Menu

Celebrate Summer

July 2021 Nutrition Blog

Celebrate Summer

By - Ellen Levine, MS, RDN, EP

Most of us are happy that life seems to be almost “back to normal”. Summer is a great time to enjoy and celebrate the return to doing the things we love but have not been able to for the past year. Why not celebrate by getting outside, soak up some sun and get moving!

Did you know that just being outside, being in nature, decreases the likelihood and affects of depression and anxiety? It is true. The more time we spend outside the better our mood. Even if you cannot spend days on end outside at least make a point of spending 10, 20, 30 minutes outside every day this simple trick will make you feel refreshed and put a smile back on your face and make you more productive when you get back to work.

Responsibly expose your skin to some sun. What, really? Yes!  We must be careful of course, but if you are spending a limited amount of time daily, about 30 minutes or less in the sun, this will increase the synthesis of vitamin D3 in your body. Vitamin D deficiency has become very common because of sunblock and clothes with UV protection. These are very helpful to avoid sunburn, but they also inhibit our natural ability to create vitamin D our body’s needs for so many important functions! Talk with your healthcare professional regarding your individual needs to find out how much time you should be spending in the sun every day. An optimal level of vitamin D aids in normal hormone function, helps maintain your bone health, improves your mood, improves your heart health and decreases the risk of some cancers.

Now that we are outside and feeling good, make it even better and go for a walk, bike ride, hike, swim or anything you will enjoy. Exercise not only has all the aforementioned benefits, but also increases your metabolism, improves your muscle tone, aids in digestion, decreases inflammation – just to name a few reasons to do it! Make whatever activity you choose more fun by inviting a friend or loved one along.

Make it a priority to enjoy all the natural pleasures of the season. Take this time to celebrate summer, your body and brain will thank you for it!