These 7 things are on repeat for me this Summer.
1. Basil seeds. These tiny little black seeds look just like chia seeds and can be turned into a pudding just like chia seed pudding. They can also be sprinkled on everything from yogurt, to oatmeal, to fruit salad, to cottage cheese to desserts. What I love about them is that they have 15g of fiber per serving (which is 2 T), 5g of protein and are a good source of omega 3s. Yes please! With most people coming in way under the minimum recommendation of 25g of fiber daily for women, this helps me reach that goal very easily.
2. Lumebox. I love using this thing year-round but there are certain benefits specific to Summertime. For one, it helps prepare my skin to be out in the sun and reduces sunburns. Also, using it after sun exposure helps my skin to heal any damage. It's great to speed recovery and healing time on things like mosquito bites and because of the way it improves at the level of the mitochondria, it helps with things like blood sugar management and metabolic rate -- things I'm mindful of in all seasons, but Summer is no different. Also, if your daughter stubs here toe on a lounge chair by the pool and it's suspected broken, the lumebox can be used to speed up healing then, too. ;-) This link gets you a STEEP discount that will show up once you go to check out. Enjoy!
3. Vitamin C. I mix 1 tsp into 1 cup of filtered water and add to a spray bottle. We use on our skin after pool use but before showering to help neutralize the detrimental effects of the chlorine.
4. Active skin repair. My sweet sweet mama had brain surgery to remove a tumor exactly one week ago and I've been spending lots of time in the hospital. If you know me, you know I do not use hand sanitizer. Instead, I prefer to wash my hands with soap and water. Active skin repair is great to keep in my purse for cuts, scrapes, rashes, sunburn but I will also use in place of hand sanitizer when necessary as it can help kill germs without disrupting the skin microbiome.
5. Reusable water balloons. This isn't really a health thing unless having something on hand that might entertain your kids while they get their sunshine, grounding, sensory play and exercise and while you get some in work (or relaxation or play with them) counts. We purchased these for our kiddos' last day of school and surprised them with a celebratory water balloon fight. They've been used many times since!
6. I own this bathing suit in 3 colors / patterns and rotate. They are inexpensive, cute and stay in place (except for certain diving board shenanigans). Anytime I share a cold plunge video or something wearing one, I get DMs asking where I got it, so here it is. :-)
7. I own this hat in 4 colors / patterns and practically live in them in the Summer. Again, inexpensive, cute. I wear the heck out of them with intense workouts, beach, pool, bike rides, boating, top down on Jeep, etc. and they've all held up so far! I love that I get some sun protection on my face and that I can have a high or low ponytail or bun with it on.
These 7 things are each, in their own little way, making my Summer easier / healthier. Hope your Summer so far has been exactly what you are needing it to be. <3
XO,
Tara
P.S. The waitlist for the September round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind is open. It's for those with fat loss, muscle-building, or "toning up" goals who want to achieve those goals without dieting and while focusing on cutting-edge health optimization at the same time. Hop on it if you want to stay in-the-know and receive a discount code when the cart opens. Get ready -- we do things in a wildly different way!