I looked out last night and saw a cormorant standing on a post with it’s wings spread. Wow, I thought. It’s so hot even the birds are airing out their pits. (Yes, I know they’re drying their wings.)
We have a couple of rather toasty days over the next day or two. Heat warnings have been issued, although it is supposed to be cooler along parts of the coast.
That is usually one big advantage we have around here. Even on the hottest of days, you can usually find a bit of relief near the ocean. Maybe. Although the sand on the beach can get a bit warm.
But with the heat, I started thinking about the discussion that has gone on for quite some time. Which cools you better, hot or cold beverages?
This isn’t something new. I can remember discussing it when I was quite young, on a hot summer day when my father was enjoying his usual afternoon cup of tea. Drinking something hot? On a hot day? Why would you do that?
There is apparently good reason for such behavior. But knowing the British are currently suffering a heat wave and knowing that for many in that country, nothing stands between them and a cup of tea, I figured there would be information out there. And there was.
A lot of that information was based on a study done in 2012 by the University of Ottawa. Apparently they were determined to get to the bottom of the controversy. So they looked into what sort of beverages cooled you best.
While cold drinks are certainly refreshing and cooling, they discovered hot drinks may be best for cooling you down. But there was another rather large factor. Those hot drinks cool you because they make you sweat more. It’s the evaporating sweat that cools you down. In order for evaporation to work effectively, you need fairly dry air.
So hot drinks will cool you better if the humidity is low. Good luck finding low humidity around here.
Since our hot days tend to be rather humid as well, we would probably be better off with cold drinks on hot days. But if you really need that cup of tea or coffee, just pretend you’re a cormorant.
And stay hydrated, no matter what.
I have no research to back this up, but I suspect the best choice would be a cold drink with lots of ice. Drink the drink to stay hydrated, then dump the ice down your shorts. That should work.
