Top Tips for a Healthy Summer Holiday
In this blog we’re going to give you some practical tips and ideas for a fit and healthy summer, from fun ways to stay active, healthy mocktails, earthing and healthy barbeque tips!
It’s that time of year when the sun is shining (hopefully) and we’re thinking of taking some time out for a holiday, whether at home or going away. The warmer weather and longer evenings bring feelings of having fun and letting go, and rightly so, especially after the last couple of years. Dining al fresco is a must, now that we are finally allowed to mingle and socialise! But this doesn’t have to mean a summer of over-indulgence and inactivity, instead, it CAN be a time when you maintain or even optimise your health and fitness.
Here are our top tips for staying healthy this summer.
Plan for healthier barbeques
Barbeques are a must in summer and no one wants to miss out on all the fun and delicious food barbeques provide. What’s great about barbecues is that there are lots of healthy dishes you can include if you’re the host, or bring along if you’re the guest. Grab bags of dark green leaves such as watercress, rocket, spinach, baby kale, lamb’s lettuce and chard, toss into a large bowl with some extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt for a nutritiously fresh base for a salad. Add in crispy red onion, spring onion, tomatoes, thinly sliced red cabbage, red and yellow peppers, carrot and beetroot and you’ve got yourself a phytonutrient-rich salad to pair with some protein from the barbeque. On the barbeque you can grill vegetable kebabs with courgettes, peppers, mushrooms and halloumi, chicken or salmon cubes. Replace the crisps and salty nuts with a platter of raw vegetable sticks such as carrot, cucumber, fennel and mangetout to dip into homemade hummus and guacamole and lots of lovely olives.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated (and make it fun)
Hot summers make it even more important to top up your water intake as sweating causes dehydration. In fact, you might even want to consider adding in a good quality electrolyte powder on very hot days or more active days. You can add natural flavouring and zing to your water by adding fresh mint leaves, fresh lemon and lime juice, cucumber or crushed berries. Get yourself a stainless-steel water bottle and keep it topped up and with you at all times. Sparkling water is also a great way to enjoy water in the summer and adding ice and these fruity and minty additions can make it feel like a cocktail! You can also try ‘cold-brews’ which are caffeine-free fruit or herbal teas cooled down. Add them to your water bottle with some ice cubes for a refreshing slurp. Tea Pigs have a great range of cold teas.
How about adding our deliciously hydrating FAB drinks to your routine, which are super refreshing in a tall glass over ice. With hero nutrients such as collage, beetroot, watercress, red Cabbage and lime, our FAB drinks are antioxidant-rich to support youthful skin and oxygenate every cell – something everybody wants in the summer! Head over to our shop to get yours.
Get out into nature and stay active
Summer is a great opportunity to spend more time in nature. Nature, such as green spaces, woodlands and beaches, has been shown to significantly reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. So, the summer months provide a great opportunity to cash in on the stress-reducing benefits of nature so you can start your autumn recharged and restored for a good rest of the year. Get involved in some outdoor activities such as tennis, cricket and even rounders! If you’re near water or beaches why not try paddle-boarding, wild water swimming and explore exciting hiking or walking trails (with your water bottle in your bag). Move your gym routine into a shaded spot in the park and get yourself out for early morning or late evening walks or jogs.
Practice earthing!
Walking barefoot on grass, sand, soil or rock has been shown to improve health and wellbeing in various ways such as reducing chronic pain and improving energy levels. This is a concept known as ‘earthing’ or ‘grounding’. The idea is that the Earth's surface contains free electrons that are directly transferred into the body via barefoot or bare skin contact with the Earth, and that these electrons act as antioxidants, helping to neutralise free radicals in our bodies to reduce inflammation and chronic pain, slow down ageing, and restore energy and vitality.
Your earthing possibilities are endless in summer! Find a patch of grass, soil, beach or rock, take off your socks and shoes and go for a walk or stand in it for as long as you can! If you have a garden, spend more time out there bare foot. Take your work outside and place the table or chair over the grass and sit barefoot with your feet resting in the soil. On holiday take long walks on the beach.
Grab a healthy cocktail or mocktail
Cocktails and mocktails don’t have to be laden with sugar to taste good. There are really clever ways to create refreshing and delicious summer drinks without packing on the pounds and wrecking your health.
Stick to clear, pure alcohol such as gin or vodka and pair with soda water, lots of fresh lime juice and ice rather than sugary or artificially sweetened tonics or lemonades.
Whizz some frozen raspberries and blackberries in a blender with soda water and fresh lime juice for a virgin refresher or throw in a dash of gin or vodka.
Crush some raspberries and blackberries with a small squeeze of grapefruit juice and top generously with soda water or sparkling water and ice.
Grab a good quality bottle of kombucha (avoiding flavoured or added sugar options, stick to original or ginger), squeeze in some fresh lime and ice and enjoy in a wine glass or fancy tumbler!
We hope you’ve got some useful and fun tips from this blog to help you have a fun, fit and healthy summer. We all deserve to let loose, relax and restore this summer, but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of your health - quite the opposite in fact!
