Healthy Summer

Next up in the Summer Health and Wellness series we will dive into maintaining health while traveling and what to do if you encounter common summer conundrums (think bugs, ticks, and sun!) to keep you healthy this summer.

Healthy summer and Travel tips

Summer travel season is upon us! Whether you are traveling by car (we are gearing up for  our annual roadtrip to Michigan!) or by plane, here are some tips and tricks to stay on track so that you feel well your whole vacation! Staying healthy this summer doesn’t have to be difficulty when traveling!

STAYING ON TRACK WHEN TRAVELING

1. 1. Stay healthy and hydrated, even if you’ll be in the car and that means stopping to use the facilities. Maintaining good hydration will keep your energy level up and help you to feel your best when you get to where you are going!
   2. Try to maintain your normal sleep schedule as much as possible. Tip: if you are traveling multiple timezones, melatonin can be helpful for a couple of days to help shift your circadian rhythm to the new timezone. 
   3. Pack healthy snacks so you are not left hangry or resorting to fast food. (see my list of our favorite travel snacks below!)
   4. Maintain some good eating habits while on vacation and fuel with things that make you feel good when you can so that you can feel your best and enjoy vacation! Certain places can be challenging to find healthier eat out options but even major fast food restaurants have some healthier options. Do a little planning and searching ahead of time in the areas that you will be so you can have some healthy spots and menu options ready to go. 
   5. Get some movement in daily. Even going for a walk to keep moving, especially if you will indulging a little more than usual. This will help to keep your blood sugar stable and energy more even. 
   6. Pack the things that will help you to feel your best. That might be your daily supplements or protein powder, your favorite non-toxic toiletries, or your eye mask to make any sleep scenario optimal, bring whatever will keep you and your health on track while you are away!

OUR FAVORITE ROADTRIP / TRAVEL SNACKS:

1. 1. • Fresh or dried fruit
      • Nuts and trail mix
      • Chomps or Paleo Valley beef sticks
      • Simple mills gluten free crackers
      • Organic applesauce and fruit pouches
      • RxBars and Luna Bars 
      • MadeGood Granola Balls 
      • Fruit leather strips 

As always try to keep your blood sugar balanced by having protein, fat or fiber with your carbohydrate snack or meal so that you have more stable energy and mood:) Another tip! If you are going to a BBQ or gathering this summer and holiday season, bring something healthy so you know there will be at least one thing that is colorful and healthy! 

Time outdoors in the summer often comes with PESKY CREATURES.

With summer upon us and more time spent outside (and our upcoming travel to the Midwest), I’ve had the creepy, crawly critters on my mind. I’ve heard from family and friends that both the mosquitos and ticks are particularly bad this year from the wet, rainy spring. Not ideal but we are going to try not to let these critters stop us from enjoying the outdoor activities we have planned this summer, we are just going to be smart about it! Here are a few tips for mosquito and tick season:

1. 1. Wear pants, long sleeves, socks and closed toed shoes when spending time outdoors especially after dusk when mosquitos are most active. This limits skin exposure for ticks and mosquitos to latch onto.
   2. Avoid walking through tall grasses and stay on trails, if possible and keep lawns mowed to reduce the chance of ticks hanging around. Keep standing water away from your home so mosquitos don’t have a place to multiply. 
   3. Use bug repellent, like Primally Pure’s Nature Spray, which is an all natural blend of essential oils to deter mosquitos and ticks. If the mosquitos are bad or when we will be up North camping we may rely on stronger bug repellants to keep both the mosquitos and ticks away, depending on the density and our activities. One tip if using chemical bug repellents, is to try to stay covered and try to spray clothes only and shower before bed so it is on the skin for as little time as possible. 
   4. If you will be in a lyme heavy area and spending lots of time outside, consider treating clothing, tents, sleep bags with permethrin to deter the ticks. 
   5. Check for ticks when coming from outdoors. Make sure to check places like: clothing lines, groin, armpits, hairlines, behind the ears and belly button- all the nooks and crannies. Keep in mind that nymph ticks can be the size of a poppy seed! It is crucial to remove a tick as early as possible to limit transmission of diseases like lyme and other co-infections. If a tick is found, remove it with tweezers by placing the tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pinch off the mouth of the tick, gently pull and wait for the tick to release. Do not use a flame such as a lighter or chemical! Save the tick and send it in to have it tested for lyme disease and other co-infections so that the proper treatment can be initiated if possible (tickcheck.com or ticksafety.com). Watch the site for the classic bullseye rash (keep in mind this is absent in 20-30% of lyme cases!) and keep an eye out for other symptoms such as fever, joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue and headaches which might indicate infection. My favorite source for all things Lyme treatment is Green Medicine of Wisconsin.
   6. For Mosquito bites, a few ways to stop the itch can include: applying Witch Hazel to bites, cool white or chamomile tea bags applied to bites, or a colloidal oatmeal bath if you’ve got a lot of bites that are causing you to be itchy and miserable! 

Bugs aren’t the only thing to try to avoid this summer

When focusing on our health this summer, we can’t overlook sun protection and trying to avoid a sunburn. A healthy summer means enjoying the outdoors but not ending up looking like a lobster by the end of the day. Here are some basic tips for sun protection and what to do if you do get a sunburn!

• Apply sunscreen before any outdoor activity. Make sure you get all areas that are exposed! Did you know? The top of the ears is a common place for skin cancer to present because we often forget to sunscreen here!
• Reapply if you get in the pool, lake or if you’ve worked up a good sweat or every two hours when you are out in the sun! Did you know? The SPF number tells you how long the sun’s UV radiation would take to cause a sunburn when using a sunscreen versus the amount of time without any sunscreen. So ideally, with SPF 30 it would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen.
• If you don’t like the thought of sticky sunscreen all day, invest in some sun protection clothing – sun shirts, hats, light pants will help to keep you safe from the sun without having to wear sunscreen all day. My favorite sun shirts and clothing are by FreeFly Apparel – they are made of bamboo and are buttery soft and light to wear, even on hot days.
• Check medication labels. You may think what does this have to do with staying health this summer or avoiding a sunburn? Some medications cause photosensitivity aka may cause you to burn more easily in the sun. 
• What do you if you do accidentally stay out in the sun too long and end up with a burn?
  • Apply some aloe vera
  • Stay hydrated
  • Use some soothing essential oils like lavender, peppermint or tea tree oil
  • Consider cool compresses with apple cider vinegar or black tea to ease the pain and inflammation.

I hope everyone is having a great start to the summer and enjoying summer travel wherever it may be! Remember, traveling doesn’t have to through off your health, follow these healthy summer travel tips to feel good all summer (and year) long! I have just a couple new patient spots for July when we return from vacation and open spots for August! Ff you are interested in getting your health to the next level, check out more about Wild Rice Wellness HERE!