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Refreshing Your Health
COOL WAYS TO STAY COOL • You are what you eat • Skin cool down • Sleeping cool • Cool down your home
Cool ways to stay cool CHILL AS YOU BATTLE THE SUMMER HEAT.
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Not only is the summer heat an inconvenience, but it is also bad for your health. Direct rays of the sun can cause a variety of damage to the skin and eyes. Plus it puts you at risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
V O L U M E 1 0 • I S S U E 5 • M AY 2 0 1 6
Now we have all heard about the usual
• Grill outdoors instead of being
• Remember those cool fever patches
measures to stay cool:
trapped in the kitchen. Cooking can be
you can stick on your forehead? Use them
intolerable with all the heat trapped in
as well to cool down from the feverish
the kitchen. Escape from the
weather.
inferno of your kitchen by
• Cool down with aloe vera.
• Stay in the shade.
Drink plenty of fluids. • Wear breathable fabrics such as cotton. • Use electric fans and air conditioners. •
Those are the basics … and can only help you so much. Instead, how about making cooling down a holistic lifestyle this summer? Here’s how.
cooking in a well-shaded area outdoors.
Replace your usual body lotions
• Ditch the hot dishes. As Filipinos, we
with lighter water-based aloe
love eating our meals warm—warm rice,
vera-containing skin moisturizers.
warm viands. However, cold dishes can be
• Cool your pulse. Apply a cold com-
a welcome respite during summer. Try some chilled salads with refreshing ingredients: apples, pineapples, chilled tuna flakes, chilled grapes, and grated cheese, among others. In addition, learn from the Chinese, which have an array of meat dishes served cold. The key to serving cold meats is to
press to your pulses (at the wrists, neck, elbows, groin, ankles, and behind the knees). These areas are where blood flow is nearest to the skin surface. Cooling down these areas will cool your blood faster, helping your body temperature cool down as well.
eat them one piece at a time, and serve with dips. This will help you appreciate the flavors better. • Freeze water bottles. Use them for rehydration. As the ice melts, you have chilled water on the go.
• And cool down your feet. A cool foot
You are what you eat
bath will not give you “pasma”. Instead, it will help cool down your feet, where a lot of
• Eat small meals. Meals can boost
blood pools. This also helps lower the risk
your metabolic rate (the heat production
of varicose veins. Take up to 15 minutes to
of your body) temporarily—and the bigger
enjoy this cooling and relaxing spa experi-
the meal, the higher the heat production).
ence.
To stave off your metabolic rate from going
• Store moisturizers, lotions and sun-
overdrive, eat smaller meals more often
screens in the refrigerator. This will provide
(e.g., 5-7 half-portion meals every 3-4 hours).
Skin cool down
• Drink chilled mint tea. Place a couple
• The concept of “lamig” is not a veri-
applying these products (which you still need
of mint leaves in a pitcher of water, and chill
fied concept, and letting water evaporate
to apply even on warm days for healthy,
in the freezer. The mint leaves will
from your skin will not give you a cold
protected skin). You can also use chilled
leave a refreshing sensation
(which is a viral infection). In fact, the evapo-
lotions after your
on your mouth and body.
ration of water from the skin has a cooling
soothing foot
• Avoid alcohol. A glass of chilled beer
effect, one you will need this summer.
bath.
may sound refreshing, but the alcohol will
• Use damp wraps. Dampen bandag-
decrease your heat tolerance, making you
es and/or sheets, and apply them on the
feel warmer for hours later.
skin all day long.
a cooling and refreshing sensation when
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• Sleep alone. Summer is not the time to
heat. Or better yet, switch off the lights
cuddle up. Sleeping alone, with your body
altogether.
outstretched, helps the evaporation of sweat,
• Close the blinds. While open win-
which will cool you down.
dows may let the cool breeze in, radiant heat from the reflection of the sun on the pavements may also warm up the room. If this is the case, closing the blinds may be a better option. • Plant a garden. An indoor or outdoor garden can help cool down a room. The process of transpiration (“plant breathing”)
Sleeping cool
releases moisture, which has a cooling effect on a
• Chill your sheets. Place your sheets
room. The cooling effect is
and blankets in a plastic bag,
also enhanced by the moisture in the soil.
then chill inside the refrigerator. provide temporary relief, but enough
Cool down your home
to get you to sleep.
• Hang damp sheets indoors, especially
• Sleep like an Egyptian. The Egyptians
over warm walls and windows.
had the practice of sleeping with a damp
• Switch lights, switch off.
Finally, learn to be chill on the inside. Sit
towel, bed sheets, and/or blanket. As the
Ditch the electricity-consuming
back, close your eyes, relax, and envision
water evaporates, it will cool you down, as
incandescent lamps for more
yourself basking in the cool breeze from the
well as the room. Do NOT soak the mat-
energy-efficient CFL lamps.
sea. This relaxation will lower your overall
tress, as this takes longer to cool down and
These lamps also light up with
core body temperature. It is also one of the
may promote molds.
the same (if not more) brilliance, with less
coolest ways to stay cool this summer.
Use during bedtime. This will
Helping Your People in the Path to Progress Benefits Made Better Email us at inquiries@activelinkbenefits.com or call us at 8174606, and let us know when we can share our strategy. Let us help you make your benefits better!
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelinkbenefits.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2015 ActiveLink
Benefits Made Better
ActiveLink 7/F Electra House Building 115-117 Esteban St., Legaspi Village, Makati City www.activelinkbenefits.com
A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD