29 Mar Top 10 Super Useful Tips for Kagay-anons to Stay Healthy During Summer in Cagayan de Oro
Philippine summers always conjure up images of the beach, backyard barbecues, outdoor dinners, trips to resorts and summer getaways, and virtually other things that are loaded with summer food like pasta salads, chips, ice cream, cocktails, and beer, not to mention the warm weather that forces us to wear either the skimpiest of outfits or the thinnest ones.
However, Filipinos shouldn’t forget that our country is located only a few degrees away from the equator and those Philippine summers can get uncomfortably and unhealthily hot, anywhere between 35º to 40º. So you don’t end up burned to a crisp, and worse, ending up with heatstroke, here are some tips to stay healthy during the summer.
Stay constantly hydrated
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This is the biggest cardinal rule of summer. You need to drink water, at least 6 to 8 cups, a day. If the weather is extremely hot, you need to drink more since it can also get really warm even in the shade. Whether doing summer activities or just an ordinary day, you can carry water in hard plastic flasks or containers. If it’s a really hot day you may need to carry more water. It won’t hurt to check before you travel if there are places you can buy bottled water. Don’t always trust the local tap drinking water even if it’s supplied by a water district. When you’re out of town, some of the drinks you order or buy may also help protect your skin. Grapefruit contains lycopene that helps protect the skin from the sun’s UV rays. Fruit juices and shakes also contain more fiber for better bowel movements.
Always protect your body from heat overexposure
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While enjoying the summer outdoors, protect your body from overexposure by wearing a hat or using natural sunscreens without the excessive chemicals. Aloe vera gel is best for overexposure or any kind of sunburn.
Exercise vigorously
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If you’re not enrolled in a gym or health club and you’re more into outdoor exercising, summer is the best period to maximize your activities since it won’t be raining on any day for the coming months. However, since you’re doing your activities outdoors, like running, make sure to do it either in the early morning or in the late afternoon. Never exercise outdoors, even in the shade, after 9:00 a.m. and not before 4:00 p.m.
Summer features a bounty of healthy foods
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Summer usually is the best harvest season for a lot of fruits and vegetables. These healthy bounties from nature can then be used to make healthy juices, raw salads, and other healthy meals. Light protein is also good for the body since summer brings out a lot of nuts, seeds, bean sprouts, soy products, yogurt, kefir, and cheese. Fish and poultry are also plentiful during summer.
Start using nutritional supplements
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Because the summer heat quickly depletes a lot of liquids and other minerals from the body, taking nutritional supplements helps the body to have a greater amount of physical energy in order to enhance any summer activities, especially exercising. Herbal supplements like licorice root and ginseng is good for the energy balance, digestion, and as stress protector. Vitamin B-complex is good for the nervous system and cellular energy production while vitamin C protects the body against chemical pollutants and chemical by-products.
Drink lots of green tea as well
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Green tea seems to have the ability to keep the body well-hydrated. It also has a natural component that helps speed up metabolism. The best green tea is still the brew-it-yourself powder type rather than boxed tea.
Order seafood when dining out
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When dining out during summer, order seafood. Summer is the best time that most of the freshest catches arrive in the marketplace, and end up in restaurant kitchens. Salmon, tuna, other local fish types, crabs, shrimps, prawns, calamari, and shelled creatures are also healthier and more abundant during summer and offer the best low-calorie and protein packed dining out meal.
Don’t run on an empty stomach
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If you like going on runs in the early morning, eat a very light breakfast before going out. It can be just a small sandwich or a couple of bananas before dashing out the door. If you go on a run on an empty stomach the body might not give off enough energy and increases the chances of you fainting or tiring out easily. On the other hand, don’t eat a heavy breakfast before going on a run unless you plan on spewing out your breakfast along the road while running.
Summer also means bonding time
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Since your kids will be mostly home on summer vacation, you can always plan to go on a short summer vacation somewhere that’s good for the family. In Cagayan de Oro there are countless tourist spots, resorts, and adventure parks in or around the city or in nearby provinces. The travel and time spent together will also bring a healthier frame of mind. A healthy body also needs a healthy brain, and family bonding time can bring in better brain health. If the family decides to forego traveling to distant areas, there are other summer activities they can do at home. If there’s a good backyard area, the family can cook meals and do barbecues together. Late afternoons to early evenings is the best time for these, and the activity can start by shopping for the food ingredients together as a family.
Go on house summer cleaning
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Since the kids are mostly at home, why not spend some time cleaning out the house. It’s also called general cleaning, and it also reflects healthy living by keeping the house clean while throwing away or giving away what constitutes junk or what you don’t need anymore. It’s also a simple way to keep fit since general cleaning involves a lot of body movements, lifting, etc. While the children can help clean out some parts of the house or the outdoors, they should be given complete responsibility to clean out their own rooms.
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