Wellness Wednesday – Staying Healthy this Summer with Nurse Lauren

Get outdoors:
Sometimes there’s no better medicine than fresh air! Have to go to the store? Try taking a walk there and back. Have a dog? Stroll to the park for a round of fetch. Try to enjoy the outdoors and a little exercise! Read 12 Science-backed reasons you should spend more time outdoors from the Business Insider. (@businessinsider) The National Foundation for Cancer Research (@NFCR) outlines 5 Ways Spending More Time Outside Benefits Our Health, including lowering blood pressure, reducing stress and improving your mood.

Grab a new book:
Making a list of the hot, new book releases is the perfect addition to any summer to-do list! The satisfaction of starting a new book is a feeling like none other. Have a list of books you’ve been longing to pick up at the bookstore? Don’t wait! Pick one and kick-off the weekend with a new novel – Romance? Mystery? Biography? Which will you choose?! Need more convincing that reading is good for you? Check out Health Benefits of Reading from Piedmont Health (@PiedmontHealth) In 2016, Yale University School of Public Health (@YaleSPH) found a link between reading more books and increased longevity. Do Bookworms Live Longer? Study Links Reading More Books To Longer Lifespan.

Try a new recipe:
Ready to make real change in your diet? Tired of making the same old meals? Has meal prepping got you into a meal rut? Check out skinnytaste (@skinnytaste) for some new recipes that align with your health goals. Zucchini boats, quinoa salads, and fresh fish recipes are just a few of the calorie-friendly yet flavorful foods you’ll find while perusing the long list of mouth-watering meal ideas! Check out Harvard Medical School’s (@HarvardHealth) Home Cooking: Good for Your Health.

Stay hydrated:
Remember to drink water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (@theNASEM) determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. Factors that may effect your fluid intake are: exercise, environment / weather, your overall health, and if you are pregnant or breast feeding. How do you know if you are taking in enough water? You rarely feel thirsty and your urine is light yellow or colorless. For more information and the health benefits of drinking water read the Mayo Clinic’s (@MayoClinic) advice.

Wear sunscreen:
Everyone needs to use sunscreen. Anyone regardless to age, gender, race can get skin cancer. 1 in 5 Americans will develop some type of skin cancer in their lifetime. Wear it anytime you are going outside. Apply it generously to any skin that will be exposed to the sun. Put sunscreen on 15 minutes before you go out. You should reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating. Don’t forget your lips! Apply a lipstick or lip balm with at least SPF 30. While no sunscreen can block 100 percent of the sun’s UVB rays, dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. For more information from types, to selection, to application, check out the American Academy of Dermatology’s (@AADskin) Sunscreen FAQs.

This is Nurse Lauren, contributor of NursesNOW, signing off with your Wellness Wednesday tips. Remember that keeping active, being mindful of your overall well-being, and eating nutritious meals are vital to living a healthy lifestyle.