Healthy habits for Summer

If you’re on Nantucket in the Summertime, chances are that you’re either on vacation or working three jobs for your nest egg. No matter who you are and what you’re doing out here, it’s the island life style that makes us one and the same.  It’s officially Summertime and that means our hair gets lighter, skin gets darker, water gets warmer, drinks get colder, music gets louder, nights get longer and we find ourselves exhausted. With all the RSVPing to parties and events and dinner’s etc., staying health conscious in the Summertime can sometimes seem downright impossible, especially if you’re vacationing. If you want to relax, live it up and find some balance, continue to read on. Learn how you can subtly alter your behaviors to resonate deeply with your desire to feel grounded within the high tempo of Summer. Here are some of my tried and true tricks to stay balanced and grounded in the Summertime.

1. Living in tune with the natural rhythm of the sun and the moon. Try to wake up with the Sunrise and go to sleep with the Moon rise. This isn’t always a natural rhythm for many of us, but once you get into it, your body will adjust accordingly and before you know it, you’re living in total harmony with the sun and moon. Have you ever put a child to sleep and it’s still light outside and been a tad jealous? You can be them.

2. Regulate your body temperature by eating cooling foods. This past Spring, I participated in a three week Ayurvedic cleanse with island resident and Ayurvedic consultant, Sherri Perelman. She educated me that for the majority of people, cold, raw foods are the worst thing for digestion. In general, when you are cooking, you will want to steam or simmer foods as quickly as possible. That being said, we have finally entered the Season where salads will benefit rather than harm! Your goal is to create a cooler environment internally to balance the heat from the external environment. Go to the farmers market here on Saturdays, buy local produce and make a salad! Or better yet, dust off the ol’ juicer!

3. The yang energy of Summer is all about excitement, and exuberance and connecting with nature is one of the best things you can do to get grounded and clear. The Summertime is the perfect time to focus on change in your life, on growth and connection. Spend as much time as you can in nature, either walking in the woods, spending time on the ocean or working with the earth in your garden. Invite your bestie.

4. Here is the real gem – don’t work too hard or play too hard. The energy of Summertime is of fire, movement, expansion and for a lot of people, maximum overdrive. Everyone takes this extra burst of energy and runs with it.  Try to find balance by staying hydrated, knowing when to say no to an event that might deplete you and balance all of theses things with other relaxing activities like taking a meditative walk on the beach, taking a yoga class or resting your eyes in a hammock.

5. Lastly, and most importantly, try to limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine you put in to your body. These are both considered to be “hot-natured” foods, so with all this heat in our external environment, we don’t want to add to it. Try to stick with a cold brewski over white wine, rose over red and tequila over any other hard alcohol. Green tea over caffeine. You get the idea. Limit it to one. Okay, maybe two. Definitely not three.