There are plenty of ways to enjoy the summer, but here’s a checklist to make sure you enjoy it safely and in a healthy manner.
•Make sure to stay cool and hydrated by drinking water. Drink at least two to four cups (16-32 ounces) upon rising, and similar amounts if you are going out for activities and
exercise.
• Carry water with you in a hard plastic container. You may also want to use a travelling water filter. Most people need two to three quarts of liquid per day, and more in hot weather or with sweating and exercise.
• While enjoying the sun and outdoors, protect yourself from overexposure to sunlight by wearing a hat and using natural sunscreens without excessive chemicals.
• Carry Aloe Vera gel for overexposure and
have an aloe plant growing in your home for any kind of burn. The cooling, healing gel inside the leaves will soothe sunburns.
• Keep up or begin an exercise program. Aerobic activity is important for keeping the heart strong and healthy.
• If you only work out in a health club, take some time to do outdoor refreshing activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, or tennis. Reconnecting with these activities will help keep your body and mind aligned.
• Enjoy nature’s bounty – fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables at their organic best. Consuming foods that are cooling and light such as fresh fruits, vegetable juices, raw vital salads, and lots of water will nourish your body for summertime activities.
• Include some protein with one or two meals. There are a number of light, nourishing proteins that don’t require cooking. Most of these complement fruits and vegetables nicely – nuts, seeds, sprouted beans, soy products, yogurt, kefir, and cottage cheese. Fish and poultry can also be eaten.
• Take some special summer time with your family, kids, and friends who share the enjoyment of outdoors. Plan a fun trip if you’re able and motivated for a day or longer. Hiking, camping, playing at the river, or a few days resting at the beach are a great way to spend the summer.
• Rekindling our Earth connection has benefits that last beyond this season, continuing to enrich the whole of your life.Relax and breathe. You’ve been working hard.
• This is the season to slow the pace a bit and absorb the light that stimulates your hormonal message centre. Leave your cell phone at home or take a week off from TV.
• Nutritional supplements can support you with a greater amount of physical energy, enhancing your summer activities. The B-complex vitamins are calming to the nervous system and helpful for cellular energy production, while vitamin C and other antioxidants protect your body from stress, chemical pollutants, and the biochemical by-products of exercise.
• Helpful summer herbs includ Siberian ginseng as an energy tonic and stress protector, dong quai as a tonic for women, hawthorn berry for the heart, and licorice root to help energy balance and digestion.
• Use the summer months to deepen the spiritual awakening begun in the spring.
• Plan a vacation that incorporates these new interests and provides you time to read, relax, contemplate, and breathe.
• When travelling, take activities for the family and your first aid kit for bites, bee stings, and injuries.
Above all, give yourself the time to truly experience nature.This can happen even in a park, if you relax and let in your surroundings.
