Summer time fun!!

Folks, finally, the time has come for summer!! Can I get a "WOOP WOOP?" You're going to have to be a little louder, 'cus I can't hear you through the computer screen! With temperatures reaching the mid 70's, the mood of diets and exercises is at an all time high!! So here I am this afternoon to encourage you to take advantage of this beautiful time!! (I'm even sitting outside getting a little extra sun!)


I'm about to blow your mind!! This is going to be the ultimate summer blog! From the yummy food to the importance of natural sunlight!! So...here we go!!


Since it's warm, I vote get outside to exercise!! Sure, the gym is great in the winter, or when the sun decides to hide, but not everyone likes to run! (I know I'm not the biggest fan!) So here are some ideas for unique exercises you can do outside, with or without kids!!


"Roughing it!" You heard me right!! Put on a backpack, keep a bottle of water and pack a lunch and go find an awesome hiking trail!! Not only are you getting exercise, but you're getting to bond with nature, something I know adults tend to forget once we discover the world of television!! You don't have to go fast, just enjoy your surroundings!


Frisbee Golf!! It's a unique concept for many, but all too familiar to many more!!  It's pretty much what it sounds like, golf using frisbees! How fun is that?! Let me tell you it's a lot of fun!    Need help finding a course? Check out this website to find one near you!!  
http://find.mapmuse.com/interest/disc-golf


Bikes, Blades and Boards!! Go back to your childhood!! Pull out your bike from the garage, dust it off, and bike to a DQ and get yourself a lowfat cone!! It's summer after all, we can be good ALL the time, right?? Find your rollerblades! Reteach yourself to stop without falling! Maybe even LEARN to skateboard! Have you kid teach you what they already know!!


Finally, start a garden! I know I live in an apartment, and many times I can, but I know a lot of people who keep very elaborate gardens!! Offer to help! Go find your local community garden, if there isn't one, start one!!  Summer activities are endless and all you have to do is be creative! Start your own football or baseball game, have fun, act like a kid, go fly a kite!!


FOOD! Oh summer, how I love the food you offer me! The fresh fruit, the crisp veggies, oh, did I mention the fresh fruit?? Well, here are some summer favorites, and maybe even a couple new ideas for you!


Watermelon - Watermelon has more than 80 percent water, so this summer fruit is an excellent way to satisfy your thirst and keep you hydrated during summers. Save the apples, bananas and oranges for the fall, instead satiate your appetite on a variety of fresh summer fruits like different berries and melons. Mangoes - This fruit is available only in summers and is loaded with beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber.


Grilled vegetables - Keep your refrigerator stocked with a plate of prepared grilled peppers, grilled onions, carrots, zucchini, garlic, eggplant, celery and asparagus. The antioxidant properties present in these summer vegetables can help to minimize skin damage caused due to sun exposure during summer days  Grilled salads - Use grilled summer vegetables to prepare a variety of dishes like grilled vegetable pitas, grilled vegetable and fresh herb pasta or ricotta or frittatas and grilled vegetable and reduced calorie cheese salads. 


Chilled soups - Chilled soups are great appetizers to start your meal. Choose chilled soups like cucumber-dill or gazpacho which are loaded with crunchy vegetables. Moreover soups also account to your total fluid intake and thus can help you stay hydrated.


Vegetable salads - Like chilled soups, salads are also great way to kick start your meals. Almost all the salads need minimum preparation time and are considered healthy, quick meals provided you don’t load them with heavy dressings. Remember the more the number of fresh vegetables in the diet the healthier you will be during summer. Cool cucumber - Cucumber is rightly called cool as it is about 20% naturally cooler than other vegetables. A chilled or fresh cucumber slice in your salads or vegetables can be truly refreshing


Whole grain salads - Whole grain salads like tabouli and wheat berry are also excellent summer choices.


Bean and sprout salads - Toss some beans or sprouts along with sliced or diced vegetables and fruits to increase the protein content of the salads.


Vegetable cheese salads - Toss some reduced calorie cheese chunks in your chopped vegetables to increase the calcium as well as protein content of the salads.


Low fat drinks - Generally we tend to drink sweetened and creamy coffees, teas, sodas and smoothies in summer to such an extent that we forget about the calories we take in. Remember, any liquid will only help to quench your thirst and not your hunger. So choose wisely –orange dream float, root beer and ice skim latte are some good choices.


Fruit based desserts - Forget your creamy heavy desserts, instead satisfy your ferocious sweet tooth with healthy fruit based desserts.


Low calorie desserts like dark frozen sweet cherries, frozen grapes, chocolate covered frozen banana, grilled blackberries with white peaches and honey, grilled pineapple with pecans and rum, low fat fresh fruit ice creams and grilled banana sundaes made from low fat ice creams are also some good summer food choices.


Water - Lastly nothing can be as refreshing and satisfying as a glass of water on a hot summer day. Keep yourself well hydrated.




Finally, the last bit, the part we Minnesotans know well, sunshine!!  Part of summer is to absorb all the vitamins and minerals we need to keep on going, and part of those vitamins are not just eaten, rather absorbed!  Sunlight is the best and only natural source of vitamin D. Unlike dietary or supplementary vitamin D, when you get your ‘D’ from sunshine your body takes what it needs, and de-metabolizes any extra. That’s critical – as vitamin D experts and many health groups now advocate 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily – five to ten times the old recommendations. Because too much ‘D’ from dietary supplements may cause the body to over-process calcium, nobody really knows for sure how much supplementary vitamin D is safe. On the other hand, sunlight-induced vitamin D doesn’t have that problem – it’s the way your body is intended to make it! 


In English?! Sun is good!! Vitamin D helps protect against breast cancer, helps maintain bone density, healthy bone growth and helps maintain the normal functioning of the nervous system. It is crucially important in aiding the body’s absorption of calcium. Without sufficient vitamin D, calcium supplements are almost useless.




In lots of Science terms:
One growing impact on the production of vitamin D in the body, is the use of sunscreen. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, “the application of sunscreen with an SPF factor of 8 reduces production of vitamin D by 95%.” Wow! What a predicament we have since sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer! Well, it all comes down to the notion of moderation. According to Dr. Michael Holick, from Boston University, limited sun exposure of 5-10 minutes three times a week, during the spring, summer and fall, during the mid-day from 11am to 2pm, on the face and arms, will provide enough vitamin D for the individual. This sun exposure will also allow for storage of the excess vitamin D during the winter, when the UVB rays will not reach some areas. This is also recommended by the Linus Pauling Institute, which also advises healthy adults to take a daily multivitamin supplement containing vitamin D.


In English:
Use sunscreen, but use it sparingly...SPF 100, not a good way to get your Vit D!




I hope you all enjoyed this summer filled informative session!!  If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave your favorite activities or food!!  Have a wonderful, safe and sun-filled summer!!!