Hot Days, Cool Options : A Scoop of Relief

Scorching heat is always a great excuse to eat plenty of ice cream. Not that I need an excuse--I’m addicted to the stuff and devour it in arctic weather, even if it leads to intense shivering.

But it really is great to put away a pint of Ben and Jerry’s at home without having to crank up the heater or eat it in bed under the electric blanket, like I sometimes do in winter. I like to think of ice cream as an energy-saving investment: Since it keeps my body temperature low, I can turn the air conditioner down.

In any given week, I eat two pints of low-fat ice cream, plus one or two pints of the real stuff--the kind with 18 grams of fat per serving. In this excruciating summer heat, however, I try to have a daily pint to keep my blood from boiling.

Or I’ll car-hop among ice cream parlors around the Valley and have a big scoop at each one. Anything with chocolate in it works. I can eat lots of ice cream without feeling sick. In fact, sometimes I just give in altogether and just make it dinner.

That means more time in the gym (air conditioned, of course) just to fit into my clothes, but it’s definitely worth it to . . . stay cool. Between pints, I like jet skiing at places like Castaic Lake. It’s probably one of the few ways to be active outdoors this time of year without passing out. It’s hard to find good ice cream near the lake, but there are always fruit bars or Popsicles available.

My favorite way to escape the heat remains the old ice-cream-and-gym routine. Consuming 70 grams of fat in less than half an hour motivates me to climb on the StairMaster.