1. Salud!

“Hydrate well! That’s the number-one thing to do when the weather is really hot,” says Vesna Skul, M.D., medical director of the Comprehensive Center for Women’s Medicine in Chicago. But not all summer beverages are created equal. Delectable-looking iced coffee and tea contain caffeine, which is a diuretic and may cause fluid loss. Opt for water and diluted fruit juice instead.

Taking a tall glass of water and adding ice, a sprinkle of a no-cal sweetener like Splenda and a powerful squirt of fresh lemon “is a fabulous, cheap, thirst-quenching recipe,” says Dr. Skul. You can make this healthy cocktail more colorful by adding a splash of cranberry juice and a sprig of mint. And you can always try a sports drink to replenish the salt you lose through perspiration.

2. Escape

Beat the heat by fleeing to a freezing world of snow. Can’t swing a jaunt to the south pole? Just rent a “brrr”-inducing movie. Some chilly choices include David Lean’s romantic and sumptuous saga Doctor Zhivago; the goofball comedy about the Jamaican bobsled team that made it to the Winter Olympics, Cool Runnings; and the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins. If the kids are prickly with the summer blahs, lift their spirits with a DVD of Ice Age.

3. Join a Fan Club

On a boiling-hot day, “a fan blowing on you is one of the most wonderful cooling things,” says Dr. Skul. Upright electric fans are best because they’re mobile yet powerful and “they cool your entire body,” she adds. In a pinch you can DIY with a flirty, feminine handheld fan. But be careful not to pump your old-fashioned cooler too energetically, or you’ll heat up your muscles!

4. Dress for Duress

Discard everything you know about avoiding synthetic fabrics in the summer. While cotton and linen may seem light, “they absorb and retain moisture, and make you feel clammy,” says Ingrid Johnson, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

What’s better: Clothes made from one of the new miracle fibers such as Hydrofil, Tactel Aquator and Coolmax. These nylon- and polyester-based textiles, originally created for exercisers, have a “wicking action” that sucks moisture off your body and ferries it to the outer part of the garment, where it evaporates. Choose miracle fibers and other summer clothes in light colors, Johnson advises: “White reflects light” and is therefore much cooler than black or navy.

P.S. Sandals made from light, breathable fabrics are the coolest option for your feet, says podiatrist James Christina, director of scientific affairs for the American Podiatric Medical Association.

5. Take a tepid shower

Showers outrank baths because they are more sanitary, cool you off instantly, take only a few minutes and are easier on your skin. Don’t make the water too cold (your body will register the outside air as hotter when you get out) or too hot (the last thing you need is to raise your body temperature). Be sure to use a nondrying cleanser like Cetaphil to keep your skin supple, advises Dr. Skul.

Want instant relief without disrobing? Spritz yourself with a little spray bottle of ice water. “Hydrate from the inside and cool off the outside. That’s what it’s all about,” she says.

6. Blend In

Avoid cooking heavy, spicy foods in hot weather. “They help you sweat, but they also produce heat,” and can make you miserable if you’re active, says Dr. Skul. Besides, who wants to slave over a hot stove? “Eating cold makes you feel cold,” she says, so use your blender to whip up chilly, light, easy-to-prepare fare. She recommends cold soups: Cucumber, bean, cabbage and carrot are all possibilities, as is the most popular cold soup, gazpacho. Bonus: These soups are low-cal!

7. Fragrance Freeze

Oddly, scents that conjure up steamy jungles and broiling beaches make us feel cooler, notes Pascal Gaurin, a perfumer for International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. That’s because we think, Vacation! when we get a whiff of orchids or salt spray, and vacations are synonymous with, well, chillin’. (No one has yet invented a soothing scent that evokes an over-air-conditioned office in August.)

Also, light colognes with a lot of citrusy top notes (airy smells like lemon, mandarin and tangerine) evaporate quickly and make you feel cooler than would a heavy, musky oil, Gaurin adds.