10 Tips to Stay Healthy During Summer

The scorching heat during the summer months brings with it a number of diseases affecting various systems of the human body. It is natural to be concerned about how you should keep your health sound. If you were looking for a place that serves as a comprehensive guide for all your tips to stay healthy during summer, you have come to the right place.

The rIsing temperature during the summer months is not only physically draining and unpleasant, but it also makes us susceptible to ailments ranging from skin itch, rashes, fever, dehydration and food poisoning. Ample precautions need to be taken at this time to beat the heat and stay fit and healthy. Prevention is a lot better than any cure and just following simple tips goes a long way to ensure healthy living.

 

10 Tips to Stay Healthy in Summer

Keep in mind the following tips to stay healthy for a carefree season

 

1. Watch your Meal

Food gets stale real fast during summers, so it's essential to ensure that it is freshly-cooked and properly stocked. In order to avoid the risk of food contamination, it's crucial to store and refrigerate it properly. Rather than eating huge portions at one sitting, it is advisable to eat small parts at frequent intervals. Food with high fats and carbohydrates has high calorie count that generates heat in the body. It puts stress on the gut and takes long to digest. Eating fibrous vegetables and fruits with high water content, like tomatoes, water melons, oranges is the best way to maintain health along with savouring their delightful taste.

Here is a list of fruits and their water content 

 

Fruits	Water Content
Mangoes	83%
Blueberries	84%
Apples	86%
Pineapple	86%
Apricots	86%
Oranges	87%
Plums	87%
Papaya	88%
Blackberries	88%
Peaches	89%
Cantaloupe	90%
Grapefruit	91%
Strawberries	91%
Watermelon	92%
Tomato	94%

 

2. Stay Hydrated

Due to constant sweating and perspiration during summers, dehydration is a common occurrence.  To compensate for it and keep the body nourished, it is essential to drink plenty of water throughout the day, along with fresh fruit juices, lemonade, butter milk. Consumption of alcoholic beverages, fizzy drinks and coffee should be minimized as they have a tendency to dehydrate the body, which not only causes headache, nausea, fever, but also disrupts normal bodily functions and weakens body's immunity. Water is an elixir during the summers that should be consumed in generous amounts. It is recommended that between 2-3 litres of waters should be consumed daily while the summer is at its peak. This is one of the most underrated summer health tips.

 

Staying hydrated incurs many benefits apart from the basic bodily functions:

 

• Regulates body temperature
• Keeps your joints lubricated
• Improves sleep quality
• Improves cognition
• Elevates energy levels and brain function
• Helps keep the digestive system healthy
• Prevents Kidney Stone Prevention
• Detoxification of harmful substances

   

3. Watch your Steps

It's best to avoid venturing outdoors during the hottest part of the day - between afternoon and evenings. Exposure to scalding sun rays and heat waves can cause a lot of problems and should be best avoided. Either step outside before afternoon or after the sunset, or if it's really important then ensure to get back as soon as the work gets over. It's best to allocate the wee hours of the morning for any exercise or act of physical exertion. Indoor alternatives should be explored and prioritized over outdoor ones during the day time.

 

The various issues that can occur if you step out in scorching heat and a few ways to prevent them are:

 

• Excessive sweating - Drink more water are regular intervals
• Heat Exhaustion -  Move to a cool shaded area, drink some resources of salt and sugar, lie down and drink more water.
• Heatstroke - This life-threatening situation should be addressed as soon as possible by going to a cool area and keeping an ice pack under the arms or between the legs.

   

4. Maintain Good Hygiene

Body odour and fungal infections are common during summers. There is also the enhanced risk of catching bacterial impurities. Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the fact that maintaining personal hygiene is paramount no matter what. Basic healthy tips for summer like regular showering and wearing clean clothes not only gives the feel of freshness but is also a safeguard against bacteria, dust and other harmful particles. Whether you are just about to start the day or have returned from the workplace after a hectic routine, a quick shower is cooling and refreshing.

