hot weather challenge

It has been very, very hot in San Francisco and other parts of the country this past week. As many people know from first hand experience, hot weather can make you feel irritable and moody. Here are some cooling recommendations to sample for a day to see how you feel. First, stop with your first cup of coffee. Coffee (even iced) has a warming and drying effect on the body, not good when you are already hot and have sweated out a lot of your body's water. Try switching to green tea, peppermint tea, or chrysanthem tea (or a combination of these), as they are all cooling, even when served hot. Fruits are cooling too, particularly watermelon, which is easy to find this season. Drink at least 6 tall glasses of water to replenish fluids. I encourage you will try these tips one day and note your mood. Stay cool!