Is it the aroma of barbecue that frequently fills the air, or is it the warm weather that makes you want to spend the entire day at the beach or pool? Summer has so many unique characteristics that make it such a special season!
When summer arrives, you prepare the grill for your epic cookouts. Also, you want to ensure that your bathing suit is in good condition for the beach and pool. But how do you keep your health in check as the weather warms up?
It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of summer and forget to prepare for the season's somewhat harsh conditions. But the thing is, you can only carry out your fun summer plans if you are in good health.
Hence, you ought to take your well-being more seriously. We have come up with a few tips on how you can stay healthy during the summer, and they include:
1. Protect your skin from the sun
Indeed, sunlight is an excellent source of vitamin D for the body, and you may need exposure to the sun to receive your daily dose of the nutrient. However, excessive skin exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays is considered harmful, as it increases the risk of skin damage and cancer.
The sun produces two types of ultraviolet light rays, namely UVA and UVB. The UVA can penetrate deep into the skin, causing damage to the connective tissue and blood vessels. Meanwhile, the UVB affects only the skin surface, resulting in redness and acute skin damage.
During the summer, coming in contact with the sun's ultraviolet rays is inevitable. Nevertheless, you can still make conscious efforts to protect your skin from excessive exposure to the sun.
For instance, by always wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen, you can preserve your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. It is, however, essential to choose a sunscreen product with a minimum sun protection factor of 50.
2. Stay hydrated always
As a result of the warm weather, you lose more bodily fluids during the summer than in any other season. Hence, it is imperative that you increase your water intake during this period.
Lack of bodily fluids over a long period eventually results in dehydration, which can be an uncomfortable condition, especially when one should be out there - having fun. So, you should try to replace your body liquids as soon as they are lost.
Interestingly, drinking plain water is not the only way one can promote body hydration. Eating water-rich foods, such as watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, and so on, can also help supplement your water intake.
Furthermore, you can indulge in healthy beverages, like herbal teas, fruit juice, and lemon water - to name a few. That said, you should reduce your intake of drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol, as they don't hydrate the body but rather increase the body’s fluid output.
3. Stay in cool places
Heat exhaustion is pretty common during summer due to the typically hot temperature. To manage or altogether avoid this condition, you should try spending the longer parts of your day in cool places.
Whenever you notice heat exhaustion symptoms like heavy sweating, fairness, dizziness, fatigue, and so on, it is recommended that you take a rest in a cool place, avoid the sun, and increase your fluid intake.
Furthermore, ensure to keep your home cooling system firing at all times. Meanwhile, whenever you are outdoors, you can make occasional stops at the mall to rest, cool off, and probably rehydrate.
4. Eat right
Without any doubt, summertime is the best time to host a couple of friends in a yard cookout or even have a family picnic on the beach. Foods are the biggest feature in these gatherings, so you might want to make sure you get them right.
Due to the high temperature, food substances go bad faster than usual during summer, so take some extra care with your food hygiene. For instance, prepare your meals on the same day as your picnic or outing to avoid microbial growth. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, wash your fruit, vegetables, and even utensils well.
If you are grilling out in the open, ensure, using a food thermometer, that your food is well-cooked before they are served. Also, reduce your consumption of ground beef, pork, and sausage; chicken, fish, and vegetables are healthy alternatives.
Here’s what you should remember - cooking meat at high temperatures over open flames enables the formation of certain chemicals that may increase cancer risk. However, you can reduce this cancer risk by removing charred bits from your grill before cooking and from your food before eating. You can also layer the barbecue with perforated foil; this will allow fat to drip off but prevent smoke from reaching the meat.
5. Go out at the appropriate hours
Summer just feels like the right season to go on an adventure - you might want to review your hiking target. Moreover, you probably have more time to engage in leisure activities.
However, while engaging in physical activities can help enhance your physical and mental health, it is best to plan your workouts and other pastimes in the morning or evening when the weather is cooler.
Conclusion
The best way to enjoy summer is in good health. Luckily, it is very much possible to have fun and stay healthy during the hot summer weather.
By paying attention to the safety tips above, you can be assured of having the best and most pleasant time this summer!
