Healthier Lifestyle Tips

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You know your health is important, but as life goes by, you’ll often find that you get busy and don’t always give it the attention it deserves. During the winter months, you’ll often want to hibernate and not really focus on anything that means you have to get out of your comfort zone.

However, when the summer comes around, you don’t really have an excuse. Plus, during these gorgeous warm months, you’ll want to feel your best. Because if you’re really going to be able to relax this summer, you need to be happy and healthy. If you know that you’re not feeling your best right now, it’s time to change that. But how?

Right now, you may not want to undergo any extensive operations and drastically change your lifestyle. Because it’s the summer and you want to be able to enjoy it. But at the same time, you do need to make sure that you’re doing what you can to look and feel good.

The best news is that there are plenty of measures that you can take to make this happen. From some really simple steps and lifestyle switches to a few more interesting ones, let’s take a look at what you can do to feel healthier throughout the summer. Here are ten reasons that you should make more time for your health this summer:

1. Digestive Health

Gut health is something that we tend to ignore or write off as a luxury, and not a necessity. But so many of us are eating foods that cause our digestive system to struggle – and you feel absolutely awful (unnecessary) as a result. Yes, this is where bloating, stomach pains, and excess gas can come from.

This summer, you’re going to want to be a bit kinder to your gut. Taking prebiotics can help you with this. These will feed the probiotics that are in your gut already and help them to grow.

At some point, you may need to see a gastroenterologist. These are medical professionals that focus on your digestive health.

The key to this is knowing when you need to see them. You’ll need to keep multiple things in mind before deciding.

If you experience certain symptoms, then you’ll need to see a doctor. Some of the more notable of these are:

• Leakage
• Rectal Bleeding
• Pale-Colored Stools
• Dark Urine
• Abdominal Pain
• Loss Of Appetite or Pain

If these issues persist, seeing a medical professional quickly is recommended. Outside of these, there shouldn’t be much to worry about. You mightn’t need to see a medical professional.

If you’re worried about anything, however, it could be worth speaking with them.

2. Radiant Skin

Another big concern for many of us during the summer months is radiant skin and healthier skin overall. Thankfully for us all, the sun does tend to help most skin issues clear up. But at the same time, you do need to ensure that you’re working to protect your skin from the sun.

Sun damage can happen even when the sun isn’t at its strongest. So you do need to be wearing an SPF 50 on your face as a minimum to stay healthy.

3. Joint Care

From here, you’ve then got joint care to be thinking about. You may find that any joint pain you have gets worse in the summer. This is because your body can be more dehydrated, which can lead to an increase in inflammation of the joints.

So for the summer, make sure you look into arthritis help and joint support. Support products and supplements can help you here, along with increasing your hydration levels.

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4. Healthy Hair

Alongside skin, another beauty factor that we all want to take care of in the summer is healthier hair. The sun can dry out your hair as well as your skin, so you have to work to keep it hydrated. Make sure that you’re using a deep conditioner weekly and increase the number of healthy fats, such as salmon and avocado, that you eat to bring back the shine in your locks.

5. Bright Eyes

Eye health is another thing that we tend to overlook. But during the summer, you could be exposed to more damage than you think. UVA and UVB rays can harm your retinas. So your sunglasses shouldn’t just be an accessory this summer, but health support.

6. Heart Health

A huge concern for most of us should be our hearts. It’s such a vital organ, yet the one we tend to do the most damage to with our lifestyle choices.

So, you’re going to want to ensure that you’re working on some heart-friendly exercises that can keep you in shape this summer. At a minimum, just make sure that you’re trying to walk a lot more than usual, as this will work wonders for your mind, your body, and your heart health this summer.

7. Allergy Control

If you are someone that suffers from summer allergies, you’ll want to start putting some preparations in place now. Because you won’t want these to rule your life. Speak to your doctor and get some extra medication so you can keep your symptoms at bay and actually enjoy your summer!

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8. Weight Control

If you know that you’re currently in an unhealthy weight range, you’re going to want to think about turning that around. And summer is a great time to start.

If you are going to be walking more, then you may find that you’re happy to add a little something extra like cycling or even a fun workout class. You want to look and feel your best this summer, so start taking control of your weight today and you will feel much better for it.

9. Mental Health

Do you ever make time to care for your mental health? If you don’t, then this is something that you need to start thinking about. Because your mental health is just as important as your physical health. And it’s something that we just don’t talk enough about.

