We swim into the days of summer with the wind at our backs and fresh opportunities shining ahead. June 2024’s Health Tip Wednesday posts covered the sun, snacks, and a lot more, showing us how we can incorporate health needs into the year’s warmest months.

Hydration Tips
Choose foods with high water content. If you have trouble drinking fluids, try including water-rich foods with every meal. These include cucumbers, watermelon, lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes and celery.
Keep water with you, always. Having hydration at your fingertips can make it easier to get the right amount of fluids. Carrying a refillable water bottle with you helps
Change it up. Pure, clean water is the best way to stay hydrated. But you can try flavoring your H2O by adding slices of fresh lemon, apple, cucumber or berries.
Build hydration into your routine. Making it a point to drink water at certain times throughout the day can help transform it into a healthy habit.

Sun Safety Practices

• Apply sunscreen as directed by the packaging.
• If you’re exercising outside, perform activity in the morning and in the evening when it’s cooler.
• Wear loose, lightweight, and light-colored clothing.
• Pace yourself. Start activities slow and increase the pace gradually.
• Check on your friend or neighbor for any heat-related or unusual symptoms.

Healthy Poolside Snacks
Raspberries with Yogurt – A small bowl of low-fat yogurt paired with delectable raspberries make for a flavorsome and nutritious snack. Some yogurts carry a fair share of probiotics, while raspberries are fibrous and have healthy carbohydrates.

Avocado Toast – This snack has snagged notable popularity in restaurants and home kitchens recently. Though there are many recipes for avocado toast, one of the simplest is spreading mashed avocado evenly over toasted sourdough bread, with a dash of lemon juice drizzled on top.

Watermelon Popsicles – Take your washed (and ideally seedless) watermelon, cut it into slices, and place them into a blender. Once they begin to resemble a slushy, pour the resulting contents into popsicle molds, and freeze them until solid. Place popsicle sticks into the frozen watermelon shapes and the process is complete. Of course, if you prefer a simpler snack-time, break out the washed watermelon, divide it up, and distribute.

Celery with Peanut Butter – There is nothing tricky about this nourishing treat. Grab a handful of cleaned celery sticks and a bowl of reduced fat, creamy peanut butter. Dip the celery in the peanut butter and presto, you have good food to tide you over until the next full meal.

Blueberry Bread – How exactly this dish is baked will vary by recipe and personal preferences. But few fruits burst with nutrients like blueberries. Thus, mixing them with a good flour alternative, along with other ingredients, should produce a tasty loaf of blueberry bread.

Wellness When Traveling

Start the trip off right. Rather than lounge around until boarding time, consider walking or moving around close by. If you’re driving, be sure to stop frequently for stretch breaks and even short strolls near rest areas.

Consider lodging that offers workout options. Many hotels have a gym or a pool on premises or nearby that their customers can use. Getting in a workout might mean waking up early to slip away before family activities and business seminars, but it may also get the blood flowing (and reduce stress) for the rest of the day.

Take part in local culture and activities. Attend a dance class and learn salsa or if the ocean is nearby, give boating a try. Get in the exercise while having a good time.

Do some research beforehand. Call ahead to see if the hotel has a gym or a pool and what nearby restaurants offer healthy options.

Pack with a purpose. Add workout clothes and sneakers and/or a swimsuit to your suitcase.

Make time for you. Based on your daily itinerary, think about what times you have available to use the hotel’s gym or pool, meditate in your room, or take stretch breaks. Block these times on your calendar. The more you plan, the easier it will be to stay on track.

That concludes another riveting round of our Health Tip Wednesday recap. If you like these and wish to explore more in the ways of wellness, check out the April 2024 and May 2024 recaps on our website.