Hello hello! So who’s ready for summer?! I know that I am (I just wish the sun would stay out for longer than what it has been doing!!), and to celebrate here are my top 5 tips on how to feel your best.
The term ‘Beach Body’ is often banded about at this time of year and to me ‘being beach body ready’ means feeling happy and confident within yourself, rather than looking a certain way. Hopefully my tips below will help with your ‘beach body mentality’ and I really do hope that you have some much deserved fun in the sun!!
Do let me know what your summer tips are in the comments down below :).
Tip One) Get Creative with Vegetables!
Tip number one, of course, is all about diet because what we eat impacts massively on how we feel, how we look and our weight. I personally advise that people focus on what they should be eating more of, rather than less of, because it makes healthy eating feel so much easier.
Vegetables and salads are some of the healthiest foods on the planet as they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamin C which is vital for immunity as well as collagen synthesis for your skin. If you’re not a big fan of vegetables or salad I would suggest adding spinach or ice-berg lettuce to a smoothie; you really can’t taste that it’s there, or why not try spirlizing
Tip Two) Stay Hydrated!
My second tip is all about staying hydrated all day, every day. Our bodies are around 60% water and drinking enough of it is vital for energy levels, physical performance and preventing bloating. You should aim to drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day – even more if you are exercising or you’re in hot climates.
And if you don’t like plain water then why not infuse it or blend it with fruit such as berries? Or you could add ice-cubes with lemon pieces or have it fizzy with some lime. No matter how you drink it, water is water and it all counts!
Tip Three) Get Active!
Tip number 3 is to get active, and I for one am a massive fan of Park Run which is a free 5k run that happens all over the country on Saturday mornings. Exercising outside in the fresh air not only helps boost your energy levels, helping you to feel more alive, but it’s also a great way of keeping your vitamin D levels topped up! Aim to eat at least an hour before you exercise and make sure your breakfast contains sources of vitamin B2 and B12 as well as biotin which are all essential in helping the body to release energy from the food we eat and for metabolising fat. A bowl of porridge made with oats and milk is ideal or why not try peanut butter and banana on granary toast? For a lighter option you could have berries with natural yoghurt.
Tip Four) Protect your Skin
Tip 4 is all about skin protection. 15-20 minutes of sun exposure per day without any protection is advised in order to get your daily vitamin D boost, but it is important to cream up after this time in order to prevent any long term skin damage or sunburn. Look for a suncream that has an SPF of at least 15, or even better 30 as well as a 4 or 5 star UVA rating. And if you’re heading abroad to much hotter climates you may need a much higher SPF – most sun care brands provide clear guidance of this on their packaging.
I personally try to keep my face out of the sun as much as possible just to prevent wrinkles and I also take a multivitamin that contains vitamin D to prevent any deficiency. Which leads me nicely onto my final tip..
Tip Five) Don’t forget your Vitamins
My last tip is all about multivitamins and minerals as I often get asked ‘are they necessary’? In my personal opinion they’re a good way of ensuring that you’re getting all of the micronutrients that you need but they are not a substitute for a healthy and balanced diet; just see them as a daily dietary top up!
I would recommend choosing a well-balanced multivitamin specifically for women such as Alive Women’s Energy as it contains all of the nutrients that I’ve mentioned above; vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B2 and B12, biotin and also zinc which are vital to keeping you healthy.
So they are my top 5 tips for feeling your best this summer, I really hope that you find them useful. Do send me a message on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to let me know what you’ll be doing this Summer!
*This blog post was written in collaboration with Alive!. Please note that collaborations do not influence advice given. I personally take a multivitamin containing vitamin D as a way of ensuring that I reach my recommended daily nutrient intakes however I would recommend that you speak to your own doctor or dietitian for advice. I do not promote products featured over others that are not featured. Please read my disclaimer page for more information.
