Warm weather is upon us and time to focus on our Summer health. Summer months can be tricky for diets. Many of us have graduation parties, weddings, cookouts, beach parties, vacations, and other festivities to attend June, July, and August. With so many parties to attend, let’s focus on drinking more water, eating more fruit and vegetables at these events.
Improve Summer Health
As summer is underway, let’s focus on putting our best foot forward by eating healthier and finding the time to exercise. Make a fruit smoothie by using blueberries, blackberries, bananas, raspberries, or strawberries every day. By loading up on antioxidants, you can help prevent some cancers, and keep your cholesterol lower.
Move around outdoors. Participate in a physical activity such as volleyball, tennis, paddleball, bicycling, or golf. If you’re not a sports fan, take long walks on the beach or by a lake. Take up gardening – you will be getting physical exercise while planting healthy vegetables or beautiful flowers.
When going out to dinner or if you have an upcoming Summer vacation planned, try to eat smaller portions of your entrée or see if someone would like to split something with you. On vacation, plan some downtime to relax, read a book (see my summer reading post), or sightsee. Use your vacation time to unwind and recharge your batteries.
Conclusion
Wear sunglasses outdoors. It is important to protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays. There are many fashionable sunglasses to wear outside (see my healthy vision post).
Go lighter on alcohol. One of my favorite drinks is a white or red wine Sangria. It is a lighter wine usually made with fresh fruits and juice. A wine spritzer or light beer is another alcohol recommendation. Keep your alcohol intake at a low level during the summer months.
Eat more vegetables (see my zucchini spiral post for recipe recommendations). One of my favorite things to do in the summertime is to shop at the various Farmers Market. There is always an abundance of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish available.
Also with long days of sunlight, we tend to go to bed later at night. Make sure you get 6-8 hours of sleep a night. Take a power nap (see my power nap post). Fall asleep on a blanket, under a shady tree or a hammock. Furthermore, remember to wear a high SPF sunscreen.
What are some of your summer health tips?
Happy Summer Health!
