Summertime Nutrition Tips
Summertime, and the living is easy -- that is, until you notice the havoc all that fun in the sun has wrought on
your body. Fortunately, summer also brings an abundance of tasty and nutritious foods, including berries
(loaded with antioxidants), tomatoes, sweet bell peppers (good vitamin C source), and protein-filled grilled
fish and burgers. And by simply choosing the right ones to add to your daily diet, you can help prevent or alleviate the following common hot-weather woes:
Dry or Damaged Skin
What causes it: You sweat more in the summer, so skin is less supple; plus, saltwater and chlorine have a drying effect. Sunburns and bug bites are also
saboteurs of healthy skin.
What to eat: Help heal weathered skin with foods like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, which are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Protein, in the
form of lean meats, beans, nuts, and seeds, is also key. Keep dryness at bay by drinking lots of water, women should drink 92 ounces (8-10 cups) of water
in the summer and men 125 ounces to prevent dehydration. Since calcium can also be lost through sweating, it's a
good idea to replace it by eating low-fat dairy products like skim milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
Yeast Infections
What causes them: Sitting around in a wet bathing suit provides a perfect environment for yeast overgrowth.
What to eat: To make conditions less hospitable for yeast to take hold in the first place, cut back on sugary foods.
Damaged Hair
What causes it: Overexposure to sun, saltwater, and chlorine.
What to eat: Toss some burgers or shrimp kabobs on the grill, or make a three-bean salad or other protein-rich meal because hair consists
of protein fibers called keratin. Eating foods rich in vitamin B-5 (found in yogurt and California Avocadoes), vitamin B-8 (in liver and cooked eggs), folic acid
(in fortified cereals and beans), calcium (in milk and yogurt), and zinc (in meat and fish) can reduce hair loss and replace dull hair with shiny hair. Theses
nutrients also play a role in maintaining healthy skin.
Hair Care
Riding the newest wave in summer hair care are sprays, shampoos, and conditioners that contain UV filters -- perfect for the summer months.
With sun damage and exposure, hair can become more brittle. It can also become discolored with chlorine, especially for those who color their hair. There
are extra-strong products to remove chlorine and re-moisturize the hair and protect it from breaking, which may be worth it.
Parsol SLX is a silicone-based product. It is purported to fight the harsh effects of UV rays that can cause color to fade and hair to break. At the same time, it
conditions and moisturizes hair. Look for it to appear in more and more products.
Also, leave-in conditioner or styling creams are useful even if you haven't shampooed your hair. They provide extra moisturizing after you've spent a day in
the summer sun. Above all, don't forget to wear a hat. They also protect the face from the sun. Find one you like that fits your face and wear it.
Cold Sores
What causes them: Sun exposure can trigger cold sores in people who are prone to them.
What to eat: The amino acid L-lysine has been shown in some small studies to help, but larger studies are needed to confirm these findings. A deficiency in
B vitamins and riboflavin can make you usceptible to cold sores. Try eating fortified cereals and bread or taking a B-complex vitamin.
Sunless Tanning Lotions
Achieving that bronze-kissed look without ever stepping foot on the beach has never been easier. And sunless tans will be hotter than ever this year with all
sorts of streak-proof varieties, including a do-it-yourself airbrush tanning kit, readily available.
Here's how sunless tanners work. The active ingredient is typically dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts with amino acids on the
outermost top layer of the skin to produce a tan color without the sun. Look for DHA on the label.
DHA and the "tan" you get from it do not offer any protection from the sun.
While sunless tanners like sun-screens come in many varieties, gels are drying, so choose lotions or sprays because they go on easier.
Airbrush tanning consists of spraying the DHA solution on with a spray gun. It is actually very reliable and you get good results and not much in the way of
streaking. You can do it in a spa or purchase an at-home kit.
Regardless of which type of self-tanner you choose, you have to find the right one for your skin type. A self-tan that may be great on one person makes
someone else look orange. "Do a small area first before you commit and try not to experiment before a major social event."
Remember that "it's trial and error and really a question of finding the right one for your skin. Then you can go as dark as you want by repeated
applications."
