Checklist to Stay Health This Summer
Summertime can be a time which inspires you to be your most active, your most healthy – or it can turn into the time when you hole up in air conditioning, skip your yoga classes, and live off of a diet of ice cream and mojitos (hey, that mint in there has to count as some sort of green, no?).
The following are some easy ways to help keep you on track, so that when autumn rolls around, you are healthier, more vibrant, and with more mental and emotional clarity than ever before!
Monthly or bi-monthly Chiropractic
Do not underestimate the power of chiropractic work. A chiropractic session for your body is like getting a tune up for your car – something that should be done to to remove any barriers to movement or any hesitations in your body’s mechanics. It is an easy thing to do to keep your body working at its most optimal and pain-free.
Bi-weekly or monthly Massage
Who needs too many reasons to be talked into a massage, anyway? Massage work is important in preventing any knots or build-up in muscles or joints, and to manually stretch muscles that might be difficult to do on your own. It is also a great way to ease stress and anxiety, to keep your mind as healthy as your body.
Yoga
Do not wait for autumn to start back up with your practice! You should be doing as much yoga as you can for ideal physical and mental health. Sign up for a class, some private lessons which can work around your busy summer schedule, or even just enjoy some sun salutations outside as the sun goes down – it doesn’t matter, as long as you just do something with yoga!
Food as fuel (and medicine)
Nature is our pharmacy and you may want to get an assessment of how well you are fueling your lifestyle and activities. If you are low in energy or wish you had increased stamina, diet alone could be a reason. Make an appointment with a nutritionist, or start honestly looking at your food intake to see where you could make improvements. At the very least, you should easily be dramatically increasing the amount of fresh, organic fruits and veggies that you are eating, with the abundance of farmer’s markets and neighbors’ gardens that are overflowing in the summer with delicious, healthy food!
Acupuncture
In Oriental Medicine, prolonged stagnancy can result in illness and ultimately death. All of the tools used in acupuncture (cupping, moxa, needling) are designed to keep your chi moving strongly to flush out any toxins or ailments that would stand in the way. In China, many have weekly maintenance acupuncture sessions and we encourage that here too. We offer discounts for multiple sessions to make it easier to fit consistent acupuncture into your budget.
Sun Protection for your Skin
While we certainly encourage getting out and enjoying that delicious summer sun, please love yourself enough to prevent premature aging, sun damage and skin cancer by using an all-natural, organic sunscreen (may we suggest one from the Eminence Organics line we carry?).
Sauna
So many people think that the sauna is to be saved for the cooler autumn and winter months. But the benefits of sauna, especially to for lung clearing and detoxifying, are great regardless of the season. So get sweating and get well on your way to a deep internal cleanse – it is also great for your skin! Make sure to rehydrate well afterwards.
Get outside!
This cannot be emphasized enough!! Enjoy the summer months to the fullest. Go for long walks. Take in as many golden sunsets as you can. Swim in a lake, river, or waterfall pool. Breathe fresh air. Listen to the birds singing joyfully. Take a picnic with organic foods fresh from the farmer’s market. A healthy dose of Vitamin D and nature will support your physical and emotional health!
So we encourage you to try to implement as many things from this list as possible this summer. Make every day an opportunity to be healthier than you were the day before – for your body, mind and emotional health!