Longer days, more sunshine, and warmer weather in the summer often lead to better moods, healthier eating habits, and more enduring workout routines. To lead a healthy (warmer and sunnier!) summer lifestyle, you should also bear in mind a few wellness tips for healthy summer that are special to the season.
5 simple wellness tips for healthy summer
Here are some quick wellness tips for healthy living over the summer:
1. Take more vitamin D
The body needs vitamin D to function effectively in all areas, including the immune system, mood, and the defense of cancerous cells. Despite the fact that the majority of the nutrients our bodies require may be found in the food we eat, vitamin D is actually predominantly acquired from sun exposure.
Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficits in contemporary civilization, which is regrettably due to a number of factors (including indoor lives and the advent of sunscreen). Here are further details on the signs of vitamin D insufficiency and how the lack of sunlight throughout the winter can also cause SAD.
Sun exposure during the summer is a crucial strategy to “save” vitamin D for the gloomier winter months, particularly in locations at higher latitudes with less winter sun exposure.
Get outside and get some vitamin D, then, as the first piece of summer wellness advice!
Having said that, using good sun protection is also a crucial component of sun enjoyment that is healthy! A few extra precautions can be taken to ensure safe sun exposure:
2. Ingest sunscreen
No, not the tubed lotion! However, some of the finest sunscreen available is found in real food.
This is so because inflammation, a form of which sunburn is, is greatly influenced by nutrition. Your skin’s susceptibility to UV radiation and its capacity to heal itself after injury from the sun can both be affected by your diet.
Make sure you consume enough anti-inflammatory foods, such as: to minimize your sensitivity to the sun and risk of UV damage.
- Omega-3-rich healthy fats: Omega-3s help your body repair by reducing inflammation. Fish (such as sardines and salmon), eggs, flaxseed, and walnuts are all excellent sources. Omega-3s can also be obtained as supplements in the form of flaxseed and fish oils (vegan).
- Other beneficial saturated fats: Opt for beneficial saturated fats such organic grass-fed butter, avocado oil, and coconut oil. The building blocks of good skin are saturated fats (and hair and nails).
- Veggies: Vegetables’ vitamins and antioxidants help shield cells from the damaging effects of UV radiation. Tomatoes and leafy greens are very healthy.
- Other foods high in antioxidants: Antioxidants help lower inflammation and free radicals in your cells and shield your skin from sunburn and other skin-damaging UV rays. Berries, beans, almonds, and green or black tea also have significant antioxidant capabilities, in addition to vegetables.
Although keeping your skin healthy from the inside out is the first step in effective sun protection, it’s also crucial to protect your skin with the right amount of exposure and coverage.
3. Use natural sun care to protect your skin
Covering up and enjoying the sun exposure sensibly are two of the greatest, most natural ways to take care of your skin in the sun.
That means it’s advisable to wear a hat, cover your shoulders, neck, arms, and any other exposed body parts if you’re going to be in the sun for a lengthy amount of time. Typically, summer clothing has an SPF of 4 to 7. In general, the higher the protection, the tighter the fabric is knit.
The advantages of covering up instead of applying topical sunscreen include the fact that fabric won’t wash off or need to be reapplied, it won’t enter your bloodstream (read more about what’s in conventional sunscreen products and why we don’t necessarily want to put that on our skin before sitting in the sun), and its lower SPF will still provide you with vitamin D.
It’s also crucial to gradually increase your sun exposure. For someone who lives in a colder, wintry area, this is especially crucial. Increase your sun exposure gradually in the spring or summer. Your skin will have more time to adapt by manufacturing more melanin, which will provide more UV protection on its own.
4. Keeping hydrated
The human body is around two-thirds water, and we require it for all bodily functions at all times of the year, although summer is when the light and heat are particularly intense.
You should aim to consume roughly two-thirds of your body weight in ounces of water per day. (In other words, a 100-pound person should strive for 67 ounces of water per day.)
Additionally, if you spend time in the heat—especially if you are exercising or exerting yourself—remember to increase your water intake.
5. Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables
Some of our most general nutritional advice, which is applicable to all people with various dietary needs and tastes, is to:
- Eat the colors of the rainbow, but make sure you eat them all frequently!
- Make half of your meal vegetables.
Adding more seasonal, fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet is a terrific idea during the summer.
6. Engage in self-care
One of the finest seasons to begin a new wellness practice is the summer since the longer days, more intense sunshine, and fresh air make us feel more energised, enthusiastic, and better equipped to set and accomplish our individual goals.
Therefore, now is the ideal moment to begin a new healthy summer living habit that you intend to maintain during the upcoming winter.
Here is our complete post on the value of developing a healthy self-care practice, along with a ton of options for your first self-care activity.
7. Cut back on television time
Many of the “add-on” healthy summer habits stated above are simpler to implement if you have a few extra hours in your day, which may be discovered by cutting back on TV.
There is plenty of time to fit in an exercise regimen, self-care routine, and other healthy behaviors into your daily life because the average American watches more than two hours of TV every day.