5 Ways to Cool Off, Inside-Out

By: Alex Halenda
If summertime gets your goat, we got your back. Here are 5 easy ways to cool off, from your eating to breathing to what you put on your body.

1. Eat Cooling Foods-
Ayurveda is India's oldest wisdom for balancing and healing the body. It's
practices cover everything from oils for your hair to herbs you drink to foods you eat, all based off your body type and the season. When you're in need of cooling off, eat fresh hydrating foods, and things that might represent coolness, even just based off their color! Add an array of Melons, Cucumbers, Berries, Bananas, Coconut, Dark Leafy Greens, Mushrooms, Mangoes, and definitely Mint and
Cilantro, to your daily routine. Avoid spicy foods, garlic, onions, citrus, and dairy. Just watch your zen-level rise.

2. Drink Room Temperature Water-
You'd think an icy beverage would cool you down right? Wrong. Studies prove that cooling your body internally can slow down circulation and thus, the transport of heat in your body. The effective part remains the same, simple hydration
keeps your body functioning at its peak. In the summertime we lose a lot of water when we perspire, even in subtle yet steady amounts. Keeping your body properly hydrated means maintaining temperature, waste removal, and lubricated joints to name a few.

3. Get Acclimated to the Heat-
Science tells us by increasing your body's core temperature, you'll begin to sweat earlier and in greater quantities during physical activity. Guess what, sweating cools you off. Work your heat tolerance up by spending two hours in the heat
each day, building the intensity and/or duration of your activity over the course of 10-14 days. Note that resting in the heat will not be effective in building your
tolerance. You got move!

4. Wear White or Light Colored Clothing- 

Without getting too excited about physics, it is useful to know that sunlight consists of a mixture of all visible wavelengths of light. An object's color depends on which wavelengths it absorbs and which are reflected away from said object. White, among other lighter colors, reflects most of the wavelengths it is exposed to. SO wearing white, light waves bounce off of you, and you absorb less heat. 5. Think Cool, Breathe Cool, Be Cool
One sure way to feel hot is to obsess over the heat. Your mind is a powerful tool, and you can use it to heal you, or harm you. If you put all your focus on the source of your irritation, odds are you're only contributing to the imbalance in your body. If you're feeling skeptical just google one of these characters "Tibetan Nuns" "Yogis" or "Wim Hof" and the words "Body Temperature." Then try this:

Think of how it feels to be cool, the sensation on your skin, your forehead, your neck, your back... Without words, try to recall the feeling. Then slow your breath down, ALOT. If you can build up to a ten count inhale, and a 12 count exhale, even better! Reason being, a longer exhale slows down your heart rate, which will help to cool down your body and level-out your stress response.
If all else fails, GET WET. Ocean, pool, lake, sprinkler in your neighbors front yard, cold shower, you know it, I know it........water works.