It’s no secret that summer’s rays, while enjoyable in the context of a pool or picnic day, are harmful and can lead to hazardous health conditions if left untreated. Sunburn and heatstroke are a serious concern for anyone planning on spending any extended amounts of time outside during the summer. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you and your family’s summer is a safe and enjoyable one:
Keep a Water Bottle Close
You never know when you might need to go outside, or how hot it will be when you do. Keeping a water bottle handy would be a great way to mitigate some of the worst concerns summer health hazards bring, namely in the form of dehydration. A few ice cubes placed in a water bottle keeps the water cool and refreshing and staves deadly heatstroke away.
Replenish Lost Nutrients
Many athletic coaches recommend Pedialite as their drink of choice, as Powerade and Gatorade, despite their commercial advertising, are little better than soda when it comes to replenishing all those electrolytes and other nutrients lost through sweating under the scorching sun. Pedialite can be bought at many groceries stores. Many CVS markets also stock it. Don’t let the name fool you– Pedialite offers lifelong uses and can mean the difference between feeling refreshed or woozy and unsteady under the wilting heat.
Fill Up on Water
The body needs water to survive. This is common sense, but the practice of actually keeping your body well-supplied with liquids is unfortunately not so common. Soda and other sugary drinks are to be avoided in excess; their sugary nature lends toward a sugar crash when combined with the heat. You do not want a sugar crash when out and about under the hot summer sun. Heatstroke is a dangerous, sometimes lethal condition, and leaves you vulnerable and defenseless, and can occur at any time you are without sufficient water and are overheated. A good way to keep your body supplied with a sufficient amount of water, even for the odd outdoors excursion, is to have an hourly swig of water– about half a water bottle’s worth should do. As an added bonus, drinking a water bottle before bed has been shown to improve weight loss!
Make Shade
How does one carry shade around, do you wonder? Well, the answer is simple– an umbrella, of course! Umbrellas are useful for more than just keeping the pouring rain off your back. A sturdy umbrella can also keep the sun’s rays off your back as well. Black umbrellas are particularly efficient at protecting your body and can block up to ninety percent of harmful UV rays. Many umbrellas come in different styles and fashions, so you can appear elegant while wielding your parasol against the blazing sun.
