Are you ready for a safe, healthy summer?
For a lot of people, it’s their favorite season of the year.
Summer means days at the beach, camping trips, and picnics to attend.
But as fun as summer can be, it’s also important to stay healthy.
In this article, we cover how to protect yourself from two of summer’s biggest risk factors: dehydration and sunshine.
We’ll also talk about how to take advantage of fresh, seasonal produce.
Here are 11 important summer health tips:
5 Hydration Summer Health Tips
Do you drink enough water?
Unfortunately, most people don’t.
Eight glasses a day is the old adage, but it really depends on several factors:
- How hot is it?
- How much have you been sweating?
- Have you been working out?
- Did you eat a lot of salty food?
All of these things can make you thirsty and increase your need for water.
Here are some important hydration tips for the summer:
1. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty!
Believe it or not, if you feel thirsty, it’s already too late.
The best way to stay hydrated is to drink small amounts of water all day long.
However, there is one BIG hint that you might be getting dehydrated…
2. If you think you need a snack, drink water first
It’s easier than you might think to confuse thirst with hunger.
After working hard for a couple of hours, you might feel like a snack.
However, instead of reaching for the nut jar or grabbing an apple, have a glass of water first.
Chances are you’re probably thirsty too, and you might not even be hungry after all.
3. The power of electrolytes
They include minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
Surprisingly, drinking tons of water without taking electrolytes can cause you to lose more electrolytes.
In fact, if you’re sweating a lot in the summer heat, you can lose electrolytes fast.
The good news is you can find sugar-free electrolyte mix in many health food stores.
However, if you can’t find a healthy electrolyte mix, you can always use Himalayan pink salt.
It has a diverse mineral profile that replenishes the body.
4. Drink less caffeine
Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning that it makes you go #1.
Unfortunately, it also is dehydrating and drains you of electrolytes.
During the summer, try to cut back on caffeine.
At most drink only two cups of green tea per day, and try to avoid coffee altogether.
5. Drink throughout your workouts
If you know you’re going to workout later in the day, make sure to stay hydrated beforehand.
While you workout, have a water bottle with you at all times.
If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try adding some lemon juice — it helps reduce acidity levels.
3 Sunburn Avoidance Summer Health Tips
The sun increases the risk of dehydration and can burn your skin.
Here are a few important sun safety tips for keeping your skin healthy this summer:
1. Get small doses of sun exposure early in the season
It’s a bad idea to shock your skin with a lot of sunshine.
If you’re like most people in the Northern hemisphere, you’re skin probably hasn’t seen much sun for a few months.
For safety’s sake, start slow.
Instead of sunbathing on the first sunny day, limit yourself to 20 minutes.
In fact, follow this rule for the first week or two.
Eventually your skin will adapt and be better equipped to manage the inflammation.
2. Avoid long periods of time in the sun
Even after your skin acclimates to the sun, it’s important not to overdo it.
No matter who you are, if you stay out in the sun too long you’re going to burn.
Sunburns can be uncomfortable, painful, and dangerous.
However, the worst part about sunburns is that you’ll have to stay inside and miss out on fun outdoor activities.
The summer is short enough as it is, and you don’t want to miss a second!
3. Reapply sunscreen often
Most sunscreens only work for a few hours max.
However, if you’re exercising or playing in the water they can lose their effectiveness even faster.
Whenever you get the chance, put on some more sunscreen — you’re skin will thank you for it.
Oh, and one more thing: when you’re shopping for sunscreen, make sure it’s non-chemical.
Most conventional sunscreens contain ingredients like oxybenzone that can disrupt hormone production. (2)
3 Nutrition Summer Health Tips
The summer is a great opportunity to load up on whole food sources of vitamins and minerals.
Make sure to eat the following foods the time is ripe:
1. Blueberries: nature’s brain food
Not only that, but they improve memory and overall brain function.
To top it all off, blueberries contain tons of vitamin C and potassium.
2. Raspberries: antioxidant powerhouse
Raspberries are easier to get ahold of in the summer, but most importantly they have tons of antioxidants.
They are also great for reducing inflammation and promoting fat loss.
However, the best thing about raspberries is that they taste delicious and are incredibly low in sugar.
3. Fresh herbs: especially oregano and parsley
Try your hand at growing your own herbs this summer.
In fact, you should be able to find potted plants that already contain multiple herbs.
Oregano is delicious in italian dishes and the oil is great for reducing fungus in the gut.
Basil is another tasty herb with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
So remember, if you want to have an amazing summer be sure to follow these important summer health tips:
- Drink water frequently
- Take electrolytes
- Avoid long periods in the sun
- Reapply sunscreen often
- Eat healthy seasonal foods
If you have any further questions, our providers at Complete Care Health Centers are happy to help.
Feel free to contact us today for more summer health recommendations.