8 Healthy Tips for Dads & Dudes

photo courtesy of Caribbean Kayak Co.

Most parents will agree that summer vacation can be anything but relaxing. Keeping up with the demands of a busy family in the summer months can be quite a challenge. Stereotypically, the scale tends to lean towards moms when it comes to juggling summertime activities, but let's give the guys some credit. Summer can be just as exhausting for men too. In honor of National Men's Health Month, here are 8 tips to help keep the Dads and dudes in our lives happy and healthy all summer long.

1. Avoid convenience foods

Make an effort to replace processed, junk and fast foods with healthier choices. Avoid concession stands and drive-thrus and opt instead for fresh, whole foods. No time to eat before a ball game? Try arranging a "healthy tailgate" before the game. Ask each family to provide a covered dish that's fresh, not frozen or processed. Some ideas are turkey burgers, fresh fruit salad, and potato salad.

Image from Nuts.com

2. Snack wisely

Keep plenty of healthy grab-and-go foods on hand to have when you feel the urge to snack. Our friends at Nuts.com have assembled a mega list of healthy snack ideas and recipes that fit perfectly into any busy lifestyle. We especially love the pumpkin granola bar recipe.

3. Eat plenty of protein

Protein is important to help your body maintain a healthy immune system and muscles. But that doesn’t mean you must consume more red meat. For added nutrition, without the added fat and calories, choose plant based proteins. Adding a tablespoon or two of chia or flax seeds to your morning Shakeology or oatmeal is a quick and easy way to boost your protein intake. Snacking on nuts and seeds is another good source of protein.

4. Make fitness a family thing

Don’t sacrifice your own health because of your family’s busy schedule. Look for opportunities for the whole family to get fit together. Spend some time each week doing fun activities that will keep everyone active. Create a theme day like “Family Adventure Friday” and spend a few hours in the evening doing things like biking, hiking, or kayaking; or make a list of nearby state and National parks and aim to visit them all before the end of summer.

5. Stay sun protected

Over exposure to the sun can lead to sunburn, premature aging, skin damage and skin cancer. Have fun in the sun and stay protected by wearing sunscreen, a hat and UV protective sunglasses. For added protection, choose clothing that offers extra UV protection. Many popular brands like Nike and Under Armor offer UV protective golf and active wear for men, women and children.

6. Stay hydrated

Water is the single most important nutrient, yet it’s one that we often deprive ourselves of. Staying hydrated in the summer months is especially important because water carries heat away from your vital organs preventing dehydration and heat stroke. Aim to drink at least the equivalent of your body weight in ounces of water each day.

7. Avoid excessive alcohol

A beer or two at the end of a long hot day might sound refreshing, but too much can lead to serious consequences. Be especially mindful of your drinking at parties and while swimming, boating and driving. Alcohol can impair your judgement and can cause accidents to occur. Set limits and keep summer fun and safe for yourself and everyone around you.

8. Workout at home

Save time and never miss a workout by opting to exercise at home instead of the gym. Beachbody On Demand is an online fitness video streaming site dedicated to helping people get fit and stay fit whenever and wherever they choose to workout. With over 250 fitness videos to choose from, there’s something for everyone and all levels of fitness. And the great thing about B.O.D. is that it’s accessible from  most mobile devices. So, as long as you have an internet connection, you’ll have access to it 24/7 no matter where you go this summer. Think you can only get ripped by going to the gym? Think again. B.O.D. has fitness programs that will chisel your physique into a masterpiece in as little as a half and hour a day.

Make the most of it

With just 10 weeks left until Labor Day, why not make this summer the best and healthiest one yet by maximizing the fun and minimizing the risks to yourself and your health.

Brenda

I ate seaweed... and I survived!

When introduced to Beachbody fitness and nutrition programs 2 years ago, I had no idea just how much they would impact my life. Perhaps even save my life. If you're anything like me, you'll understand what I'm about to say. For too many years I selflessly put the needs of my family before my own, all the while believing that my own health would not suffer. Lack of sleep, little time to exercise, eating after the kids and running on empty is just something we moms are supposed to endure, right? Turns out it's a formula for disaster and believe me, you can take much better care of your family if you take care of yourself first.

Start by cleaning up your diet and eliminating toxins. You will be surprised by how much better you will feel when you start eating healthy and changing bad habits. Poor nutrition, stress, and toxins all around us are our kryptonite! They cause us to age way too soon and cripple us with chronic pain and illness one day at a time. No one is immune to it. But sometimes clean eating is not enough. There are still things we can't avoid like pollutants in the air, in the water that we drink and in products that we use every day? Over time, these toxins build up inside our bodies and can contribute to premature aging all kinds of health problems.

Every Body Needs a Tune Up!

Imagine what would happen if you never changed the oil and filter in your car. For a while you wouldn't notice a thing, but over time it would run less efficiently and need costly repairs. The same holds true for our health. Allow these toxins to build up in our bodies and eventually they too will cause all kinds of problems. The best way to reverse the toxic build up is from the inside out with a total body reset.

Beachbody's Ultimate Reset

The Ultimate Reset is a three-phase program designed to get people healthy on the inside, just like Beachbody's fitness programs get us fit on the outside. There's no starvation and don't worry, you won't be held up in the bathroom for days at a time. That's not what this is. It's an all natural, deep total body transformation. Not a diet. It's designed to deep clean the entire body.

I had my own reservations which is why I held off on posting about it, but today marks my half way point of the Ultimate Reset and I am more than pleased with the results so far. I'll save my review of the program until after I am finished, but I thought I would share with you some of the reasons I like the Ultimate Reset:

1. It has introduced me to some new super foods. Yep, including seaweed! I never thought I'd live to see the day when this Italian girl would eat seaweed, but I did. I've used it in sushi and added it to soups and it's not only nutritious, but delicious!
2. The program comes with a guide book that includes really easy recipes that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes! Better yet, there's a complete 21-day menu that tells you exactly what to eat each and every day. There's no guess work, all you have to do is follow the plan.
3. Online support. Beachbody has created am online portal as well as Facebook support groups for every phase of the program. If you're unsure about something, just post a question in one of the groups and you'll have an answer within minutes.
4. It's not a starvation diet. In fact, it's not a diet at all. The only thing you'll sacrifice are foods that are unhealthy and hard for our bodies to digest - sugar, processed foods, red meat, dairy and alcohol. The recipes are delicious and there's a lot of food, it's just 21 days of perfect nutrition.
5. You won't find yourself held up in the bathroom the whole time. This is an all natural, plant based program. No laxatives and unhealthy cleanses.

Do you feel tired all the time? Are your allergies out of control? Do you have chronic inflammation? How about skin and digestive problems? Can't seem to lose weight? Do you need to gain control of your health? These are all great reasons to give Beachbody's Ultimate Reset a try. Stay tuned to this blog for more updates or email me for more information:

brendalajay@gmail.com

Brenda