between 2:00 and 6:00 in the afternoon, we run the risk of: headaches, dizziness, weakness, leg cramps… and other more serious risks such as loss of balance and fainting. It also favors contractures and muscle damage.