Summer for many people is a time of activity, movement, and nature! Activities from family reunions, late night gatherings, summer camps, to vacations can all lead to a shift in diet, lifestyle, and exercise. Often vacation or summertime becomes about being a break from regular life where you can drink alcohol all day and eat processed foods. While this is okay in the short term, we believe vacation can be used to make you feel better and thrive!
As our lives bring us to new places and different schedules our healthy habits and daily routines can be hard to stay committed to. In order to feel balanced and have energy throughout the day we need to have practices that help us maintain our routine.
Here are our tips for maintain an Ayurvedic routine:
Get Up Earlier
Try to wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal. The sun rises earlier in summer, which makes it easier and more natural for your body to do so. This extra time in the morning will allow you time to ground and give you space to choose how your day will unfold. If your days are already packed full of adventure, this extra time will provide you with some much needed time to be alone.
Drink Warm Water in the Morning
Before eating anything drink a few glasses of warm water right as you wake up. The liver detoxifies overnight, so the warm to hot water will help flush out any build up of ama (toxins) from the body. It will also help keep you more hydrated throughout the day.
Avoid Ice Water
Though ice water on a hot day sounds refreshing it can have negative effects on your body, especially if had right before a meal. Ice water freezes the digestive enzymes and fluids in your G.I tract. It disables your body from effectively digesting and assimilating any substance fully. As a result, incompletely or undigested food moves through your digestive system and may lead to elimination issues. Try to sip on luke-warm, cool, or warm water throughout the day.
Pick Your Meals Consciously
If you know you’re going to be on the go, pack healthy snacks and a reusable water bottle. This can help you go for healthier meals with more greens and less processed foods. Pick foods with color and vibrancy. Fresh fruit is a great snack! Pick fruit that is local to the area you are in. It’s okay to indulge and eat those s’mores, hot dogs, and burgers once in awhile, but make sure to balance them out with nutritional meals and vegetables.
Find Time to Move Your Body
Exercise and movement are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. This can be simple stretches and movements to yoga or jogging. In your spare time at an airport, on a long car ride, at a soccer game, or at work, try chair yoga, simple stretches, or standing up and moving every few hours. This is a great way to increase your circulation. In small moments in your day try to jog on the beach, take a morning or afternoon walk, or practice standing yoga balance poses like tree pose when waiting for something to cook.
Take Time for Self-Care
Family time or traveling isn’t always easy, so taking care of yourself and having time alone can be just what you need to stay grounded. Find time to meditate, sit in silence, and refresh yourself.
You can also try to take a bath, apply a facemask, or drink some tea and read a book. We also suggest applying oils to your body in the morning or night. Coconut oil is a great cooling oil for summer that can help you feel cool and grounded.
Your lifestyle choices affect your overall physical, mental, and emotional health. Enjoy your vacation and the summertime, but make it a time for you to thrive!