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Summer is not a time to forget about your health. It’s a time to nurture it so that you can stay well year-round.
1. Instead of drinking sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade, drink a healthy electrolyte beverage.
Neither Gatorade or Powerade is good for you. Both are basically sugar water with added food coloring. When you perspire, your body loses salt and water. You can replenish the salt and water by putting a pinch of good salt (we like this kind, and this kind is good too) on your tongue and drink a glass of water after a strenuous work out or after a walk.
If that sounds too complicated, you can add electrolytes such as the ones from saltt.com to a glass of water and drink it. I like these electrolytes because they have a good amount of magnesium and potassium; you may need to add more salt to them, though.
2. Replace toxic sunscreen with this sunscreen.
Most sunscreens in the store are harmful to you and to the environment. In addition, if you will be out in the sun 15-20 minutes, you do not need sunscreen unless your skin is ultra-super sensitive.
3. Replace sugary snacks with high protein snacks and fruit.
Cookies and crackers will not fill you or your children up. High protein snacks will keep you and your children full. High protein snacks include hardboiled eggs, cheese, and meat (not chicken nuggets).
Fruit is an excellent source of many vitamins and electrolytes. Berries are especially healthy because they are low in sugar and full of antioxidants.
For ideas on sweet snacks that are healthy go here.
4. Replace sodas with purified water and homemade lemonade.
Sodas contain an alarming amount of sugar which is not good for your dental health, your vision, or your immunity. The sugar in the sodas will also dehydrate you. Instead, drink pure (filtered) water. Purewaterfreedom.com has several options to filter your water (at various price points). You can also fill gallon jugs at a local health food store. Berkey water filters are popular too; I have not personally used one.
Here is my recipe for healthy homemade lemonade.
5. Replace fast food with food cooked at home.
Fast food, as a wise natural health doctor said, will give you a fast death. By cooking healthy food at home, you can save money now on your food bill and save money later on expensive medical bills.
When you cook your own food at home, you can have more control over what ingredients you use. MSG is a popular seasoning that restaurants use. It makes just about any food seem to taste wonderful and it makes you eat more. The issue is that can cause symptoms such as headaches and high blood pressure (source).
When you cook quality food at home, you don’t need odd ingredients to make your food taste good. Meat will taste good with a few simple seasonings. I usually use bay leaf, salt, onion, and garlic when I cook chicken in the crockpot.
6. Replace your antiperspirant with a natural deodorant.
In the West, we have an aversion to perspiration. However, it is the body’s natural way of cooling and detoxifying itself!
When you stop your body’s natural way of detoxifying, those toxins that stay in your body can make you ill.
Furthermore, aluminum is added to most anti-perspirants on the market, even those labeled as “gentle.” Here is a deodorant that you can use that does not contain aluminum and won’t stain your clothes. A bonus point is that it lasts a long time!
7. Replace being indoors constantly with being outside.
Summer is the time to be outside–as long as it’s not dangerously hot. Mornings as well as evenings can be a lovely time to be outside to soak up some vitamin D which will help to boost your immunity.
In addition to getting vitamin D, you can plant a garden, go berry picking, do some yard work, take a walk with a friend in order to get some exercise. The possibilities are endless!
Go here to learn more reasons you should spend time outdoors.
What healthy foods or activities do you like during the summer?
Here are three other articles you may enjoy regarding being healthy this summer:
