Tips to be HEALTHY This Summer

Tips to be Healthy This Summer

Summers have arrived and so are the drastic effects. With the passing time, temperatures have been going implausibly high and it is affecting our health. Scalding heat affects us in the form of heat stroke, sunburn, dehydration, etc. It is extremely important to be careful during volatile temperatures. Mental health and physical health are largely connected, so by taking care of our body, we’re also taking care of our mind. Here are some tips to be healthy this summer :

·     Get our rest

Routines may vary with summer events but aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Keep our room cool and shades pulled to help make our sleep more comfortable.

·     Move our body 

Added heat (even if it’s dry heat!) can make exercise uncomfortable in the summer months. Try getting some exercise in the morning hours before the sun is at its peak. Or break up our day and go for shorter walk breaks throughout our day.

·     Connect with other

Plan something fun with family or friends. It doesn’t need to be expensive, but being social and around others will help keep any negative thoughts from ruminating. If we aren’t feeling like being in a crowded space (street fair, farmers’ market, amusement park), try to call at least one person to stay connected.

·     Wear sunscreen

Look for at least an SPF 30 and wear it all the time! Even if we are just running errands or going for a “short walk,” ultraviolet exposure increases somewhere between 4 and 10 percent for every 1,000 feet above sea level. So at an altitude of 9,000 feet, UV radiation can be nearly 50 percent more intense than at sea level.

·     Stay refrigerant and hydrated

Drink lots of water, at least two to four cups upon rising in the morning, and similar amounts for your activities and exercises. Carry water in a hard plastic container whenever going out. We may also carry a traveling water filter with ourselves. Mostly, we need two to three quarts of water per day, and more in hot weather or with sweating and exercise. So it is implausibly important to keep ourselves hydrated by drinking at least eight to nine glasses of water a day.

·     Protect ourselves from overexposure

Aerobic activity is very important for keeping the heart strong and healthy. We should do a lot of inhaling and exhaling, and do light exercises regularly. If we only work out in a health club or gym, take some time to do outdoor refreshing activities. This will help us increase our energy levels.

·     Have a healthy and proper diet

Maintain our proper diet and eat seasonal fruits and vegetables regularly. Consuming foods that are cooling and light (fresh fruits, vegetable juices, raw vital salads, and lots of water) will nourish our body for outdoor activities. Include some protein with one or two meals in our diet and avoid oily or junk food.

·     Have proper skin care in the summer

The skin should be properly moisturized in the summer. For complete dry skin, we can also use cream moisturizer. Face or skin should be properly washed in the summer to protect it from the heat stroke and dust particles. This task should be done three-four times a day.

·     Avoid over intoxication

It is fine that everyone wants to have a good time in the summers but there should be a limit to have alcoholic beverages when going out with friends. Over-Intoxication can affect our health badly. Drinking alcohol in the sun can dehydrate us badly because of perspiring and urinate more.

·     Have all nutritional supplements

Proper nutritional supplements can support us with a greater amount of physical energy, increase our summer activities. The B-complex vitamins are relaxing to the nervous system and quite helpful for cellular energy production and the other antioxidants protect our body from stress, chemical pollutants, and the biochemical by-products of exercise.

·     Have smaller and lighter meals

Our meals should be small and light in the summers. Avoid heavy stuff in our meals like fast food, junk food, etc. Heavy food is difficult to digest and makes us lazy and increases our cholesterol which affects our health badly. Focus on a lighter meal like salad, fruit, green drinks, etc. that don’t require much time to digest. We should also consider leafy vegetables in our meals regularly in the summers.

·     Have drinks that really hydrate

To get hydrated well, have sips of any of the following drinks throughout the day in the summers, before we actually begin to feel thirsty and dehydrated: plain water, coconut water, water with lemon and cucumber slices, organic and decaf iced tea, herbal tea, rooibos tea.

·     Protect ourselves from wounds and injuries

Due to more physical activities in the summer, the chance of getting injuries in any playground or around the pool increase. While playing or doing some activity, our body should wear the right protective equipment to prevent wounds and injuries. Keep our first aid kit or any other ointments, pain killer spray, etc. ready while playing or doing some outdoor activities. This is important because, in the summer season, injuries and wounds are badly affected by the sunstroke, humidity, etc. and don’t get easily recovered.

·     Floss daily

Flossing reduces oral bacteria, which improves overall body health, and if oral bacteria is low, our body has more resources to fight bacteria elsewhere. Floss daily and we're doing better than at least 85% of people.