This summer, think about the little steps you can take to boost your mental health. You will find that you feel much happier in yourself when you do.

10. Emotional Wellbeing

Finally, as a step from that, you really need to make sure that you’re looking after your emotional wellbeing. And to do that, you have to make yourself a priority. If you need to slow down and de-stress, then do it. Because to enjoy the summer, you have to be in the best position possible.

Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Something awkward happens to you, and suddenly you find your cheeks turning bright red. How much you wish you could vanish from the spot! You feel everybody’s eyes on you. It hurts as if they were burning tiny holes in your skin just by looking at you. If only people could stop looking! If only nothing has happened! If only nobody had noticed! The French have a saying that says, roughly translated, that with enough “ifs” you could put Paris in a bottle. In other words, it’s time to break away from the damaging and self-hurting cycle of “ifs.” You can’t undo what’s already done or said, but you can undoubtedly manage how you respond to it. And as the French put it, there’s no point getting hung up on the ifs of a situation. Take concrete actions to stop it from affecting you – besides there is no if on earth that can cure embarrassment!

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You are your worst enemy

You’re familiar with the little voice at the back of your mind that criticizes you when you least expect it. From saying you feel fat to worrying that a piece of clothing was not made for your body type, you’re letting the little voice inside body-shame you. Unfortunately, everybody has an inner critic – and more often than not, it’s a harsh and heartless critic too! As a result, you might also accidentally say something hurtful to others too, if you apply the same expectations of perfection to them than you do to yourself. But, more importantly, you are bringing yourself down repeatedly, questioning your appearance – weight is a major source of worry for most people, which is why it also becomes the most common cause of embarrassment. But if you want to break free from the embarrassment cycle, you need to stop the voice inside your head from criticizing yourself.

You slipped and fell in public

Everything was fine until you slipped on a wet patch in the shopping mall and fell in front of everyone. You tried to ignore the physical pain you’ve sustained to get up and hide. You felt like everyone was laughing at you. In reality, most people would have probably been caught by surprise and wanted to check that you were okay. More importantly, you shouldn’t blame yourself for the incident. A slippery surface is the responsibility of the management team, and personal injury lawyers can help with the situation. You should never feel too ashamed to ask for help, especially when there was nothing you could have done to prevent the incident. Don’t feel embarrassed; it wasn’t your fault!

Understand what is driving other people’s criticism

Sometimes, people say hurtful things that make you feel ashamed of who you are. But don’t let their words affect your mood without understanding their underlying message. You’ll be surprised to know that some people can be harsh without even realizing it. Indeed, emotional intelligence and soft communication are not skills that everybody has mastered! Maybe they were trying to help you and didn’t express themselves adequately! Another typical situation is when someone feels threatened by you. They try to hurt you intentionally. Accepting the shame means you let them win!

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You’re not perfect. Nobody is

Guess what? You are flawed. If you’ve been worried about your body, your skills or even your personality, you need to face the truth: Some parts of you are not as perfect as you wish they were. But nobody is perfect. We all have quirks we would rather erase forever. However, it’s a good thing because your imperfections make you precisely who you are. You can work and improve some elements – such as boosting your skills or even trying to keep your cool in stressful situations. But for most parts, you are stuck with who you are. And there’s nothing to be ashamed about. Perfection would be dull!

What’s behind your embarrassment?

Embarrassment is a powerful sensation that can only be explained by a split of personality. Indeed, there is the part of you who has a vision about who you should be, and then there is your true self. When the vision doesn’t align with reality, you experience embarrassment. At its core, it’s a useful feeling as it can stop you from doing something that goes against your values. But most of the time, it’s a painful reminder that you can’t and shouldn’t be both the actor and the judge in the scenes of your life.

Oh no, what have I just done? Everybody knows the feeling, accompanied by a facepalm gesture. But, in truth, embarrassment is the result of a flawed behavior, either because you have impossibly high expectations on yourself or because you feel guilty for the things that were done or said to you. Breaking free from this handicapping emotion is about understanding where it comes from and how to react.

We’re all trying to improve our lifestyles on a continuous basis. If there’s a meaning to life then it’s probably something to do with being healthy and happy, so your goals should revolve around pursuing a better state of physical and mental wellbeing. If you want to make an improvement to your daily routine then these are the aspects of your lifestyle you should aim to improve.

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Your diet.

