With summer in session and kids roaming free…how can we make sure that we are making the healthiest decisions for our families a majority of the time? We understand that it is summer break, there are vacations in the books, cheat meals are a must, and fun is the most important!! But, we can do all of these while supporting our health and our families health!! We wanted to share 5 VERY SIMPLE TIPS that can be implemented for a more healthy summer!
1. DRINK MORE WATER
This may come as a shocker to you, but most of us do not drink enough water throughout the day. This is especially true during the summer months, when our bodies are regularly losing more fluids. Ideally, we should be drinking around half of our body weight in ounces per day. This will be increased in the summer months due to the loss of fluids and electrolytes we experience when we sweat. I don’t know about you, but during those incredibly hot months of July and August, I just sweat walking to my car in the Target parking lot. Imagine what it’s like when you’re outside at the pool all day, or spending time with your kids at the park. I bet you’re imagining that glorious feeling of getting back into the car after some time outside, where all of your clothes are slightly (or maybe very) damp, with the AC blasting, and your hands burning just trying to hold on the steering wheel to drive. Yeah…that kind of hot. Drinking water will not only help us replenish what is lost, but it will keep our energy up throughout the day, help maintain regular digestion, boost memory + brain function, lubricate joints, prevent cramping, and decrease incidence of headaches. JUST increasing your water intake will help with all of those bodily functions and more!
If you and/or your kids hate drinking water, try fruit infused water! Some of my favorite mixtures are:
- Blueberry and mint
- Orange and Lime
- Strawberry and Lemon
- Blueberry Orange
- Cucumber, lime, and Strawberry
- You can get creative with these and have some fun making different flavors of water for the whole family!
2. EAT WHOLE FOOD SNACKS
Stocking your kitchen with whole foods like fruits and vegetables will help your kiddos make good choices throughout the summer. With your kids spending more time at home, they will be more apt to head to the kitchen when they are even the slightest bit hungry or bored. Some awesome fruits to keep around that are not only good for you, but are high in water content and help replenish all of that lost fluid we were just talking about are watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and strawberries.
Some of my favorite summer time snacks are frozen grapes, frozen pineapple “pops”, fruit salad, vegetables + hummus, and lemonade popsicles. For more, check out Pinterest, it is literally my go-to for anything yummy and creative!
3. DITCH THE TOXINS
One thing that we are always working on in our house is to reduce our exposure to toxins and unfortunately most of them come from what we put on our skin. Our skin is actually the largest organ, an average adult has about 22 square feet of skin. Our skin has a high absorption rate, some studies show that our skin absorbs around 64% of what we put on it, and others say that it absorbs up to 100%. What this means for us is that whatever we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies. During the summer months, we are usually applying more personal care products to our skin because we are trying to protect ourselves from the sun and bugs! So how can we reduce the amount of toxins that our bodies are taking in? Look into switching our sunscreen and bug sprays to all natural and chemical free.
There are many options out there for both of these, but our favorites are:
- Juice Beauty Sport SPF 30 sunscreen
- We make our own bug spray and will be sharing soon!
4. GET CHECKED AND ADJUSTED
This is the golden ticket to being able to stay healthy through the summer months! Although there is less scheduling and events to be at, there will be a variety of stressors that come your way during summertime, whether it be the heat, vacations, cheat meals, or even hurting yourself while playing outside! Getting checked and adjusted by a Chiropractor allows your body to function optimally and make sure that you are able to heal, adapt, and live full out!
5. DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY!!
Last but NOT least…HAVE FUN!! It is summertime...a time of decreased stress and schedules. Allow yourself to let go, enjoy time with family, and don’t feel obligated to be somewhere when you don’t have any prior obligations. This is a great stretch of the year that you can really be present with your family and enjoy each other’s company!
Love + Light,
Dr. Kelsey