 

Hygiene-related diseases and their prevention:

• Athlete’s foot - Cut nails regularly, avoid walking barefoot in public locker rooms and showers
• Body Lice - Bathe regularly and wear properly laundered clothes
• Chronic Diarrhoea - Consume clean and safe water
• Dental cavities - Brush twice a day, eat nutritious food and avoid fast food, and visit your dentist regularly
• Head Lice - Don’t share personal items, avoid head-to-head contact, and do not share combs, brushes, or towels
• Hot tub rush - Prevent touching contaminated water, regularly clean swimsuits
• Lymphatic Filariasis - Use mosquito repellent and mosquito nets, and avoid mosquito bites
• Swimmer’s ear - Avoid letting moisture enter your ears; regularly dry your ears after swimming
• Ringworm - Keep the skin clean and dry, don’t share your clothes with others

   

5. Cultivate an Active Lifestyle

It's an old adage that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. Being active and warding off lethargy not only keeps the body alert but also has a positive impact on the mind. Kickstarting the day with brisk running or simple exercises at home, has enormous long-term benefits. It's not necessary to hit the gym or lift weights, simple free-hand exercises can be done at home as per convenience.

 

6. Take Care of your Eyes

Sunlight has UV (ultra-violet) rays that are harmful to the eyesight. It's important to avoid exposure to direct sunlight and wear sunglasses when going out in the sun. Eye gear that offers protection against 99% UV rays should be preferred.

 

There are various ailments that can happen due to extensive exposure to sunlight;

• Eye Injury
• Photokeratitis
• Pterygium
• Eye Disease

   

7. Choose the Right Attire

Clothing is among the most important things to watch out for during the summers. It is well known that black colour has a tendency to absorb heat, and white to reflect it, that's why lighter colour fabrics are preferred over brighter ones during summers. Tight-fitting garments should be replaced by lose, comfortable and stretchable ones as they help air pass through. Natural materials like cotton are any day better than synthetic fabrics.

 

8. Ensure Skincare

Excessive makeups and fancy skin lotions can actually harm the skin, as they clog the sweat pores and hinder the skin's ability to breathe. While going out in sunlight, skin should be covered and a sunscreen of minimum SPF 30 should be applied on the skin. Donning a cap or carrying a foldable umbrella are also good ways to protect the skin from exposure to harmful UV rays. Natural skin revitalizers like Aloe Vera and turmeric can be used for a healthy, glowing skin.

 

Various skin ailments can occur due to excessive sun exposure:

• Actinic Keratosis (Pre-cancer skin)
• Skin Cancer - Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, Malignant melanoma.
• Photoaging

   

9. Fortify Diet with Supplements

Often daily-diet doesn’t supply the body with all the minerals, vitamins and micronutrients that get burned out quickly during summers. Consuming simple supplements keep the body vigorous, improves immunity, helps bust stress and helps in creating anti-oxidants. Citrus fruits that are rich in Vitamin C should be widely consumed during summers. B-complex vitamin supplements also boost health.

 

10. Guard Against Injuries and Consult Doctor

Intense physical activity, bristling with energy, increases the probability of injuries as well. Be it the gym, club swimming pool, or the playground, injuries can take place anywhere. In order to prevent them, it's important to wear appropriate sports gear and keep a first-aid kid with painkillers, ointments, antiseptics, bandages handy. Sun-heat can aggravate the wound further, so in case of a severe injury or if the pain doesn’t subside even after spraying painkiller, then seek medical help without any delay.

 

Conclusion:

While we enjoy the warmth of the summer, it is important to not neglect our health. Hence, one must keep the aforementioned points in mind. Following these simple steps won’t interfere at all with your hectic routine and will help you stay healthy and cool in the summer season.Also, with Niva Bupa get your and your family's health secured with the health insurance policy.