< Back to front page Text size – +

Tips to beat the heat

E-mail|Link|Comments () July 6, 2010 09:07 AM

Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff

Justin Humphreys and his son Justin cooled off Monday at a fountain in a playground off of Green Street in Jamaica Plain. It would be a good place to be again today as the mercury and humidity soar.

By Globe Staff

With temperatures expected to reach brutally high levels today, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has released the following suggestions on how to keep cool:

-- Slow down, avoid strenuous activity. Do not try to do too much on a hot day.

-- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect heat and sunlight and help maintain normal body temperature. Protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat.

-- Drink plenty of water regularly and often, even if you do not feel thirsty. Attempt to stay hydrated.

-- Limit intake of alcoholic beverages. They can actually dehydrate your body.

-- Eat well-balanced, light, regular meals. Avoid high protein foods that increase metabolic heat.

-- Stay indoors as much as possible.

-- If you do not have air conditioning, stay on your lowest floor, out of the sun. Electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help evaporate perspiration, which cools your body.

-- Go to a place where you can get relief from the heat, such as air-conditioned schools, libraries, theaters and other community facilities that may offer refuge during the warmest times of the day.

-- Check with your community for information about local "cooling centers."