When it comes to following a healthy diet that’ll benefit your lifestyle in the long run, the most important thing to remember is that fad diets will not help you. Not only are they incredibly unhealthy for you in the sense that they lack the nutrition your body needs but short-term diets will only give you short-term results with regards to weight loss. If you want to improve your weight and overall health in the long-term then you need a long-term diet. It’s as simple as that. You should aim for healthy sustenance, even if it means you achieve your weight loss goal more slowly; you’ll be able to maintain that healthy weight permanently.

Plant-based food is always worth including in your diet. It’s all about eating natural food that lacks excessive processing and still contains plenty of nutritional goodness as a result of that. So much food in the modern world is heavily manufactured and severely lacking in the nutrition our bodies need whilst still being overloaded in terms of calories, salt, added sugars, and so on. If you really want to improve this aspect of your lifestyle then you should try to make your meals as organic as possible.

Your career.

You might also want to improve your career. After all, a job shouldn’t just pay the bills; it should be fulfilling on a personal level. Obviously, you still want a job that affords you the necessities in life, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise in terms of career satisfaction. You should search for opportunities that will give you financial stability whilst appealing to your character traits. If you’re a social individual then you might want a career in sales, for example. If you’re a caring individual then you might want a career involving charity work or perhaps even something in the healthcare industry. You could consider this midwifery program. That would give you the qualifications necessary to have a successful career.

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Your house.

A house is more than four walls and a roof to keep you sheltered; it’s a place that you should be able to call home. You shouldn’t feel as if you simply make do with the appearance and feel of your humble abode. It should make you healthy and happy. It’s a part of your daily routine, even if you spend a big portion of your day out at work. You should be able to come home to a pleasant and inviting place. Start off by creating an inviting entrance. You could repaint your front door in a bold and inviting color. Maybe you could even hang some flower baskets on either side of the door to create a natural, vibrant, and welcoming entrance to your humble abode.

When it comes to taboo terms, there are few that spark more controversy than the term plus-size. And I should know. I’ve spent half my life as an overweight person.

During that time, I rarely ever felt like I was beautiful. And it was hard to see myself as attractive when the media bombarded me with images of thin women all the time. It was hard for me to accept how I looked when I was constantly pressured into going on diets to lose weight.

I understood that some people actually meant well when they kept encouraging me to shed a few pounds. But deep down, their advice actually stung and was part of the fat shaming movement.

Being told that I should take consume smaller portions of food when I was already starving my body on crash diets, or having people assume that I was incapable of doing certain things because of my weight was not only rude, but it also took a huge toll on my self-esteem.

What hurt, even more, was how others, including my own friends, would use the word fat like it was an insult. To the point where I started to believe that I looked unattractive because of my size.

Including the morning of my freshman year homecoming dance. That morning, after carrying my homecoming dress with me to school, to change into after theatre rehearsal, I was informed by a friend that I was too big to wear a cocktail dress. That I should stick to my school uniform instead. That I would look better that way. More normal, she said.

At that moment, I clutched my garment bag in horror. A dress my grandmother worked long and hard to provide had become my own personal horror. Because right then and there, was the first time I had been fat shamed.

I stood idly by while a group of young girls laughed in my face all because of my beautiful chocolate velvet frock. A dress I had so proudly chosen to wear at my first formal dance.

Because I wore a size 8, and she wore a size 0.

That night, I didn’t go to my homecoming dance. Or play rehearsal. I instead went home and studied and had my grandmother return my dress. And the funds from that dress? Well, my grandmother used that money to buy me my first SAT prep guide. A guide I used to gain early college acceptance. And that friend? Thanks to Facebook, I know she neither attended college nor stayed a size 0.

Worse still, I wasn’t alone. A new study found that 94% of teenage girls have been body shamed and 64 percent of teenage boys have been shamed for the way their body looks. And that 90% of adult women feel they have been shamed as adults by co-workers, friends, family, or online friends and colleagues.

Negative, critical, or humiliating comments about the personal appearance that can take a lifetime to shake.

Thankfully for me, through maturity and time, my teenage years spent in shame were over. And I eventually moved unto the realization that someone’s size does not measure their beauty nor their worth. I learned that, in spite of what society may think, you can be both fat and fabulous.

Now, if you’ve ever offended a fat person with a rude comment, then chances are, you probably don’t understand why your well-intended suggestions are actually hurtful. So please do take a look at these 11 phrases you probably didn’t realize are fat shaming:

“I feel so fat.”

