Wet socks can make a difference: Tips from readers on keeping cool without AC
How do you stay cool without an air conditioner in a year of record-breaking heat?
Last week we featured a story by heatwave researcher Dr. Gulrez Shah Azhar about how he dealt with brutally high temps while growing up in India with no A/C. And we asked NPR readers to share their tips.
Here's a selection of reader responses, edited for length and clarity. And we also asked Azhar to offer his take on their advice – as well as to share additional insights.
Watch what you eat!
Colette Parry, Boston, Mass.: When I was growing up in Portland, Oregon, we never cooked during the day in the summer. We ate a lot of no-cook meals like corn and bean salad (recipe: can of black beans, a bag of frozen corn, a chopped red pepper or other veg and seasoning/dressing to taste). Anything that required cooking, we did at night and then either ate it cold during the day or heated up in the microwave. Azhar: Haha, this is so clever – simple and so ingenious. I am all for it!
Something I learned while visiting India was to eat plenty of cooling foods like watermelon and cucumber. On super hot
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