Summertime, and the living is easy -- that is, until you notice the havoc all that fun in the sun has wrought on
your body. Fortunately, summer also brings an abundance of tasty and nutritious foods, including berries
(loaded with antioxidants), tomatoes, sweet bell peppers (good vitamin C source), and protein-filled grilled
fish and burgers. And by simply choosing the right ones to add to your daily diet, you can help prevent or alleviate the following common hot-weather woes:
Dry or Damaged Skin
What causes it: You sweat more in the summer, so skin is less supple; plus, saltwater and chlorine have a drying effect. Sunburns and bug bites are also
saboteurs of healthy skin.
What to eat: Help heal weathered skin with foods like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, which are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Protein, in the
form of lean meats, beans, nuts, and seeds, is also key. Keep dryness at bay by drinking lots of water, women should drink 92 ounces (8-10 cups) of water
in the summer and men 125 ounces to prevent dehydration. Since calcium can also be lost through sweating, it's a
good idea to replace it by eating low-fat dairy products like skim milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
Yeast Infections
What causes them: Sitting around in a wet bathing suit provides a perfect environment for yeast overgrowth.
What to eat: To make conditions less hospitable for yeast to take hold in the first place, cut back on sugary foods.
Damaged Hair
What causes it: Overexposure to sun, saltwater, and chlorine.
What to eat: Toss some burgers or shrimp kabobs on the grill, or make a three-bean salad or other protein-rich meal because hair consists
of protein fibers called keratin. Eating foods rich in vitamin B-5 (found in yogurt and California Avocadoes), vitamin B-8 (in liver and cooked eggs), folic acid
(in fortified cereals and beans), calcium (in milk and yogurt), and zinc (in meat and fish) can reduce hair loss and replace dull hair with shiny hair. Theses
nutrients also play a role in maintaining healthy skin.
Hair Care
Riding the newest wave in summer hair care are sprays, shampoos, and conditioners that contain UV filters -- perfect for the summer months.
With sun damage and exposure, hair can become more brittle. It can also become discolored with chlorine, especially for those who color their hair. There
are extra-strong products to remove chlorine and re-moisturize the hair and protect it from breaking, which may be worth it.
Parsol SLX is a silicone-based product. It is purported to fight the harsh effects of UV rays that can cause color to fade and hair to break. At the same time, it
conditions and moisturizes hair. Look for it to appear in more and more products.
Also, leave-in conditioner or styling creams are useful even if you haven't shampooed your hair. They provide extra moisturizing after you've spent a day in
the summer sun. Above all, don't forget to wear a hat. They also protect the face from the sun. Find one you like that fits your face and wear it.
Cold Sores
What causes them: Sun exposure can trigger cold sores in people who are prone to them.
What to eat: The amino acid L-lysine has been shown in some small studies to help, but larger studies are needed to confirm these findings. A deficiency in
B vitamins and riboflavin can make you usceptible to cold sores. Try eating fortified cereals and bread or taking a B-complex vitamin.
Sunless Tanning Lotions
Achieving that bronze-kissed look without ever stepping foot on the beach has never been easier. And sunless tans will be hotter than ever this year with all
sorts of streak-proof varieties, including a do-it-yourself airbrush tanning kit, readily available.
Here's how sunless tanners work. The active ingredient is typically dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts with amino acids on the
outermost top layer of the skin to produce a tan color without the sun. Look for DHA on the label.
DHA and the "tan" you get from it do not offer any protection from the sun.
While sunless tanners like sun-screens come in many varieties, gels are drying, so choose lotions or sprays because they go on easier.
Airbrush tanning consists of spraying the DHA solution on with a spray gun. It is actually very reliable and you get good results and not much in the way of
streaking. You can do it in a spa or purchase an at-home kit.
Regardless of which type of self-tanner you choose, you have to find the right one for your skin type. A self-tan that may be great on one person makes
someone else look orange. "Do a small area first before you commit and try not to experiment before a major social event."
Remember that "it's trial and error and really a question of finding the right one for your skin. Then you can go as dark as you want by repeated
applications."