I hear this phrase a lot. A saying that is more harmful and offensive than it actually sounds. Saying that you feel fat communicates that you see actually being fat as an insult. And you’ll have the added bonus of coming off as a pretentious, attention seeker who’s looking for sympathy and extra compliments.

What you actually mean is: I’ve just consumed a large meal. Instead of admitting I’m bloated, I’ll insinuate that others in my vicinity are fat instead.

Just because you suddenly feel like you’ve gained a bit of weight, don’t use the word fat like it’s an insult. Internalize those feelings next time sweetie, okay?

“You’re really pretty for a plus-sized girl.”

By telling someone that they’re pretty for a plus-sized or fat girl, you’re telling them that their size gives them a disadvantage in life. That their accomplishments pale in comparison to the superficiality of life. All because all plus-sized girls are generally not beautiful. Which is nothing short of insulting?

Don’t even question your comments. You were rude. Plain and simple.

“Stop saying you’re fat, you’re actually pretty”

Again, fat is not a synonym for ugly or unattractive. If a person is feeling bigger than usual, because they have gained a few pounds, saying something like this will only reinforce the idea that being fat is not beautiful. Instead, offer your friend words of encouragement. Be a workout buddy. Anything but a passive-aggressive friend.

”Are you really going to eat that much?”

Followed by, “Do you really want to eat that?” And ending with “Do you really need to eat that bread?”

Just so you know, this is just beyond rude. If you say this to anyone, plus-size or otherwise, you’re not being helpful nor considerate. You’re being sizeist.

If a girl wants to eat a big portion of food, it’s because she’s hungry. Focus on your own plate. Be grateful you have the opportunity to nourish your body. No one should have to starve themselves thin in order to impress others. Not even for you.

And remember, don’t be rude, cheap, and callous. Tip you’re the server 20 percent.

“You’re going to have health issues.”

Unless someone actually tells you that they have a medical condition, don’t assume that they have one because of their size. Contrary to public opinion, many plus-sized people are healthier than skinny people. In fact, some plus-size people have lower glucose levels, cholesterol levels, and may even be able to outrun you in distance events. Never assume that a person’s weight is just some unfortunate side effect of a medical issue. After all, what did you latest blood panel look like?

“Did you lose some weight? You look SO much better!”

What you’re actually saying is this: You looked so much uglier when you were fat. You know, the last time I deemed you worthy of my presence.

This is beyond offensive. Even if the person means well and they’re trying to praise someone for their progress, it’s insulting. What should be said instead: “You look beautiful. And I’m glad to see you.” No more. No less. Regardless of their size.

“I don’t think that item was made for your body type.”

Its bad enough of the size bias that many clothing chains indulge in. But should it really come from friends and loved ones too? Plus-sized can break fashion rules, be notorious, and still look fabulous.

”Are you sure you can handle that?”

Plus-size girls can be active. They are also capable of doing the same activities that thin girls can do. Perhaps even better than you.

“How did you get so fat?”

This overreaction speaks to the very entitlement people have because accustomed to in our society. So your loved one gained a couple of extra pounds? Who are you to cast disparaging comments against anyone else? It’s not like the person suddenly morphed into an enormous time traveling t-rex. You know, big body, little hands, no thumbs. Now that would be cause for concern.

“You’re weight is actually a big turnoff.”

When you say something like this, you’re basically telling larger women that they are undesirable because of their weight. Leveraging their disposition, personality, and self-worth against your feeble opinion.

People should not be defined by their weight. They should be defined by the context of their character. Especially for those who value looks over a person’s disposition in life.

Just so you know, you’ve actually done big girls of the world a solid here. We’re all better off not dating you. Kudos.

“Do I look fat?”

It’s the first question that most people ask when they try on something new, because “Do I look fat?” continues to be used as an insult. When it could not anything farther from the truth. So instead of asking others if you look fat, ask how does this make me look. Super simple. No self-deprecating comments needed.

So, I’ve said all that to say this: I’ve also known what it was to be victimized because of my weight. I also know what its like to feel loved. By myself. Not in spite of my weight but because of it.

Today, I believe in a more radical form of self-love. Reality. I believe in being healthy to the point I have energy and feel great about myself. I don’t feel the need to ask others how I look and find that their approval is unnecessary. I don’t judge others weight based on how I secretly hate myself. Nor am I afraid to admit that I am plus-size. And I encourage you to do the same.

Body positive starts from within.

Now I want to ask, have you been the target of size bias? Or have you been the one to consciously or otherwise say one of the above comments to others? I want to hear your stories.