5 Tips for a Healthy Summer for the Whole Family

Summer is a time of fun and frolic in the sun. It is also a time of poor eating, disrupted routines and travel. How do you still enjoy everything that summer has to offer and stay healthy doing so? These 5 tips can help.

1. Eat healthy! Summer is a wonderful time to take advantage of all of the amazing produce Canada has to offer! Fresh fruits and vegetables are not only nourishing but they are filled with water to keep you hydrated. As always, wash all produce well! If you are on summer vacation, enjoy some treats but avoid a diet based of fast, fried and processed foods. Support your body with nourishing foods to give it what it needs to function optimally. Pack nuts, seeds, fruit, veggies and trail mix as healthy snacking options. Consider adding a daily probiotic to your routine to help counter any digestive distress from dietary changes. Probiotics can help ease gas and bloating but make sure to pick a shelf stable one when travelling since a fridge is not always available.

2. Drink plenty of water. In the summer heat, make sure to keep hydrated. While on day trips, hiking or walks on the beach, bring water with you. When camping, at the cottage or travelling to a tropical location, use purified or bottled water as much as possible to avoid the possibility of contamination. Airplane travel is especially dehydrating so make sure to drink frequently (even if it means having to use the airplane washroom!).

3. Protect yourself from diarrhea. Our summers are too short to be spent in the bathroom! Remember to cook your food well and to cover food while barbecuing or picnicking. Insects such as flies and wasps carry food poisoning bacteria on their legs and bodies, which contaminate food when they walk on it. Avoid swallowing or drinking the water while swimming in rivers, lakes, ponds, or public swimming pools. To help treat or prevent diarrhea, a daily probiotic is advised plus the addition of a probiotic yeast called Saccharomyces Boulardii. Available at your local health food store, this yeast is well researched to help treat all different types of diarrhea and is safe for children as well. A great addition to any medicine cabinet, look for a strength of 10 billion saccharomyces boulardii cultures per capsule. Travelling somewhere tropical? Saccharomyces Boulardii is a must to put in your carry on!

4. Keep regular! While keeping the kids on their regular routine is advised for your sanity, making sure that you are keeping regular yourself is also important. Yes, we are talking poop! With visitors, travel, dietary changes and the hectic nature of summer, regular elimination can be compromised. No one wants to feel bloated and uncomfortable so if regularity is a problem for you, try natural supplements. Probiotics will help (notice a theme here? Probiotics are good for so many things) however you might need a little bit of extra “encouragement”. If so, look for a magnesium-based colon cleanser such as CleanseMORE. It is much gentler and safer than purgative laxatives like senna or cascara sagrada which can be addicting over time.

5. Practice safe sun! When you are enjoying our short Canadian summer, don’t forget the sunscreen. Protecting yourself and your family from sunburn is so important. Apply sunscreen liberally and frequently. Even if a sunscreen says it is waterproof, reapply after swimming. There can be a lot of harmful chemicals in sunscreen products so check out Noah's natural sunscreen products to help choose the best one for you and your family. Also, don’t forget a hat to avoid sun stroke!

Support your body with nourishing foods, hydrating water and superstar supplements and you will have the energy to squeeze every last ounce out of summer!