·     Be good to our eyes

To protect our vision at work and at play, wear protective eyewear. When outdoors, wear sunglasses that block at least 99% of ultraviolet A and B rays. Sunglasses can help prevent cataracts, as well as wrinkles around the eyes. And when playing sports or doing tasks such as mowing the lawn, wear protective eyewear. Ask eye doctor about the best type; some are sport-specific.

·     Cold water showers

One of the quickest ways to cool down is to step into a cold water shower. It will instantly make feel refreshed. Also try washing the feet and face with cold water before going to sleep. It is said that placing an ice pack on our neck can work wonders too to cut down body temperature. Even wiping ourselves with wet towels can help.

·     Switch off those lights

Too many electric bulbs and lights in the room tend to heat up the temperature. So switch off as many lights as we can and use only the ones we require. Certain factors like concrete buildings, top floors, pollution, etc can make the situation worse by trapping heat. Keep the curtains drawn if the harsh rays seep into the house.

·     Wear loose clothes

Needless to say, to stay cool we need to wear loose clothes so that there is good air circulation. Ditch our synthetic dresses and trousers and stick to cotton. Even while heading out, keep ourselves covered from the harsh rays.

·     Avoid foods that heat you up

Avoid foods that will produce heat in our body and become hazardous. Avoid sour fruits, citrus fruits, beetroots and carrots that tend to heat up our body. Limit the intake of garlic, chili, tomato, sour cream and salted cheese to avoid hampering our system. Eat more salads, as they are cooling, especially when eaten for lunch. Try avoiding dark meats as they heat up our body.

·     Avoid hot drinks or hot water

Drinking hot beverages will invite an upset pitta dosha. This is why we must always choose to drink beverages at room temperature in order to balance it.

·     Avoid strenuous exercise

It is always good to exercise early in the morning as it is the coolest part of the day. Engaging in vigorous exercises during other parts of the day may heat up the body only to cause harm.

·     Make use of cooling oils

Bring sandalwood, jasmine and khus oils to the rescue. Not only do they have a soothing aroma, but also are known to have cooling properties.

·     Make your home a cool cocoon

·         Keep the house cool with an energy-efficient air conditioner, and reduce heat gain with window coverings like blinds, shades and curtains. Keep window coverings closed during the day and remember to clean A/C filters weekly to prevent dust and dirt build-up from blocking cool airflow.

·         Keep the oven off during the day. Do roasting or baking late in the evening, as infrequently as possible.

·         Dishwashers can generate a tremendous amount of heat, so wait till it’s truly full before running it, and run it at night or as little as possible during the summer months

·         If the power goes out or our air conditioner dies in the middle of a heat wave, cool off with frequent showers or keep a tub full of cool water to use as a temporary dunking tank; bunk in with an air-conditioned friend, or head to an air-conditioned location like a library, theater or cooling station. Studies show that as little as two hours spent in an air-conditioned location can reduce the risk of dangerous heat-related illness.

·         Always remember: Fans don’t cool the air; they move hot air around, speeding dehydration when temps soar. If a fan is all we have to work with for the duration, try cooling small spaces the old-fashioned way – with a fan pointed at a pile of ice in metal bowl or large waterproof container to catch the water.

·     Chill mind and body, with “cooling breaths”

To cool down anytime, anywhere, hands-free, try our favorite “cooling breath” technique. Also known as the Sheetali Pranayama, this simple, centering, cooling exercise involves curling our tongue, breathing in through the mouth, and slowly exhaling.

·     Cool the belly with smaller, lighter meals

Ever notice how “comfort foods” have considerably less appeal in the summer? Think of it as our body’s way of telling us to eat less of the heavy stuff. When we overload on food, our body has to work harder to digest it all, siphoning off valuable energy and generating internal heat to get the job done. Instead, lean on salads, fresh fruit and make-ahead foods that don’t require as much digestive heavy lifting. To get through the summer without over-taxing our bellies, we rely on breakfast smoothies, refreshing salads and green drinks at lunch and veggie-rich dinners with small servings of lean protein.

·     Chew on cooling foods

Help hydrate our body not only by drinking liquids but also by eating them, in the form of water and nutrient-dense veggies and fruits. Among the high-water-content veggies to include in our summertime diet: cucumber, leafy greens, tomatoes, squash and celery. Topping the refreshing list in the fruit category are water-rich treats like watermelon, honeydew melon, strawberries, apples, grapefruit, etc.