Summer is right around the corner and there's a little prepping to do! Thinking of hitting the beach? Looking for a great summer read? Planning a weekend getaway or vacation? Here are four simple ways to have your body and mind ready for summer!
Upgrade your eating habits
Let me be clear, I'm NOT talking about starting a diet. You can upgrade your eating habits by cutting down on carbs, sugars, and increasing your water and veggie intake. Simple changes that will make a huge difference in your energy levels and maybe even your weight. I recently interviewed Dr. Ian Smith on my CHATSwithGiGi podcast. You probably know him from his role as one of the hosts of the Emmy-winning daytime talk show The Doctors, and as the current co-host of The Rachael Ray Show. In his new book The Clean 20 he lists 20 foods that will get your body to slim down, your metabolism to speed up, and your energy levels to increase. I read the book myself and loved how simple and straightforward the plan is. Check out the interview here.
Get Moving
Let's be honest, looking and feeling sexy is always a plus, especially during summer! But while I believe that your best bikini body is the one you have right now and love - imperfections and all- the truth is that hitting the gym is a must for your health and health is more important than how great your butt looks in shorts. Hate the gym? No worries. Me too actually. But there are plenty of other options from free work out apps to YouTube channels that will get you moving at home. Remember, you only have that one body to live in for the rest of your life. Make it as comfortable and strong as you can. Here is one of my favorite free YouTube workout options. It's only 20min a day, there are tons of options, and if yoga isn't your thing you can search for dancing workouts, circuit cardio, or even speedy workouts like this 7 min one.
Look After Your Skin
Water and sweat are your skin's best friends! So by putting the first two options into play you're already helping improve the appearance of your skin. Working out and sweating get your pores to open up and release build up. Water purifies everything and helps rid the skin of toxins. Next? Sunblock and moisturizer! Even if you're not planning on spending a full day outdoors you should still wear sunblock every day to protect your skin from aging prematurely, sun spots, and even skin cancer. When it comes to moisturizer this was a trial and error process for me. Many clogged my pores and others felt too greasy. Get online and read some reviews. Visit your dermatologist and get his/her suggestions based on your skin type. Ask a friend. Just don't go without it! Here's a start on that research.
Get your head right
Beautiful skin and a healthy body don't mean much if your mind is all over the place. For some of us summer time often comes with extra activities and keeping up can be stressful. For others summer is about relaxing and slowing down. Either way, getting in touch with your thoughts and mind is always a plus. Ready for this? I challenge you to try meditation. I know what you're thinking, "There's no way I can sit still that long!" I get it. I didn't think I could either. Truth is, I still can't sit that long. But doing even a few minutes at a time makes a huge difference in my day. If you have an Alexa at home, install the My Morning skill. In about 5minutes it takes you through a series of steps that help you kick off the day positively and with one minute of meditation. If you feel up to a more intense (and even more gratifying) challenge try the Headspace app. This one I absolutely love and it's actually what taught me the benefits of meditation and got me totally hooked. Trust me, if I can do this, you definitely can.
EXTRA BOOST
I know, I know. I said just four tips. But I can't help it! This is a really really good one too! It's not really a tip, it's a book suggestion! I enjoyed this as an audiobook and highly recommend it to absolutely everyone. It's 10% Happier How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works-A True Story by Dan Harris. Whether you go for the audiobook or the hardcover you'll enjoy this read! The title of the book is pretty self explanatory so I'm not going to break it down for you. I can tell you that as soon as I read it I had to get Dan on my podcast to talk about his second book 10% Happier: Meditation for the Fidgety Skeptics; also an awesome read and more of a manual to help fidgety skeptics get started with meditation. Chatting with him about his experience with meditation after a nationally televised panic attack, dealing with drug abuse and PTSD, was a blast. You can check out the episode here!
Now that you have my four tips and a bonus read to get ready for summer, how about you share some of your summer ready tips with me?