Easy Health Tips

When you’re exercising in the summer, you will almost certainly sweat a lot.  This is the body’s way of cooling itself off, and it’s normal.  It can even help us lose weight.  But it also means we’re losing water.  If we don’t replace it, we could become dehydrated.

It’s extremely important to drink plenty of water in the summer, especially when we’re exercising.  Becoming dehydrated increases our risk of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.  Here are some tips for staying hydrated during summer workouts:

• Stay away from caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic beverages.  They are very dehydrating.
• Drink plenty of water every day.  While there is some debate over whether we really need eight glasses, it is a good idea to drink at least a few glasses of water each day even if you’re not exercising. It helps wash toxins out of your system and aids in building new cells, and it will keep you from being dehydrated when you start working out.
• Always keep water nearby when you’re working out.  Drink it throughout your workout, even if you are not thirsty.  A good rule of thumb is 16 ounces an hour when you’re doing an intense workout in hot weather.
• If you’re participating in a really strenuous activity, or you work out for more than an hour at a time, drink a sports drink with a good electrolyte balance.  This will replace the sodium and other vital nutrients that you lose through heavy sweating.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.  These are good for you in a number of ways, one of which is keeping you hydrated as they are very high in water content.
• If you’re not sure whether or not you’re getting enough water, check your urine.  If it’s dark in color, you need to drink more. The more water you consume, the clearer it will be.

Hydration is always important to your health, but it becomes even more crucial when you’re working up a sweat.  Watching your water intake is essential.  While it is possible to drink too much water, it is hard to do when you’re exercising in the summer heat. So keep the water handy, and drink it liberally.

With all of the unhealthy foods that are available today, getting your kids to eat healthy foods may seem impossible. They often prefer microwavable pizzas to home-cooked meals, and greasy potato chips to fresh fruits and veggies. However, with a few small changes, you CAN get more healthy foods into your children’s diets. Here are some ideas:

• Stock up on healthy snacks, and leave the unhealthy ones on the grocery store shelf. It may be difficult to control what our kids eat when they are not at home, but we can make sure that they only have healthy things to chose from when they are there. They may protest at first if they are accustomed to less nutritious snacks, but they will eventually come around if healthy foods are their only choice.
• Make healthy foods as appealing as possible. Some kids might prefer for their fruits and vegetables to be cut up instead of whole, or they might like their apples with dip. Turn fruit into smoothies. Here are a few great smoothie recipes. Accommodating them will let them feel that they have a choice while getting vital nutrients into their bodies.
• Ask your child to help prepare healthy foods. In most cases, she will be happy to help. And kids are much more likely to try something if they have had a hand in making it, so this is a great way to introduce your child to new things.
• Make all meals as balanced as possible. Having healthy foods from all the food groups on the table doesn’t guarantee that your child will eat them, but if they’re not there, she won’t have the chance.
• Offer foods that your kids don’t like several times before you give up. And make sure that each child takes at least one bite every time a food is offered. Kids are often resistant to new things (especially vegetables), but after they’ve tried them a few times they sometimes change their minds.
• Make it a point to let the kids see you enjoying healthy foods. If they only see Mom and Dad eating junk food, they will be less inclined to eat healthy foods. So be sure to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts and other nutritious goodies, and don’t forget to offer the kids a bite.

Getting kids to eat healthy foods is one of the most important things we can do as parents.

The nutrients found in these foods are important for growing bodies. And if they learn to appreciate nutritious choices while they are young, they will be more likely to continue to eat them throughout life. This will reduce their risk for a variety of ailments. It’s never too soon or too late to introduce healthy foods to your children.