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June, July, August, and September are generally hot, humid months in Ontario. You may catch a break at the beginning of June and the end of September with warm but otherwise pretty pleasant weather, but even that isn’t guaranteed these days thanks to climate change.
I stay cool during heat waves by:
1) Showering in cool water at least once a day and more often if it’s unbearably hot (Think anything above 35 Celsius in general or above 30 Celsius and really humid. That translates to about 95 Fahrenheit with lower humidity or 86 Fahrenheit with high humidity).
2) Eating cold, healthy meals. My diet becomes much more raw and plant-based in the summer when so much delicious fresh produce is in season and I’m trying to avoid turning my stove on.
3) Visiting Lake Ontario. All of that water cools the outside temperature down dramatically on the pier and beach. That’s before you take swimming or wading in the lake into account as well.
4) Exercising early in the morning, after sunset, or (if the heat warnings are severe) not at all. I rest as much as possible during the hottest portions of the day unless I’m going swimming and have plenty of sunscreen to prevent me from burning.
5) Keeping the blinds closed. This makes more of a difference than you might think if you do it consistently and don’t turn your oven or stove on either. My air conditioner is busy enough as is with the outdoor heat, and on very hot days it struggles to keep up.
6) Enjoying vegan ice cream. I don’t eat it very often the rest of the year and hot weather diminishes my appetite, so this gives me something to look forward to when we’re days or weeks into a heat wave.
7) Drinking plenty of ice water, especially if I’m being exposed to the heat for long periods of time.
8) Running ice cubes up and down my limbs.
9) Watching films or tv shows about cold, snowy places. I have no idea how this works, but it sure does seem to help.
10) Wearing loose garments made from natural fabrics and as few layers of clothing as possible. (That is to say, no socks, please!)
These are helpful tips, Lydia. Cold shower does help. I wish there’s a nearby lake where I live that I can visit. What’s your favorite vegan ice cream brand?
I wish you had a lake nearby, too!
Ben & Jerry’s has some amazing vegan ice creams, especially their chocolate fudge brownie and cherry garcia flavours. They excel at vegan ice cream that has all sorts of delicious stuff mixed into it.
So Delicious is my favourite brand for French vanilla ice cream as well as for their ice cream sandwiches and ice cream bars. They’re also less expensive than some of the other brands out there which is nice.
I could go on and on about this topic, but I think that will suffice for now. 🙂
Do you have a favourite vegan ice cream brand?
Very sensible.
Thanks. 🙂
All great tips, Lydia. I especially appreciate cool showers. I find in summer I sleep better after a cool shower.
Glad to hear it. And thanks.
We’re a lot more accustomed to heat in Alabama than you might be in Canada — most every place is air-conditioned, though I have worked in a factory without it. Beyond that, I wear light clothes (only time I wear shoes is at work & church) and limit outside activity. I have to do that in general now, given a stress fracture in the ol’ ankle that will only heal with rest.
I hope your ankle heals soon. Yeah, you’re definitely more used to high heat levels than Toronto is.
All of this. I also tend to take more cool showers in the summer – particularly at bedtime if it’s really hot. Something about having a cool, damp head when I’m trying to sleep – the rest of the year I hate it, but in the heat it’s awesome! We’re having what I consider to be hot weather (about 32 celsius, but it feels hotter at the height of the day) and it’s enough for me. Definitely not interested in anything warmer than this!! I hope you manage to spend some time at the lake this summer and that it’s not too unbearable!
Thank you. I hope you get some cooler weather soon.
Absolutely on #5! It makes such a huge difference to just keep the blinds closed. I need to get better light blocking coverings for my sliding glass doors.
I hope you get them soon! 🙂
I’m with you on the cold showers. I really can’t take humidity – it wears me out.
For sure.
Agreed–absolutely no socks!
🙂
These are great suggestions. I spend as much time as I can at our public pool.
Thanks. That’s a good idea, and I’m glad you do it.