How To Stay Healthy in The Summer Months!
Summer is in full swing and we started thinking about ways to stay healthy amidst the friendly gatherings, drinks, and BBQ’s. Here are some ways to stay healthy and safe this summer.
- Smart BBQ Substitutes: Instead of beef burgers and dogs, have turkey or veggie burgers that are much more nutritious and healthy for you. Fresh fish, grilled chicken, and vegetables are yummy options as well. If you are a meat lover, choose the leanest cuts of beef, chicken, and pork.
Fitness Magazine has some wonderfully healthy barbecue recipes.
- Use whole wheat buns: Filling up on high glycemic index foods like potato chips, ice cream, sodas and full-calorie beers spikes insulin and opens the floodgates for fat storage. White bread causes a spike in your insulin and makes your body store fat. Switching white bread for whole wheat, rye, or sourdough buns can keep the fat at bay and help control insulin.
- Load up on grilled veggies: Fill half your plate with veggies so as to avoid overdoing it on the higher-calorie options. Fiber plays an essential role in your digestive, heart, and skin health, and may improve blood sugar control, weight management, and more.
- Avoid Bloating: Usually, we can hide bloating with loose fitting shirts, but in the summer months, this becomes difficult! There are many causes that can attribute to us experiencing bloating, nonetheless, there are foods and ingredients you can avoid to fight the bloat!
- Sugar and sweetened snacks cause inflammation in the stomach.
- High levels of sodium can be a cause of bloating. Substitute salt with other seasonings like garlic, pepper, olive oil, and lemon.
- Avoid dairy. Flavored yogurt and other dairy products with sweeteners and artificial ingredients remove important enzymes that protect your gut. Opt for natural yogurt and probiotics.
- Eat Fruit: Nothing says summer quite like a juicy slice of watermelon. Not only is it low-calorie and full of H2O (it’s one of the best foods to help you stay hydrated, with a water content of 90%), but the brightly colored summer fruit also boasts some serious health benefits. Like tomatoes, watermelon is a terrific source of lycopene, a powerful chemical pigment that’s been found to help fight heart disease and certain types of cancer.
- Farmer’s Markets: There are some great farmer’s markets spread throughout the city. Time Out has a great guide for NYC’s Best Farmer’s Markets. Head down to a farmer’s market on a beautiful summer day to pick out yourself some fresh fruits and veggies – even better if they’re organic!
- Hydrate: You should always drink water throughout the day, this becomes especially important if you’re spending time in the sun. And for those of you enjoying cocktails and glasses of wine, try to have a glass of water in between beverages.
- Be Safe: Keep children away from grills. Gas leaks, blocked tubes, and propane tanks can be a cause of grill fires and explosions. Always check gas grill hoses for cracks, holes, and leaks.
- Apply sunscreen 20 minute before you go outside, and reapply after you come out of the water, or every 90 minutes. Use a broad-spectrum (UVA & UVB) sunscreen with 25-30 SPF. Wear hats that shade the face, scalp, ears and neck.
- Just a few serious sunburns can increase a child’s risk of skin cancer.
- Children can climb out a window, through a doggy door, or sneak out a door to get to the back yard and the pool. Never leave a young child alone by the pool.
With all that being said, we hope everyone has a happy and healthy Summer!