Beat the Heat: Keep Calm and Cool Down

Day 1: Keep Calm and Cool Down

           If you're like most of the world, the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of summer is splashing around in the water, whether  it be in the ocean or a friend's pool. Even if you spend more time loafing around than a bread loving sloth, you'll find yourself at least dipping in your feet after a nice long sun soak. However, you find that no matter how much water you drink or splash in, you're still blazing hot.
       

            My tip to avoid feeling like you're bringing the sun inside with you is this: stash your lotion and aloe vera in the fridge (or cooler if you're beach bound) before you go out. It sounds so simple that everyone should be doing it right? Wrong. I've spent 20 summers pool side and not once has any of my family done this. After spending the day outside, go to your fridge and slick on a generous amount on each section of your body and feel the heat leave your body. This will also help with rehydrating your skin, which is important if you plan to bake yourself this summer. Now if you happen to spend a little too long outside, no troubles bubbles. This is where the aloe vera comes in handy. Aloe vera is known for having been used on skin for its soothing properties and just imagine what it'll do when it's nice and cold on your skin. Apply generously to sunburned skin every 2 to 4 hours and feel the hurt slowly easing away. At first, it may tingle or feel prickly but that is just the cold from the gel replacing the heat radiating from your skin. I did this after I came back from the beach the next day when I saw my shoulders were burned a bit and I could move the next day.

(image made on memegenerator.com)

Beat the Heat

           As the days of lounging by the pool and strutting around in your bathing suit all day rapidly approach, there's one thing that's on all our minds: how in the world are we going to beat this heat? Where I live in California, summer starts early and the people melt faster than ice cream. Now, I enjoy summer like the rest of the world but I have grown to have a different take on it than most people as I grow older. Sure, I love going to the beach and watching the sun make my fair complexion into that of a golden goddess, but there's more to it. With all the lounging around and barbecues to ensue, I go into this summer with the idea of detox. Think about it for a minute: all this fresh fruit, drinking tons of water, and playing in the water all day. Summer is actually a three month workout plan, if you do it right. Now, I'm not going to judge someone for indulging at a barbecue (I've been known to enjoy a slab of ribs once or twice). I know in the months leading up to summer people spend hours in the gym trying to get that perfect beach body but it doesn't stop there. Just keep that in mind these next few months.

(image found on Google Images.  I make no claim of owning this image.)