In the temperate climate where I am from we have been teased by summer’s arrival for several weeks.  It is right around the corner, so it’s time to go over some healthy summer tips to stay well over the next few months.

There are several factors that pop up in the summer that might disrupt our normal routine.  There are vacations, patios, barbecues and weddings that make us feel like we’ve fallen “off track”.  In addition to the social pressures, there are natural phenomenon that can affect us as well: change in daylight hours, bugs, hot weather and sun exposure.  Not that any of these things are bad as most them are likely to make us quite happy.  Unfortunately, too much of anything can take its toll on your health.

Some healthy summer tips:

Stay hydrated: Water is the most important fluid you can put in your body.  Your body is made up of anywhere from 60-90% water.  You lose water when you sweat, which of course, you do more of in the hot summer months.  Carry around a water bottle with you (make sure that it is bisphenyl A free) and make sure you actually drink from it.  On the patio when you’re having a drink with some friends after work be sure to ask for a glass of water as well.  Alcohol is a diuretic so it can be quite dehydrating.  For every alcoholic drink you have try to drink a glass of water to help your body replenish this vital fluid.  When my patients tell me they don’t like to drink water because they find it boring, I tell them to flavor it up with some freshly squeezed lemon or a scoop of a health greens powder.  That way you’re getting nutrients as well as the refreshing water!

Sunscreen: We’ve heard this time and time again, however, it really cannot be emphasized enough.  It is important to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays which over time can accumulate and cause permanent changes in your skin in the form of spots, wrinkles and, of course, cancer.  Ultraviolet rays can even penetrate clouds so be sure to apply your favorite sunscreen even on overcast days.

Sleep: Adults in North America are chronically under slept and breezy summer nights can exacerbate this. There are several thing about summer that tempt us to stay up later.  The sun is sleeping less in the summer but this doesn’t mean that you should sleep less.  Light of any amount can decrease melatonin production and this, in turn, can prevent deep and restorative sleeps that your body needs to grow and rejuvenate its tissues. It is important to sleep in a completely dark room.  Make sure your blinds are closed and the drapes are pulled.  Try sleeping with an eye mask and do your best to maintain a steady sleep routine.

Exercise: People often take up more activity in the summer as they are inspired by the warm weather.  If you’re starting an exercise program for the first time be sure to ask your doctor for a check up or a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) to make sure you’re fit to get more fit.  Often, walking is a great start for people who want to become more active.  If you stay with it then it won’t be long before your body will crave more rigorous activity.  Regardless of your physical activity level remember to drink lots of water and stretch before you exercise.  Always warm up for about 5-10 minutes before you engage in more rigorous activity.  This primes the muscles to be more efficient and prevents injury!

Fresh food: Something wonderful about summer is that it is fairly easy to eat healthy, fresh foods that are locally grown.  Check out your local farmers market for in season fruits and vegetables.  Its a great way to support the local economy and support the health of your body.  When you’re hanging out on a patio, choose salad instead of fries with your burger or better yet, skip the burger all together. Choose fruit instead of ice cream for dessert.  Invest in your own ice cream maker so you can make your own healthy frozen treats. Take a berry picking trip with some friends.  You get to be outside all day and afterwards you have delicious and nutritious goodies to stash away in your freezer.  Blend some berries or other fruit with a bit of water and freeze in ice cube trays or popsicle holders to have a healthy, cool snack.  There are lots of ways to stay relatively sugar free in the summer!!  Be the person to bring the veggie platter to the barbecue pot luck.  You chuckle, but you also know they are always eaten up!

Those are some basic healthy summer tips.  Ask your Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health professional about specifics on how you and your family can have a healthy and happy summer.

Naturopathic Medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

Tags: Exercise, Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor, Sleep, Summer health, water

Stop Snoring Exercise Program

When you are aware that you are disturbing your partner in his or her sleep and this becomes a real problem, you know you need to do something about it. That is one of the reasons that many snorers are looking desperately for treatments and cures to prevent snoring. But before you can put a stop to it and prevent snoring you need to know what is causing it. Snoring is in 90% percent of all cases caused by a vibration of excessive tissues like fat and muscles in the throat and air passages. These vibrations can be extremely loud and that is what your partner is hearing. Luckily there are some effective ways to prevent snoring and now you know the cause of your snoring you can understand why they work. We will give you a three steps system to prevent snoring that really works.

Step 1 to prevent snoring is loosing weight

You now know that being overweight can have a great effect on your snoring because of the vibration it is causing in excessive tissue like fats. Losing weight and reducing those body fats can be a great first step to prevent snoring. And lets face it reducing that extra weight will not only help you to prevent snoring but also to be more healthy in general. You will be less prone to sickness and diseases. When you are not overweight you still can have loose tissue in your air ways and that is where step two in our method starts.

Step 2 Stop Snoring Exercise Program

The Stop Snoring Exercise Program is probably one of the most powerful ways to prevent snoring, you need to actually do something for this to work but when you put in about 3 minutes a day this Stop Snoring Exercise Program will prevent you from snoring forever. It is easy and can be done by anyone and the benefits are extremely great. Imagine never have to worry again about your loving partner leaving the bedroom or you who needs to sleep on the sofa so your sleep partner can have a good night rest. But also for your own health, no more getting up tired in the morning, no more worries about apnea and extreme anti snoring treatments like snoring surgery, implants and other horrible devices for the rest of your life. With these exercises and our other 2 steps you can change your live and that of your partner completely.

Step 3 change your sleeping position

If you want to know if you snore more and louder if you sleep on your back, you need to ask your partner? You probably are, and there are some easy ways to start sleeping in another position so the snoring will be reduced very quickly. Step 3 alone will not prevent snoring completely but it will have a great effect in the complete treatment. Sleeping on your side or elevating your head and upper chest might work also. All the information about how you can change your sleeping positions when you are actually asleep is part of the Stop Snoring Exercise Program material.

A last quick tip is the fact that there are types of medication that can cause you to snore more and louder. This is because some medications are actually made to relax the muscles. You need to ask your doctor if this can be the case with the medication he prescribed and ask if it is possible to describe something else.

If you want to prevent snoring and want to know more about snoring remedies and the stop snoring exercise program you can follow these links to our website www.GottaStopSnoring.com

Tags: Exercise, Program, Snoring, Stop, Stop Snoring Exercise Program