Insider asked two scientists evidence based advice on how to keep cool in the heat. They were told to focus on tips that don't cost a lot.
Blood vessels that are close to the skin are opened in extreme heat. The cooling effect of sweat is achieved by the transfer of heat from the body to the surface.
The best way to stay cool is to focus on the parts of the body with a lot of blood vessels.
If you want to put cooling pads on those areas, you can dunk them in water.
A cool bath or shower is very effective if you are able to.
Havenith said you can wet or spray your t-shirt. It doesn't cost the body any of its own hydration.
Light meals like salads are a common-sense way to eat.
Light foods require less energy to digest and produce less heat. The more complex the food, the hotter it will be in the body.
It is important not to make sure you are eating enough because hot weather can cut your appetite.
A fan cools you down. Air conditioning is more expensive, but it can be just as effective.
Jeffries said that using an electric fan up until 35C was safer than air conditioning.
Havenith said that you could put a bowl of ice cubes in front of the fan.
The air is cooler when you do that.
The World Health Organization recommends against fans in hot weather.
Sweat is already being evaporated in the heat. If a fan blows hot air on you, it's all done.
Sweat can't evaporate in humid heat because the air is so moist.
They pointed to a study that compared drinks.
Sports drinks, sparkling water, and Coke were not as good as water.
Skimmed milk was marginally better at rehydrating the body.
Sports drinks have a lot of sugar. If you don't exercise, that sugar won't get used and will be converted to fat.
Coffee was better at rehydrating than water.
The cheapest option is tap water.
People lose 2% of their body fluids. Before that happens, it's better to drink.
Do you know if you're dehydrated? He said that if that gets darker it's a sign that you're not drinking enough.
Jeffries said it was better to sip water throughout the day rather than drink large volumes at a time.
It's important to make sure you don't drink too much.
Jeffries said that ice slushies can cool down the body.
If the body reacts badly to a change, they can be counter productive.
If you drink cold water, you have to make sure that your stomach and bowels don't get upset.
Havenith said that a lot of electrolytes would be lost if that happened.
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