5 Essential Health Tips for the Season

It’s been an incredible summer at Seven Mile Beach. The days are long, the nights are warm, and it’s a great time to get together with loved ones down the shore. Here are five simple summer health tips to ensure your summer days are safe and pleasant, while lowering inflammation.

1) Get outside and get your vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient needed to support everything from immunity to mood. Most of the nutrients our body needs are obtained through the foods we eat, but vitamin D is primarily obtained through the sun. Just 20 minutes of sunshine a day allows your body to release antimicrobials that fight pathogens and helps raise your “feel good” neurotransmitters. Unfortunately, the sunscreen we use to protect our skin from UV rays can also cause vitamin D deficiency.

The sun’s golden rays are what give us warmth and D3, but remember that those same rays can end up in sunburns and dehydration. Don’t forget to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from sun damage, and wear protective clothing, and apply sunscreen with at least SPF 15, every 90 minutes. Don’t leave your vitamin D3 supplements behind because you can get plenty of sun and still be deficient in this critical vitamin. It’s best to do this scientifically – get your micronutrients tested, take D accordingly and you’ll be strengthening immunity now, to prevent infection later.

2) Practice self-care like yoga & meditation to improve well-being

Summer is one of the best times to start a new wellness routine. The brighter sunshine, longer days, and fresh air help us feel more energetic and optimistic. To improve mental health and wellness, you can do several simple activities anywhere. Personally, I think a great place for these activities is the beach or the jetty. There are several amazing yoga studios or even online videos that help to incorporate breathing and stretching exercises.

Same goes for meditation – there are many simple meditation practices online. Meditation involves sitting quietly, focusing on one’s breath, and narrowing in on the positive. If you’d rather do some deep breathing, try some mindfulness, which involves being mindful of living in the present. Simply taking a walk and focusing on your environment or engaging in gratitude exercises is practicing mindfulness.

Try practicing daily meditation/mindfulness – I promise it will change your life if you allow it to.

And don’t self-abandon to fill other people’s needs. Practice self-care and self-love like you never have before. If you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot care for the loved ones around you. So, first … you.

3) Lower inflammation by enjoying the fresh seasonal produce of summer

Summer is a great time to boost your diet. Many fruits and vegetables including berries, melons, corn and tomatoes are at their best during the warmer months. It’s an optimal time to make cool salads and roast veggies on the grill using all the great food Mother Nature has to offer.

The freshest produce is most rich in nutrients, so eating locally has many benefits. Find a farmers’ market near you and go to it weekly to start your week with local fresh produce. Eat the rainbow – this is a fundamentally healthy eating tip. But what does it mean? Why is it important to get a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet?

You may be tempted to find a few foods you and your kids like and focus on just those, but the truth is that our bodies benefit from variety. It’s important for many reasons, including getting our micronutrients and also having diversity in the diet for diversity in our gut microbiome. For optimal health, we need a rainbow of nutrients and colors.

Each color in fruits and vegetables is caused by specific phytonutrients, which are natural chemicals that help protect plants from threats including bugs, germs, and the sun’s harmful rays.

And remember, at least half of your plate should consist of vegetables.

4) Address your adrenal fatigue

Make time this summer to relax and get those cortisol levels down. Sit by the pool or beach, read a new book. Pick up a new hobby, or rediscover an old hobby such as playing an instrument or painting. Decrease intake of simple carbs or sugary foods. Drink less caffeine. Make sure to get plenty of sleep at night – with your goal being 7-8½ hours of good quality sleep. My rule is to be in bed by 10pm and up by 6am. These are cortisol’s happy hours. Our endocrine system can balance and work more efficiently when we get to sleep and wake up during these hours. Make sure you practice good sleep hygiene. Avoid blue lights. Keep your room cool and dark. This is a great time to develop new habits.

Stay positive – surround yourself with people with positive attitudes. Be careful who you spend your time with and what you listen to. Be mindful of your words and your thoughts.

5) Stay hydrated

Basic rule for this is to take your body weight, divide in half, and drink that many ounces of water daily. So, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should be having at least 60 ounces of water daily. However, if you’re out in the sun or exercising, you need to increase that number.

A great way to start the day is by drinking 16 ounces of lukewarm water with freshly squeezed lemon. And if you don’t love the taste of water, adding lemon enhances its flavor. Lemon is also a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damaging free radicals and is critical for a highly efficient immune system.

And you can quench your thirst with hydrating foods, many of which are at least 90% water by weight. Roughly 20% of our daily H2O intake comes from solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Make memories. Spend time with friends and family. And remember, summertime is a great time to develop new habits. As Aristotle put it: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Small incremental changes routinely applied and sustained over a long period result in huge results.