If you ask us, summer is the perfect time to get focused on being healthier.
More opportunity to spend time outdoors, be more physically active, and farmers markets where you can choose fresher options for seasonal fruits and veggies. It’s also important to be mindful about your health in the summertime because it tends to be a season when people may be more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors. Celebrating the summer season may involve some less than healthy food choices, consuming more alcohol than usual, getting too much sun, or simply giving in to lazy days of summer and not staying active. While it’s important to have some fun and relax, it all can be done in moderation.
The best way to spend your time this summer is by taking strides towards better health and feeling better physically, and we’ve got some tips on how you can get healthier as summer gets underway.
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Find Exciting Ways to Get Active
One of the best ways to become your healthiest self this summer is to be exercising on a regular basis. A low-impact but challenging fitness routine can help you lose a little weight while also getting your stronger and more toned. If you haven’t been exercising in a while, you should start off with a conservative amount of exercise and build up the duration and difficulty of your routine over time. It’s beneficial to mix up what you do for exercise so don’t plateau and you’ll continue to see results all summer long. Take some hikes, go for a few kayak trips, do a HIIT routine down at the beach or park, the world in your playground!
Choose Healthy Snacks
Stocking up on healthy snacks when you go shopping will enable you to make smart snacking choices on a consistent basis. Fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables will always be good options (remember those local farmers markets?) High protein snacks like nuts will keep you fueled and satisfied throughout the day. Ideally, you need to limit your intake of foods that contain a lot of empty calories, sugars, and starches. When unhealthy foods make up a large portion of what you’re eating, you won’t have consistent energy throughout the day, and you’ll feel less up to the challenge of physical activity.
Consider Fasting
In the summer months, hot weather can make heavy meals and overeating feel like the life is being zapped right out of you. Fasting can be a very effective way to lose weight, balance your hormonal system and aid in digestion and detoxification. There are many approaches to fasting but the one most recommend when starting is consuming all of your meals between the hours of 11 am and 8pm.
Here’s how to get started:
- Before noon you can have coffee, tea, water, coconut water and fruit juice.
- To boost the impact of fasting consider adding a teaspoon of coconut oil or MCT oil to your coffee or tea.
- Between 12 and 8pm have 2 balanced meals and 2 balanced snacks.
- Focus on liquids like tea or bone broth in the evenings to round out your fasting and help with evening cravings.
*As always, consult your physician before to check if this is right for you*
Fuel Your Body for Exercise
Even when you make a concerted effort to eat healthy and optimize your protein consumption, your dietary intake may still be insufficient to fuel physical activity and help you build muscle. Adding a supplement such as collagen or protein mixes will provide you with vital nutritional content for staying healthy and active. Taking a supplement provides you with a way to significantly boost your protein intake without consuming red meats that can cause inflammation in joints and muscles. You may experience better energy levels and improved digestion. You’ll get the added boost that you need to work on developing lean muscle.
Keep the Party Going
When it comes to letting loose and having some extra fun, follow the 80/20 role. If you treat your body right 80% of the time it can handle deviations 20% of the time. At rooftop happy hours and weekends at your beach house, there will be some drinks and meals that might throw you off your daily routine for the summer.
Never drink on an empty stomach, and be sure to have a meal or snack before drinking. Also, consider having activated charcoal on hand to help with hangovers and detoxing the body. Our friends over at The Good Patch have some amazing plant-based CBD recovery patches to help out after a fun night as well! And as always, a good sweat can be a great way to get rid of the side effects of alcohol or junk food. Consider an infrared sauna session or hot yoga and be sure to stay extra hydrated.
Protect Your Skin
We all know by now that when you’re spending time outdoors how important is is that you protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Everyone likes to get a little summer glow in their skin, but the effects of skin damage from the sun can cause premature aging and can even lead to serious health conditions. Protect your skin from UV damage by wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and remember to reapply it throughout the day. It’s also best to start exposing your skin to the sun in increments and not shocking your system with a full day in the sun, especially if you’re in areas with limited sun year-round. After you’ve been in the sun, keep your skin healthy and moisturized by using products that are made of all-natural or organic ingredients.
Keep Your Immune System Strong
Getting healthy for the summer requires fortifying your immune system and doing what you can to avoid getting sick. When you’re not feeling well, it pretty much shuts down your capacity for any type of summer fun or physical activity. Eating well, adding a supplement to your diet, taking a multivitamin, and getting plenty of rest will keep your immune system in good working order. It’s also important to stay conscientious about regular precautions for avoiding illness such as frequent handwashing and practicing good hygiene.
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How do you think these tips will benefit you? Ultimately, doing everything that you can to get healthy will help you have a happy and productive summer.
Comment below and tell us some things you’re wanting to add to your summertime routine!
