I am beyond glad that summer is almost here… so glad, in fact, that I talk to myself about it in this short podcast episode. Listen as I answer questions and share by best tips for preparing for a healthy (and stress-free ) summer.
Did you Know?
The term “dog days of summer” refers to the time between July 3 and August 11 and refers to the star Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. Also, according to folklore, if you want to know (roughly) the temperature, listen to the number of cricket chirps in a 15-second period and add 37 to get the approximate temperature in Fahrenheit.
What goes into your body is at least as important as what goes ON it for sun protection. An anti-inflammatory diet low in processed foods and high in vegetables, Omega-3s and healthy fats can help prevent sun damage and increase your body’s ability to get benefits from the sun.
Resources Mentioned:
There is a lot of evidence that our overly sterile, sanitized and dirt free lifestyle is hurting our children’s immune systems and microbiomes. Microbes in the soil help a child’s immune system develop and also provide beneficial soil based organisms, which are potent probiotics.
This summer, let the kids play outside, make mud-pies, start a garden, get dirty… and join them!
Article : Why Kids (and Adults) Need Dirt
Most commercial bug sprays contain DEET, which can be harmful to humans and especially to aquatic life and birds. Avoid the potential problems with DEET by making your own bug spray with one of these two simple recipes. You can also make bug-repellent lotion bars and an age-old concoction called “The Vinegar of the Four Thieves” that smells terrible but keeps all the bugs away!
Sunscreen is another commercial product that is often packed with harmful (and unnecessary) chemicals. Make your own with simple ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, zinc oxide and raspberry oil and get the same effect without the downsides.
Recipe : Homemade sunscreen or sunscreen bars
Since unfortunately I can’t be at the beach every day during the summer, I can at least trick my hair into thinking I am. My homemade Beach Waves Texturizing Spray uses the same minerals, salts and magnesium found in ocean water that give hair such wonderful volume and waves so that you can achieve the look at home everyday. Just spritz onto damp hair, scrunch and let air-dry.
You know what isn’t fun?
Being stuck in the kitchen cooking while your family is playing outside. This is even less fun at the beach. Whether you are traveling or staying home for some much needed relaxation, spend a few minutes each week to pre-plan meals for the summer so that you can save time (and money) and spend it outdoors… in the dirt (see #2). Here are my favorite meal planning tips.
It is especially important to plan ahead when traveling. There’s nothing quite like being stuck hours from a big city with no access to anything healthy and five hungry (and screaming) kids… ask me how I know…
Since that time, which we not-so-lovingly refer to as the Hangry Incident of 2013, we are careful to pack plenty of fruits, vegetables, pre-cooked meats, chia seed squeezes, energy bars, and coconut flour muffins for long car rides. We also pre-pack most of our meats for the whole trip and I pre-make as much as possible so I don’t spend the whole time cooking.
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What is your best tip for a healthy and stress-free summer? Please share below!
