Leaping into Summer

Summer is the ideal time to take life outside. It’s that time of year when to walk, 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.

New Zealand has the perfect environment to make it easy to have fun outdoor activities for the whole family. And after the couple of years we’ve had – lockdowns, lifestyle interruptions and winter weather, let alone international news – now is a great opportunity to change the scenery from indoor walls … and indoor screens!

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.
• 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 might never go back!

And remember to relax! Use the long days of summer to slow down and unwind. Keep a normal sleep pattern or, if needed, look to establish or return to a better sleep pattern. And, as it seems everyone is telling us, discontinue electronic device usage at least an hour prior to bedtime .

If travel is in your plans, exploring our wonderful world can have multiple benefits such as lower stress and needed boosts for your health and mood. Summer travel and longer days can also take a toll on your energy levels and expose you to germs. Another health tip to support energy levels and boost immunity is Spirulina. The protein, iron, vitamin B12, and other antioxidants in spirulina are great nutrients to help keep you healthy and energetic.

Just in case the summer break gets a bit busy, don’t forget our value pack, Rest and Restore, to help offset tiredness and get back to those optimum sleep patterns.