With school out and summer in full swing, many of us are soaking up the sun’s rays with freshly tanned skin, enjoying picnics, BBQs and other outdoor adventures. To continue the ‘living is easy’ feeling, follow these healthy tips to make the most out of your summer.

Get Out and Move. It’s a given - summer is the ideal time to take your workouts outside. Take a walk around your neighborhood, hike or bike in a park, swim in the ocean or a nearby lake, play games with your kids, or participate in another outdoor activity interests you. Outdoor activities can be fun for the whole family and are a great way to change up the scenery from cooped-up gym workouts.

Drink Less – Alcohol That Is. For some, nothing says summer like a chilled beer or a crisp glass of wine, but alcohol is a prime dehydrator, especially during a hot summer day. If you do kick back with a cold one, practice moderation and rehydrate with clean, filtered water. Don’t like the taste of plain water? Try adding in sliced fruit like lemons or strawberries with some mint. Sparkling water is also a great alternative if you’re craving some bubbles and fizz.

Protect Your Skin from the Inside Out. Science recommends 15 minutes of sunlight a day to provide a healthy dose of Vitamin D, but excess sun exposure can activate free radicals that can damage skin and stimulate aging. Wearing sunscreen daily and using other forms of sun protection such as clothing are essential, but you can also support your skin by eating certain foods for UV protection from the inside out. Great food choices are:

• Wild salmon – Salmon contains a powerful antioxidant, astaxanthin, which helps to support the skin during sun exposure. Pacific Sockeye salmon contains an average of 10mg of astaxanthin per serving – which is an adequate dosage of astaxanthin for skin health. Another excellent source of astaxanthin is sourced from microalgae in supplement form. BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin is a top choice for natural astaxanthin supplementation and is sold in 4mg and 12mg dosages. BioAstin is sourced from microalgae grown on the sunny Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.
• Tomatoes & Watermelon – Watermelon and tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which studies have shown to be helpful with protecting skin from sunburn when exposed to UV light.
• Carrots – This healthy snack staple may not only help prevent sun damage, it might even help reverse it due to the antioxidant beta-carotene found in carrots. A study done in Korea with women who supplemented daily with 30mg of beta-carotene (about six carrot’s worth) for three months showed that the antioxidants both protected and repaired cells from photoaging. Sweet potatoes are also another great source of beta-carotene (switch regular French fries for sweet potatoes fries – you’ll never go back!)

Keep Up Your Energy and Immunity. Summer travel and longer days can take a toll on your energy levels and expose you to germs. A proven way to support energy levels and boost immunity is Hawaiian Spirulina – another microalgae grown in Hawaii. The protein, iron, vitamin B12, and other antioxidants in Hawaiian Spirulina are great nutrients to help keep you healthy and energetic. Whether you’re driving cross-country or flying, make sure to bring along Hawaiian Spirulina (available in convenient tablets so you can just pop and go or powder for blending into fruit smoothies).

Relax – Take a Vacation! Use the long days of summer to slow down and unwind. Keep a normal sleep pattern and discontinue electronic device usage at least an hour prior to bedtime (choosing the filter for your selfie can wait till morning). If travel is in your plans, exploring our wonderful world can have multiple benefits such as lower stress and boost your health and mood. As quoted by naturalist and conservationist, John Muir, “The world’s big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.”

Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to enjoying healthy summer fun in the sun!