The Ultimate Guide to Summer Wellness Tips
As the sun shines brighter and the days grow longer, summer brings with it a perfect opportunity to focus on wellness and embrace a healthier lifestyle. From outdoor activities that boost physical fitness to nutritious seasonal foods that nourish the body, the warmer months offer a wealth of possibilities to enhance overall well-being. Whether you're looking to stay hydrated, protect your skin from the sun, find summer travel tips, or even tick prevention, these summer wellness tips will guide you towards a season of vitality and joy!
Summer Travel Tips
During the summer I find I am constantly on the go, often traveling a lot more than I usually would be. Traveling can definitely alter your habits but it doesn't mean you need to drop them altogether.
One of the best ways to keep nutrition in check is to plan ahead. While it is okay to let loose a little and give yourself a break to enjoy your vacation, you still want to feel good about your health and your choices! Overtime, I have learned how to find a balance between enjoying myself while traveling and also feeling great.
Your health and habits can change a lot when traveling. Here are a few ways your health changes…
Physical Activity: Travel can often mean less physical activity as you are spending more time relaxing or in the car or plane.
Diet: Eating out frequently can lead to a diet higher in calories, fat, sodium, and sugar, potentially causing increased water retention.
Sleep Patterns: Changes in time zones and sleeping environments can disrupt sleep, leading to fatigue and reduced overall well-being.
Hydration: Travel can lead to dehydration, especially during flights or in hot climates, affecting energy levels and health.
Stress Levels: Navigating new places and schedules can increase stress, impacting both mental and physical health.
Exposure to Illness: Traveling exposes people to new environments and germs, increasing the risk of illnesses like colds or foodborne infections.
Sun Exposure: Increased outdoor activities can lead to more sun exposure, which can be beneficial for vitamin D but also increases the risk of sunburn and dehydration.
The good news is that a lot of these changes are controllable! While traveling can be filled with a lot of unknowns, there are a lot of components you can indeed control; staying in a routine as much as possible, prioritizing sleep and hydration, and taking time to relax and de-stress are all within your control!
Some Tips to Help you Find Balance when Traveling
Before You Go…
Plan Ahead: Research your destination for healthy food options and activities. Look for local markets, grocery stores, and restaurants with healthy menus.
Pack Smart: Bring healthy snacks like nuts, fruits, protein bars, and whole grain crackers to avoid unhealthy airport or gas station options. Download my favorite travel energy ball recipe here !
Stay Hydrated: Bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated, especially in hot weather.
During Travel
Move Around: On long flights or drives, take breaks to stretch and walk around. This helps with circulation and keeps you energized.
Consider Digestive Enzymes: Because you will most likely be eating foods not normally in your diet, a digestive enzyme can help in the process and prevent unwanted symptoms.
Choose Wisely: Look for balanced meal options when out to eat (protein, fiber, and fat) and accommodations with fitness centers if getting in movement outdoors is not accessible.
Supplements: While the foundations of your health and routine will make the biggest difference, supplementation can aid as well! Get 15% off my FullScript Dispensary for all my favorite travel supplements!
Safe Sun and Skin Care
While moderate sun exposure is critical for Vitamin D production that is needed for calcium absorption for bone health. Excessive can cause DNA damage, premature aging and skin damage. Vitamin D also plays a role in healthy immune function, inflammation and glucose metabolism.
Besides Vitamin D, sunlight exposure impacts other areas; melatonin and serotonin production, circadian rhythm, gene repair and helps increase endorphins. This is why we feel so good when the sun is shining!
Finding the right balance of sunlight to maximize Vitamin D and also protecting your skin from sun damage is important. A good rule of thumb to follow is when your skin starts to turn light pink it is time for more sun protection.
Sunscreen is known to be one of the greatest protective mechanisms we have towards the powerful UV rays of the sun. While daily use is encouraged, especially for those frequently outdoors, most of the sunscreens on the market are full of toxic ingredients that can be doing more harm than good. Toxic ingredients in sunscreen include:
Oxybenzone
Homosalate
Octinoxate, or Octyl Methoxycinnamate
Octocrylene
Avobenzone
Natural sunscreens come in the forms of oils like jojoba, coconut, eucalyptus and shea butter. Zinc oxide can be a powerful protectant when there is long term sun exposure. It is advisable to wear hats and protective clothing when spending an excessive time in the sun. For overexposed skin aloe vera and coconut oil can be very soothing.
Safer sunscreen options:
Aiming to get 15-20 minutes of sunlight without sunscreen is a great way to help optimize vitamin D levels. However after that opt for sun protection to limit risk of burns.
Some of my favorite Non-Toxic Sunscreens:
Staying hydrated can also help your skin in the heat. Simple tips can make the world of a difference.
Drinking more water throughout the day.
Putting Himalayan Salt or electrolyte powder in your water.
Eating hydrating foods: cucumbers, watermelon, leafy greens, citrus fruits, etc.
Download my Hydrating Mocktail Guide which includes 30 FREE recipes here!
Ticks and Your Health
When an infected tick bites a human, the bacterium can be transmitted to the human causing disease, the most notable being Lyme disease. Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, can lead to severe symptoms including fever, fatigue, joint pain, and neurological issues. Transmission of lyme or a lyme co-infection can occur in as little as 6 hours! Lyme disease is carried primarily by the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick.
Prevention of Lyme disease involves measures to avoid tick bites, such as using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and performing thorough tick checks after spending time in wooded or grassy areas.
Ways to Prevent Bites:
Avoid tall grasses and bushy areas
Wear light weight clothing and long sleeves and pants when in areas at risk for ticks
Wear solid color clothing to see ticks better
Check your body before getting into the car
Dry clothes on high heat to kill any unfound ticks
Use a tick repellant - this is one of the best! I avoid DEET because it is neurotoxic.
How to Remove a Tick:
Don’t use a tweezers!
Use a tick tweezers like these and pull upward with a slow and steady motion. This will help with getting the whole tick removed without getting mouthparts stuck in your skin. DO NOT TWIST OR TURN!
Be sure to clean the bite with rubbing alcohol
When disposing a tick, do not crush it with your hands, instead drown it in alcohol or flush it down the toilet.
Lyme Disease is more common than you may think. Here are some of the most common symptoms:
Foot/heel pain
Spider veins
Chest/rib pain
Migraines
Anger/rage
Calf or foot cramping
Dry eyes
A Distinctive streaked rash that resembles stretch marks from pregnancy
Panic disorders
Relapsing and remitting fevers and chills
Vertigo
TMJ
Joint pain and swelling
Did you know that I am a Lyme certified practitioner?
I offer in depth Lyme testing that tests not only for Lyme disease but also the co-infections that are often missed in conventional medicine. If you have symptoms that could never be explained, testing for Lyme disease might be a good idea. Book your FREE call here!
Summer time is for relaxing, getting outside, and enjoying the company of others. Like any wellness habits, there is always a balance that will help you feel your best while still enjoying the simple pleasures the summer brings. Use these tips to help you find your version of balance while also prioritizing your health and wellbeing!