With the school year coming to an end, families will most likely be hitting the road this summer to make up for last year. Even so, there’s no better time to focus on your health and personal wellness. Whether you’re keeping it local or crossing the state lines, it’s important to stay safe & hydrated especially with the summer’s hot weather. Follow these simple 7 tips to improve your health over the break.
1. Give Your Diet a Berry Boost
If you do one thing this summer to improve your diet, have a cup of mixed fresh berries — blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries — every day. They’ll help you load up on antioxidants, which may help prevent damage to tissues and reduce the risks of age-related illnesses. Berries are also tops in fiber, which helps keep cholesterol low and may even help prevent certain type of cancer.
2. Get Dirty — and Stress Less
To improve your stress level, plant a small garden or if space is limited, get a few flower pots that can go indoors or outside. Just putting your hands in soil is “grounding.” And when life feels like you’re moving so fast, being mentally grounded can help relieve physical and mental stress.
3. Floss Daily
It’s such an important part of your daily hygiene that gets overlooked. Do it at the beach (in a secluded spot), while reading on your patio, or when watching TV — and the task will breeze by. Flossing reduces oral bacteria, which improves overall body health, and if oral bacteria is low, your body has more resources to fight bacteria elsewhere. Floss daily and you’re doing better than at least 85% of the population.
4. Get Outside to Exercise
Pick one outdoor activity — going on a hike, taking a nature walk, playing games such as tag with your kids, cycling or swimming — to shed that cooped-up feeling of gym workouts. And remember, the family that plays together not only gets fit together — it’s also a great way to create bonding time.
5. Be Good to Your Eyes
To protect your vision at work and 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 household tasks such as mowing the lawn, wear protective eyewear as well. Ask your eye doctor about the best type; some are sport-specific.
6. Go Light On The Alcohol
Summer’s a great time to skip drinks with hard alcohol and choose a light, chilled alcoholic beverage (unless you are pregnant or should not drink for health or other reasons). A sangria (table wine diluted with juice), a cold beer, or a wine spritzer are all refreshing but light. In moderation — defined as one to two drinks daily — alcohol can protect against heart disease.
7. Sleep Well
Resist the urge to stay up later during long summer days. Instead pay attention to good sleep hygiene by keeping the same bedtime and wake-up schedule as well as not drinking alcohol within three hours of bedtime. It’s also a good idea to avoid naps during the day unless you take them every day at the same time, for the same amount of time.
There they are: Seven super simple ways to boost your health this summer. Try one or try them all. They’re so easy you won’t even realize they’re — shhhh — good for you.
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