Bikini weather is here and it’s time to get healthy and happy
The days are heating up and the gyms are getting packed with people trying to get their summer body. We are here to tell you that you can have fun and also look great this summer!
The best part? If you manage to stick to these healthy habits this year, then it will only get better for next summer and, in fact, your entire lifestyle will take a step in the right direction.
Of course, the first step to a healthier, happier you should be to get health insurance (which is basically affordable medical aid), especially with the holidays coming up. Because nobody wants to have to afford the high costs of medical fees on top of their holiday costs which they have been saving for months for.
Here are 7 foolproof tips for building and maintaining a healthy summer body:
1. Eat the right foods
It goes without saying that your health starts with your diet. Your diet needs to consist of lots of fruits and veggies. You should be eating 2 cups of fruit a day and 2.5 cups of veggies a day. You also need to make sure that you are getting the right amount of fats, proteins and healthy carbohydrates (fast foods are bad carbs – oats, on the other hand, are great carbs. Other bad carbs are found in refined white bread).
The amount of food you need to eat will depend on your activity levels (those who are more active will need to eat more), your age, your health (special diets for certain conditions such as diabetes) and even your gender.
Moderation is key when it comes to naughty meals. If you really want that slice of cake, then have it. Just make sure you only have one slice and maybe go for a walk afterwards to help burn off the extra calories.
2. Don’t eat too much (or too little)
The thing with junk food is that it often leaves us starving a few hours later or even 30 minutes later! Chips, burgers, and sweets are all filled with the wrong kinds of calories, and because of this, they aren’t nutritional and don’t leave us feeling full after eating them.
That’s why it is important to eat right – eating healthy foods leaves you feeling fuller for longer. But also, don’t starve yourself! If you are hungry, then eat something healthy. We have all heard of some quick weight loss diets that are sure to lower our weight in just a few weeks, if not days – but the truth to these is that they cannot be sustained.
This means that, as soon as you start eating normally again, you weight will bounce right back to what it was, if not worse. Eating too little food can slow down your metabolism (which is how quickly your body processes everything), then, when you start eating more food, your body will hold onto it as it was starving before and now wants to hold onto every crumb you swallow in an attempt of not starving again.
3. Drink enough water
This could possibly be the most important point – drink water!
Especially during summer when we are out and sweating about – you need to replace the water you lose through sweat. Drinking water also helps with your heart health as being hydrated helps the heart to pump blood more easily through the blood vessels and to the muscles. It also helps the muscles to work more efficiently.
The amount of water you should drink depends on many different factors. A useful way to test if you are drinking enough water is to pay attention to your urine colour. If your urine is light in colour, then you are drinking enough. If it is darker in colour, then you aren’t drinking enough. The average person should drink about 2 litres of water a day.
4. Exercise
The thing is, humans are not meant to be creatures who sit on their office chairs all day. The more exercise we get, the better. There are many ways you can get in more exercise such as hiking, beach runs and walks, swimming, and even playing frisbee on the beach or in the park.
You should be getting between 30 and 60 minutes of exercise every day to stay healthy. Get out in the sun and get sweating with some fun forms of exercise. Skip the lift and take the stairs. Get up and walk around every hour from your desk. Park further away from entrances – these are the sorts of things that help you to burn more calories!
5. Focus on your abs
We all want a six-pack and we all also know how hard it is to work for one. Diet plays a big role in getting a great and toned looking tummy, but so does exercise. Personal trainers recommend that you focus on your abs when performing exercises and try to keep your core tight throughout a workout, with the odd break in between.
Along with the normal exercise you do throughout the week, add in some extra core work 3-4 times per week. Having a strong core helps in the physical capabilities of your entire body, it gives you better posture and can also prevent back pain and injuries from happening.
6. Put down that beer!
Along with summer comes awesome summer braais with your mates and of course a few beers or more. The best thing you can do to get a healthy summer body is to limit your alcohol intake. Beer is also one of the most fattening drinks, alcoholic or otherwise. Try to only have one or two drinks at the next braai you go to and drink lots of water in between.
7. Get enough sleep
More than anything, your body needs about 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night. This helps the functions and workings of your entire body. So, make sure you are resting up this summer. Your body will love you for it!
Stay healthy this summer and keep it up!
Your Health Insurance Family,
Oneplan
