better
Summer’s Seven
These warm -weather tips will have you breezing
through the season in full health.
A S SPRIN G TU R N S
to hotter and hotter
days, your activities will naturally change, too.
You’ll be outside more, take a vacation, and maybe
make that family reunion. And with kids out of
school and schedules in flux, you’re tempted to
eat less healthfully and abandon routines. Here
for the USDA. Groceries left in a car w hile you
run other errands can become unsafe before you
get home. I f you travel more than an hour to a
picnic or plan some running around after
grocery shopping, bring along a cooler w ith ice
or gel packs and fill it w ith the perishables.
are seven healthy habits to enjoy in the sunshine
this summer while keeping fit and staying safe.
KEEP A SLEEP SCHEDULE
I t ’s light later, and staying up late w ith the
lengthening days can knock you out o f your
delicate sleep routine. M aintain regular sleep
and wake-up times, and keep naps short, says
Dr. Robert Aronson, medical director o f the
Cardinal Sleep Disorders Centers o f America in
Joliet, Illinois. Your body norm ally wants a little
siesta on w arm afternoons. So take one (ideally
in a hammock w ith a straw hat over your face).
Just keep it between 10 and 20 minutes.
PUT FOOD ON THE CLOCK
W hen food is at temperatures above 40 degrees
Fahrenheit, bacteria that cause foodborne illness
can m ultiply quickly. Above 90 degrees (such as
the inside o f a closed car on a hot summer day),
food can become dangerous after an hour, says
M aribel Alonso, technical inform ation specialist
VEGGIE-PACK VACATION MENUS
Road food is usually fatty food, and w ell-
meaning relatives love to pack you fu ll o f fried
chicken at fam ily reunions. We’re not suggesting
you necessarily stick w ith a strict diet w hile
you’re vacationing (hey, it is a vacation after all).
Instead, start meals w ith a big salad or a large
helping of broccoli, w hich w ill help you eat less
of the calorie-packed stuff w ithout feeling
deprived, says Marisa Moore, a registered
dietitian based in Atlanta and
spokesperson for the
American Dietetic
Association. Add lean
protein to further satisfy
your appetite.
PHOTO: VEER
