Your First Steps To A Healthy Summer | Wellness

When we start transitioning through spring it can be easy to forget some of the ups and downs that warmer weather and longer days bring. We want you to enjoy your spring and summer days whilst feeling healthy and ready to enjoy each second, so we’ve rounded up some of our best tips for ensuring your first steps into summer are healthy and happy ones.

Get enough Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the most common nutrients for nutrient deficiencies- and this is especially prevalent in the winter. When the spring and summer begin to roll in we should try our best to make the most of the increased amounts of vitamin D available from the sun. Get out in it when you can but always remember sun cream! Burnt and tanned skin is damaged skin, and to ensure we don’t suffer any adverse health effects or premature aging sun protection is of paramount importance.

Those with fairer skins who burn easily might consider utilizing SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lamps to help provide them with vitamin D, and supplements are also a great way of getting vitamin D into your diet.

Natural sun cream suggestions

Tanning moisturisers for those who want the tan without the sun

Eat sun care foods

Because sun damage is a kind of inflammation, we can benefit from eating food that’s counter these anti-inflammatory effects to ensure we damage ourselves as little as possible. The food we eat can have a detrimental effect on how sensitive our skin is to the sun’s UV rays and pollutants in the air, and can help to repair already damaged skin.

Antioxidant-rich foods: Dark leafy greens like kale, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, grapes, berries, olive oil, dark chocolate, pomegranate, green tea, cherries, nuts.

Help to reduce inflammation and damage caused by free radicals, which can aid our skin in preventing sunburn and damage.

Omega-3-rich foods: Oily fish, eggs, chia seeds, walnuts.

Help to reduce inflammation and promote skin healing after sun and pollution exposure and damage.

Lycopene and beta-carotene-rich foods: Oranges, red pepper, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potato, spinach, kale, watermelon, papaya, red cabbage, pink grapefruit.

Can help to protect against wrinkling and sun damage.

Make a summer exercise routine

With the days getting longer and warmer, our exercise regimes that were perfect in the winter may need some summer tweaking, and getting into these habits early will help make your seasonal transition even easier.

Add water-based workouts: When the weather is more accommodating to getting into the water again, utilise water workouts to keep you cool and fresh in the warmer months. Try swimming, aqua-fit, or even water sports like stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking.

Focus on timings: Try to avoid exercising outside at the hottest times of the day- between 10 am and 3 pm in spring and summer. Keeping your workouts outside of this time bracket when the weather is too hot will help to keep you from overheating and getting sun-damaged.

Wear bright, light clothing: Brighter clothing will reflect more of the sun’s rays, helping to keep you cool. Lighter layers like linen and cotton will help to keep you cool and dry and stop you from overheating.

Go indoors: Choose indoor workouts in cooled and well-ventilated areas if the outdoor heat or seasonal insects are stopping you from enjoying an outdoor workout.

Listen to your body: If your body is telling you that you feel too hot, dizzy, tired, or nauseous, then be sure to stop and rest to avoid sun-stroke or overheating.

Break up workouts: Break up your bigger workouts into multiple smaller ones to complete during the day. This gives the body time to rest and refuel.

Enjoy the outdoors: Utilise the longer and warmer days and take part in outside exercises- such as cycling, running, outdoor yoga, and outdoor sports like tennis.

Hydrate!: Make sure you stay hydrated with water and electrolyte-rich sports drinks.

Get hydration through foods

When the weather gets warmer and we start to sweat more we must ensure we’re consuming more water to replace this sweat and moisture we’re losing. We should be aiming to drink 2-2.5 litres of water each day in the spring and summer, and eating hydrating foods can help us to achieve optimal levels of daily hydration. Eat more:

Cooked courgette
Melon
Oranges
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Peaches
Raw spinach
Cucumber
Plain Yoghurt
Strawberries

Get outside more

Winter often sees us cooped up inside away from the sun and fresh air, which can be surprisingly detrimental to our health. Replace the time you might have usually sat inside with the tv or shying from the cold with exercise, outdoor self-care, walks, and group outdoor activities. Getting outside during the spring and summer can help:

Improve mental health.
Improve the immune system.
Increase nutrient absorption from the sun- such as vitamin D.
Improve eye health.
Lower blood pressure.
Improve brain function and help to restore focus.
Improve symptoms of SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Be bug safe

An often forgotten result of the arrival of spring and summer is the increase in insects and mosquitos, and their irritating bites. While we can’t shield ourselves from them completely and enjoy our spring and summer to the fullest, there are a number of measures we can take to reduce their prevalence and keep bites to a minimum.

Wear covering clothing: Whatever skin insects can get to is a place they might bite. When outside aim to cover your skin with light and breathable fabrics to keep you cool but protected.
Use a DEET containing repellent: DEET is the most effective chemical used in insect sprays that helps to drive insects away. Try spraying higher concentrations on your clothes and lower concentrations on the skin to limit any possible skin irritation. Milder plant-based repellents are also effective if the idea of using chemicals doesn’t appeal to you, but DEET is most effective.
Wear light colours: Dark colours are far easier for insects to see than light, so stick to lighter and white coloured clothing.
Natural alternatives: Citronella candles and lemon eucalyptus oil can provide some protective benefits, but research has suggested they are less helpful than once thought. If using, consider additional protective measures to increase protection.
Fans: Fans can help to disrupt mosquitos and insects as they try to fly, and can help to disperse the co2 coming from us that insects use to find us by.
Get rid of any standing water: If you have areas of standing water where you are communing, consider covering or emptying them to reduce insects laying eggs within them and multiplying.

Keep clean

With new seasons and changes in temperature come the inevitable coughs, colds, and flus, not forgetting the continued threat of covid. Ensuring we stay lenient with handwashing can help us avoid falling ill and suffering when the sun is out. Invest in some good quality and pleasant smelling hand sanitiser and keep topping up when out and about.

We suggest:

There are a number of ways we can healthily prepare our bodies for summer and ensure we’re feeling our best when the sun starts shining that bit brighter. A healthy and varied diet can be one of the most important things to help ensure you thrive in every season. The Pure Package makes this much simpler for you. Nutritionist designed and cooked by a team of talented chefs, your three meals and two snacks a day are packed with seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other health-benefiting foods to make sure your everyday diet is filled with nutrition. Whether you want to get healthy for summer, lose weight, or simply love the convenience of your meals cooked for you, find your perfect package today.

We’re here to help you kick-start your healthiest summer yet with the opportunity to claim free days of Pure Package meals!