It is the start of a new school year and everyone is happy to be back on campus. However, the smoldering heat is more than just a conversation starter… It is truly a struggle to bear. Follow these tips for a way to escape the STL heat and survive the hottest days of the year:
1. Take a detour to class: Instead of walking outside, find an alternative route in an air-conditioned building. Bauer, the library, Mallinkrodt or the DUC are all great ways to avoid suffocating outdoors.
2. Monitor your meals: In this heat, you want to avoid eating meals that are large or heavy in protein. When you eat a lot of protein, your body has to use more energy to digest it. The large amount of energy used in digesting protein causes your body to heat up. Instead, stick to foods like fruit that require less energy to digest.
3. Avoid caffeine: Drinking coffee has a diuretic effect and causes you to lose fluid! In the hot weather, we want to drink as many fluids as possible. As much as you’re craving that iced vanilla latte, cutting that caffeine could be a game-changer.
4. Glue yourself to your water bottle (actually though, if I could I would): You can never have enough water! Most Wash U students are accustomed to being attached to their reusable water bottle, but in case you aren’t, this is the time to make a habit of it.