Now that summertime is in full swing, you may have noticed that even the best-laid plans have fallen to the wayside. Maybe you envisioned summers at the beach or long evening strolls with your spouse, but have wound up laying underneath an air-conditioner inside your home. Perhaps you promised yourself that this was the summer that you were going to wake up in the cool morning hours and start running, but the snooze button has become your best friend. Whatever you had envisioned your summer to look like, there is still time to turn it around and make sure that you have the best and most healthy summer (at least for the rest of it).
Use the following tips to help you take back your health and your summer. Bonus, you may even notice some of the weight start to slip off as you embrace the following practices.
Water is Your BFF
No matter what season you’re in, water is essential for optimal health. However, in summer, water is your BFF (Best Friend Forever) to help keep you hydrated, healthy and it can even facilitate natural weight loss. Here are some rules of thumb to follow when it comes to consuming H2O this summer:
- First thing in the morning (even before coffee, tea, or breakfast) drink 8 to 12 ounces of water. This will help with digestion and to get you ready for the rest of the day.
- Aim to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. If you are working out, spending a lot of time outside, sick, or consuming alcohol or caffeinated drinks, you’ll want to drink even more water.
- Fruits and vegetables are filled with water so add some to your diet. And, you can even get creative with your water by adding fruit and veggies for flavor. Strawberries, lemon, lime, cucumbers, and mint are all refreshing additions to infuse your water with.
Have Fun Working Out
In the summer you have the most opportunity to take your workouts outside. From riding your bike to going swimming, playing volleyball with friends, or even going for a run, your options are truly endless when it comes to making your workouts more fun.
Just be sure to not plan to “work out” during the hottest part of the day, unless you’re swimming of course.
If you plan on sticking to your regular workout routine (running, barre, workout videos at home, etc.) plan to workout in the morning or the evening when it’s the coolest outside.
Eat Summer Foods
Eating foods that are in season will help you get the most nutritional needs and can also aid in natural weight loss. According to this study foods that are grown during “their” seasons, are more nutritionally dense than foods that are grown out of season. A huge bonus to consuming foods that are in season is that they are cheaper and more flavorful than foods that are not in season. Find out what foods are in season during what time of year, here.
Gut Health Isn’t Just a Buzzword
Lately, it seems that gut health is trending in popular magazines and throughout our social media channels due to its super immune-boosting powers. But gut health isn’t just a trend. Gut health is one of the most critical components of our overall health. An unhealthy gut causes serious issues and many people will experience constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc. when our gut is not “fed” good bacteria. This usually happens when we change seasons because our body is trying to adjust to the new way of eating in the summer (much of which includes BBQ foods, alcohol, and increased sugar like ice cream and popsicles).
Keeping your gut health in check will keep you comfortable and will improve your immunity throughout your entire life.
If you are experiencing any gut issues, reach out to our integrative practice in Oak Brook, IL, to find out more about how your health history and habits are affecting your gut health.
Turn Off The Devices & Get Outside
Let’s face it, we all could probably use a lot less screen time. Excessive time in front of phones, laptops, and T.V.s is detrimental to both our physical and mental health. By getting away from the screens and getting out in nature (even if it’s just your backyard) we will improve our mental and physical health, enhance our closest relationships, and may even see a decrease in our weight. Even if it feels like Netflix has been raising your kids this summer, there are some things you can do right now to enjoy the rest of your summer.
- Create Family Screen Time Limits. Set a screen time limit for each member of the family that feels right. Use this guide to get started.
- No devices during meals. Use this time to connect with each other and discuss what happened during your day.
- Remove devices from bedrooms. Bedrooms are for resting and resetting for the next day, not binging your favorite series late at night.
- Set limits on your own devices. Most devices these days are equipped to show you how much time you’re actually spending on your phone, tv or computer. Don’t let technology rule your summer, create a time limit for yourself and your family, and go outside and have some fun!
We hope that these tips will help you live your summer to the fullest. To learn about how a more personalized approach to overall wellness can help you, we invite you to schedule a Discovery Call today with our team at Vitality Family Health.