Summer is here! The days are long, the weather is gorgeous and you’re probably itching to get to all your favorite summer activities. That’s great! We’d like to share five tips to help your summer stay healthy and fun.
- Stay hydrated. Choose water over other drinks, especially sugary sodas and alcohol, and increase your intake of water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumber, and zucchini. Hydration is especially important on hot days.
- Be consistent about your sun safety. You should apply sunscreen every time you’re going to be outdoors for more than 10 minutes, and reapply every two hours or after swimming. Wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your eyes and face. If you need to apply bug spray as well, apply your sunscreen first, then the bug spray.
- Wear a seatbelt. Many families go on road trips in the summer. Make sure your whole family wear their seatbelt properly when traveling in the car and follow the guidelines for children regarding car seats and booster seats. See this article for those recommendations: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx
- Drink Responsibly. Now that many Coloradoans are vaccinated, Summer parties and BBQs are back. Remember to drink responsibly when consuming alcohol: limit yourself to one or two drinks total in a day, don’t mix alcohol with certain medications (your pharmacist will know if your medication has an interaction with alcohol), designate a sober driver, and hydrate with water regularly. Resist the urge to start activities that begin with “hold my beer, watch this.”
- Add more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. One of the great things about summer is the availability of fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables. Now is a great time to start adding these delicious foods into your regular diet. Bonus points if you grow them yourself – gardening is great exercise and home-grown fruits and vegetables taste best!
