Summer is here and with that are some important things to remember when it comes to improving your overall health. First off, our lifestyles start to reflect the seasonal change from winter to summer.
During spring and summer… people feel refreshed, get their gardens going, start new projects, enjoy outdoor sports, exercise outdoors, play at the beach, go on vacation, and engage in other high energy activities. We get ourselves in balance with the season without even realizing it!
Here are 5 MORE small changes to make during the summer months that will keep our bodies in harmony and balance.
1. Switch Your Diet To More Cooling Summer Foods
Our ancestors ate seasonally because they had no choice. Fresh greens grew in spring, fruit ripened in summer, root veggies kept them gong in the fall, and people relied on animal food to get them through the winter. Now a days its hard to take this lead because you can get most any produce you want at the grocery store any time of the year. But is that what is best for us? Not really. Our bodies need and crave different foods in the summer than the winter. Summer is a great time to eat raw fruits and veggies. Your body naturally craves more fruit, salad, and lighter foods during warmer months.
Try to eat ripe, in season, locally grown food if possible. Summer foods include bell peppers, balckberries, blueberries, raspberries, broccoli, corn, cucumbers , eggplant, green beans, nectarines, pineapples, plums, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon, and zucchini. EATING LOCALLY GROWN FOOD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SEASONS WILL HELP YOU LIVE IN HARMONY WITH YOURSELF , YOUR BODY, AND THE EARTH!
2. Drink More Water
The single most important nutrient you can put in your body is WATER! 100% pure unflavored water. You body is 75% water so it makes sense that this essential fluid MUST be continually replenished. Drinking more water makes the body lighter and more balanced especially during the hot summer months.
3. Take Your Workout Outdoors
Studies show that there are benefits to mental and physical well-being from taking exercise outside into the natural environment. Exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalisation, increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Plus its great for balance and challenges different muscle groups. There is nothing like a long outdoor walk or jog on a beautiful summer day or night. There is just something about it that you can’t explain, its soothing to the soul !
4. Get Outside in the SUN For Some Natural Vitamin D
It seems people are getting more and more afraid of the sun slathering themselves up with sunscreen even before they get outside for the day. I agree we need to practice sun safety and it is NOT safe to get a sunburn but come on! The sun is not to be feared. In fact its extremely healthy for you to get at least 15-30 min of sun a day without sunscreen and kids to! Some people depending on skin tone can go a bit longer that that. Vitamin D is actually a hormone, made naturally by the body from fat under the skin in response to sunlight. The sun is the optimal way to naturally get the vitamin D we need. Very few foods naturally have vitamin D.
5. SLEEP
Summer nights are fun but a few late nights in a row can really throw your body off. During summer we tend to stay up later and are more active because its still light out at 9pm. Thats fine but really your bedtime should remain the same summer or winter. Going to bed and getting up at the same time are extremely important to your biological clock and will keep you more alert all day long. DON’T SKIMP ON SLEEP! Sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.
So go ahead and enjoy those sunny summer days and warm summer nights but keep these 5 tips in mind as you embrace the season!
Be well 🙂
Susie R.