Got big plans for the summer? Why not include a trendy health resolution as one of them? Here’s how to change up your summer for a healthier you.
New Year’s isn’t the only time for you to make a resolution. More so than the drab and chilly winter, summer is the time for experimenting with style, hair, design, food, and fun, so why not include your health of body, mind, and spirit into the mix?
There are dozens of health trends circling the Internet for you to choose from. But you have to admit that not all of them are practical for the summer, and not all of them deliver as much benefit as the effort you’ll need to exert. That’s why we’ve come up with the 6 best summer trends that will pave the way for a healthier, happier you!
How to make your summer healthier
We’ve narrowed down 6 fantastic choices to get your mind, body, and belly prepared for the summer heat!
#1 Yoga. Have you ever thought that yoga was for hippies who didn’t want to properly exercise? I did. I thought it was all about stretching and humming, and it was just the alleged “exercise” for lazy people. Then I spent a morning doing yoga *and about a week recovering!*, and I quickly realized that those who want a real challenge should do yoga.
These breathing, stretching, and downward dog poses will have you absolutely sweating, and that often results in weight loss, a stronger core, and better sex! It’s true, so give it a whirl! [Read: How to be more elegant and sexy in 10 steps]
#2 The hairy revolution. Women now have their own Movember – and it’s for a great cause! Movember being the revolution of men not shaving their facial hair for the whole month of November, in order to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer.
The women’s copycat movement? Growing out your armpit hair in Armpits4August! For the last few years, women have been growing out their armpit hair *and in extreme cases, dying it!* to raise money for PCOS. So why should you try it out?
– The media makes too much out of image. It bothers us to see a woman with hairy armpits, but not a man. Why? Both bodies are born to grow underarm hair, so it’s not as if hair should be seen as a masculine quality. The media has been controlling the supposed “perfect” image of women for decades now. Take the power back into your hands… erm… underarms, and fight against the media’s askew view of what real beauty is.
– You’ll raise money for PCOS. If you’re properly participating in Armpits4August, then you’ll be supporting Verity, a charity for people suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and one symptom of PCOS is excessive hair growth. This syndrome affects 10% of women worldwide and plays with their hormones, causes ovary cysts, and can cause serious health issues such as heart disease and diabetes.
#3 Minimalism. The minimalist lifestyle is taking over! It seems hipsters everywhere are trading in their over-abundance of fedoras and horn-rimmed glasses in favor of a simpler lifestyle. While this trend isn’t for everyone, we encourage you to at least give it a whirl for the summer!
So how do you go minimal? The idea behind the minimalist lifestyle is detaching yourself from possessions, and living with less than 100 things. Sounds impossible, right? Owning 100 things or less may not work for everybody. But instead of a specific number rule to follow, simply try and vastly reduce the amount of needless things you own! Want to know the benefits of minimalism? We’ve got ’em!
– You’re going to be a million times cleaner. When starting your quest into minimalism, you’ll be doing a lot of cleaning. This is a great time to look through your closet and start tossing out all the clothes you haven’t worn since New Year’s… 5 years ago! Minimalists live without clutter and excess. Because of this you’ll notice both your closet and your apartment are going to be spic and span.
– You’ll save money. How many needless items do we buy weekly? Probably a lot more than we’d like to admit. Going minimalist means saving a ton of money.
– You’ll spend wisely. Because you’re making an effort to buy and accumulate less, you’ll be savvier when you actually do make a purchase. No more throw-away blouses that you only feel “eh” about at the cash register. Instead, you’ll only buy items that you’re totally in love with. [Read: 17 brilliant ways to save money as a couple]
#4 Join the raw food movement. You might have seen the raw food movement take over Instagram and Pinterest, with the latest smoothie recipes, homemade banana “ice cream,” and other such minimalistic fruit and veggie recipes overloading your screen.
This is the raw diet, a lifestyle change with a ton of body benefits. The idea is that when you cook your food, you’re removing most of the vitamins and enzymes needed for great health. Incorporating at least two raw meals a day not only brings these vitamins back into your life, but it has other great pros as well, such as:
– It forces you to get creative. Boring dishes be gone! Now that you’ve joined the raw food movement, you’ll be forced to think up new and exciting ways to prepare your food. At first, you might feel like eating the majority of your foods raw might seem restricting, but soon you’ll learn that there’s a whole smoothie culture waiting for your eager tummy.
– Weight loss. While it’s probably not the reason you’ll stick out the raw movement, if you’ve started this lifestyle change for the sake of losing weight, you likely will! This happens because you’re eating largely low-fat, low-sugar, low-sodium, high-fiber meals of plants, fruits, and vegetables!
– It changes your mindset. It takes exactly 3 weeks to develop a new habit, or so the experts say! After developing your new habit of healthy raw food, you’ll find you’re making better foodie decisions. Many who try the raw diet find that they no longer crave fatty take-out foods or sugary sweets, meaning your body reaps all the benefits of ingesting pure and vitamin-packed foods.
#5 Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Alright, so we all know we’re supposed to wear sunscreen in the summer… but do we? Admit it, sometimes that desperate desire for the perfect summer tan wins out over slathering on the UV protection. This summer, though, opt for fake spray tans instead of harmful UV rays! Why?
– Cancer protection! Some types of ultraviolet radiation, like UVS and UVA, can actually damage your skin and increase your possibility of getting skin cancer. Wearing sunscreen is your best protection against the big skin “C”!
– Prevents sunburns. These suckers not only hurt, they also look bad, make your face peel, cause blisters and itching, and did I mention frequent sunburns may cause melanoma?
– It’s a great moisturizer. For your summer routine, skip your usual face cream and use a great-smelling sunscreen instead.
– It slows down wrinkles and reduces signs of premature aging! Have you ever noticed that people who tan a lot tend to have leathery, blotchy-looking skin? While we do need the great side effects from the sun’s natural Vitamin D, too much can be really damaging to our skin cells. Give your skin a break this summer and load up on sunblock.
When selecting a sunscreen, choose a waterproof brand with an SPF of 30 or more. This will make sure you’re protected all day, even if you head out for a swim. Remember to protect more than just your face. Cover any skin that’s being exposed to the sun!
[Read: 8 daily reminders to help keep you moving forward]
Whatever your plans for summer, try to include at least one healthy resolution and stick to it. Remember, you’ll never regret being good to your mind, body, and soul!
