Doctors Share Summer Health Hacks For A Happier, Healthier You
Blog Health News 15th August 2024 Enquiries & appointments
The elusive british summer is finally here! It is a time when most of us enjoy outside living and is a good time to make adjustments to our lifestyle that can reap long term benefits.
Stay hydrated
Many of us don’t drink the 6-8 drinks a day recommended by the NHS. Good hydration is important for both physical and cognitive health and is particularly important in hot weather. Tea and coffee are included in the 6-8 drinks advised but they are less hydrating than other drinks e.g. water, diluted low sugar squashes and herbal tea. Having frequent, smaller volume drinks is more effective than occasional large volumes. Eating foods with a high water content e.g. soups, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, melon helps boost fluid intake.
Remember you will need to drink more on humid days as we sweat more and our sense of thirst may be impaired.
Keeping cool reduces fluid loss. Closing curtains during hot days and avoiding peak temperatures in the middle is helpful. Running cold water over the wrists or putting feet in cold water is a quick way of cooling the body: using facial water sprays is a more portable option.
The colour of your urine is a good indicator of your fluid balance- aim for a light straw colour. Anything darker suggests you need to drink more.
Patients with some health conditions e.g. severe heart or kidney failure may need to limit their fluid intake- take advice from your specialist.
Eat Mediterranean
With the abundance of fresh fruit and veg available in the summer months now is a good time to revamp your diet. It is recommended that we take 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day and incorporating this into a Mediterranean style diet brings extra benefits. Think of exchanging red meat and dairy products for white meat or fish and using olive oil as the main source of fat. Wholegrain bread, rice, pasta etc are better for us than more refined carbohydrates and make us feel fuller for longer. Pulses and beans are unsung heroes: not only do they count as part of our 5 a day, they are also high in roughage and contain vitamins and minerals such as iron. Do have the occasional sweet treat but think of making changes such as eating frozen yoghurt rather than ice cream. Our appetites are often reduced in hot weather so capitalise on this by getting into the habit of having smaller portion sizes if you are wanting to lose weight.
Keep an eye on your alcohol intake especially as it can be dehydrating in the summer months. Alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks and diluting alcoholic drinks eg drinking shandy or spritzers are ways of keeping down consumption.
Get active
Exercise is much more attractive in good weather so again the summer months are a good time to get into an exercise routine that you will hopefully be able to keep going into the winter months. Not only does exercise improve our physical help we know it benefits our mental health and some types of exercise additionally boost bone health. Ideally we should be exercising on 4-5 days of the week but any exercise is worthwhile. Guidelines advise 150 mins of moderate or 75 minutes of intense physical activity a week. This can appear daunting but brisk walking counts as does strenuous house work. The NHS has a Couch to 5 k programme which is designed to help anyone get fitter and is available on a mobile app.
Be kind to yourself
Change is difficult. We all have good intentions that we sometimes struggle to follow. Research has shown that it nearly always takes multiple attempts before we succeed in making permanent change. Keep trying: even small alterations in our lifestyles make a difference.
Have a happy and healthy summer!
Article produced by:
KIMS Hospital & Sevenoaks Medical Centre