* Staying Pumped – Make sure to drink at least 64 oz. of non-sugary low cal fluid (water, mineral water, flavored water, iced tea, etc.) a day so that your skin stays beautiful and so you don’t get so tired. When basking in the sun, we seem to get tired relatively quickly. This is typically due to dehydration. Lack of water can zap your energy, make you cranky, and trick you into thinking you’re hungry when you are really just thirsty. Even more significant is the huge toll it takes on aging your skin. Let us avoid all that, shall we?
* Watch Caffeine – Remember that caffeine is a diuretic, so it will suck the water out of you, tire you out, and dry your skin twice as fast, leading to extra damage; so you might want to rethink the Starbucks’ skinny latte. Just tone it down a bit and try mineral waters, water, iced teas, flavored water, and other non-sugary drinks while you take in the sun, and your body will thank you.
* Avoiding Bloating – Watch your salt and alcohol intake before you hit the sand, ladies, because both will cause you to retain water (which I heard women hate). Too much salt or alcohol can throw your weight up 2-10 lbs. for a few days, depending on the person. Please remember though that it’s just water, so do not go on some crazy crash diet to get those pounds off. Just add some potassium (for example, bananas), and your body will do the rest naturally. If faster is better, sweat it off with a workout or in a sauna; but please re-hydrate afterward, and you will be back to normal.
* Avoiding Skin Damage – Wrinkles and skin damage are inevitable if you are lapping up sunrays, but you can turn down the damage significantly by using sunscreen for the outside and anti-oxidants for the inside. A huge cause of skin cancer and wrinkles is oxidation (cellular damage) from the sunrays and from bad food, but you can really kick up your body’s defense capabilities with anti-oxidants. Most potent from strongest to weakest are Acai berries, blueberries, blackberries (all berries), dark green veggies, and green tea. There are tons more, but these are the most popular; so pack the sun screen, find your weapon, and arm yourselves, ladies.
* Avoiding Summer Weight Gain – Hot environments can make us lethargic, and they also act as an appetite suppressant. This works against you in that you might forget to eat because of the heat and end up overeating later when it gets cooler and you remember you’re starving. Heat does funny things to our eating habits, especially when there is an ice cream vendor every three steps in the summer. This scenario will tuck some weight away, so snack on cold veggies or frozen sweet berries and other fruit throughout the day to avoid this pesky problem. You’ll thank me when those heads are turning.
* Dropping a Bikini Size Quick! – Ah ha, so now we get to the good stuff: “How do I go from my one-piece and sarong to a two-piece!” Well, my dear, you don’t have to yell. In order to shape up quickly, go to my past article, “How to Drop a Dress Size in a Month the Right Way,” and to my new sizzling column this issue, “Let the Rhythm Melt the Weight Away.” The first will give you the nutritional help you seek, and the new column will make shaping up fun (yes, it can be fun—I can hear you all already). Have fun and stay posted for the upcoming Fitness Blog, where you’ll be able to ask questions and get a quick response.
* Avoiding Summer Depression – This is a new topic I’m sure you didn’t expect. The idea is to have fun and enjoy your bodies, ladies. Perfection is a white unicorn. There is no such thing as a perfect body. You ladies are beautiful in every shape and form. Please know that and smile. Who cares who’s looking at whom and what! We are all made of the same stuff, believe it or not. I am all about empowerment and self improvement, as I have personally lost 100 lbs. to shape up, but I’m still a hair shy of that coveted six-pack; but ask me if that stops me from having the time of my life, washboard abs or not. Live freely, live happily, live for none but yourself and your loved ones; and I promise you that your summer will be a million times better. A toast to golden sands, cool waters, bluer skies, calorie-free margaritas (we wish), and summer fun! Cheers!
