The Plug’s Guide to Staying Healthy This Summer

When summertime hits, many people take the opportunity to chill out by perhaps taking a long-awaited vacation or lying beside the pool with a mocktail in hand. Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? While summer can bring along plenty of fun, it can also lead to healthy habits slipping away. Now, it’s definitely okay to treat yourself! There’s no need to be too strict with your diet or routine all summer. But it helps to keep yourself in check, right? So let’s dig into The Plug’s guide to staying healthy (and happy) this season.

Fall in Love with Hydration

Dehydration is no joke. If you’re spending hours outside sweating without replenishing, you can become dehydrated. We need water for our bodies to function properly, which is why you feel weak or dizzy when you are dehydrated (1). If we don’t take in as much water as we expel (through essential functions such as breathing, sweating, and urinating), then dehydration starts to hit (1). Early symptoms may seem bearable, but prolonged dehydration can lead to serious issues like heatstroke, seizures, and kidney failure (1). So how can you remedy this? Bring a water bottle (or The Plug Drink!) with you everywhere so that you can quench your thirst whenever you need to. Even if you’re at home all day with the air conditioner blowing, you still need to refill your bottle or glass. You can also up your water intake by eating certain foods – fruits and vegetables such as apples, zucchini, celery, and lettuce have high water content (2).

Control Your Portion Intake

When on vacation, you might want to treat yourself by going out to eat – but not every restaurant has the healthiest options. And even if they do, you might not be in the mood for such options! The important thing is to try to stay balanced during your vacay. If you consume some “junk” foods, then follow up with more healthier options! Here are some tips to help you out while scanning over the menu:

● Swap out fried foods for grilled foods

● Order a smaller portion (or save part of your regular-sized portion for leftovers)

● Have a salad, vegetables, or fruit as your side

● Drink water instead of soda or an alcoholic beverage

Stay Active

Another way to balance out what you eat is by working out. Though the gym is always a suitable option, don’t forget that summer is the best time to play outdoor sports! Golfing, tennis, and volleyball are great options for fun in the sun. If you prefer being in the water, swimming is an obvious choice, but don’t forget about kayaking, canoeing, and surfing! If you’re just not an athletic person, taking a walk, though simple, is still beneficial. Walking can improve your heart and lung health as well as help you lose weight, manage health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, and gain stronger bones and muscles (3). These more substantial benefits come from a brisk walk – one you would take outside, perhaps while walking a dog. If you’re on vacation though, walking at malls, amusement parks, and museums is still a way to get those steps in!

Keep Away From Those Rays

Don’t forget about sunscreen! Many people dislike sunscreen due to its smell or appearance, but it’s 2025 – there are tons of formulas at different price points that don’t leave a white cast or smell like the typical sunscreen you grew up with. Rather than dealing with sunburn or worrying about skin cancer and premature aging, taking the time to apply and blend in your sunscreen is time well spent. More than 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every day (4), so don’t become another statistic! Start making sunscreen a part of your routine so that you don’t catch the sun’s dangerous rays – you won’t regret it!

Hopefully our guide will help you have a healthy summer! We want you to stay safe out there, PlugFAM, but don’t feel too pressured to follow these tips to a T. It’s normal to slip up or treat yourself to that all-you-can-eat buffet. We just want you to be aware of some ways to improve your health, even just a little bit! So have a great summer, PlugFAM – and don’t forget to bring along your liver’s sidekick!

Bibliography 

1. WebMD Editorial Contributor. Dehydration: Signs, Symptoms, and Effects [Internet]. WebMD. Updated 2023 Aug 17. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults

2. WebMD Editorial Contributor. Foods High in Water [Internet]. WebMD. Updated 2024 Sept 23. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-water

3. Walking for good health [Internet]. Better Health Channel | Victoria State Government Department of Health. Updated 2023 Feb 20. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/walking-for-good-health

4. Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics [Internet]. The Skin Cancer Foundation. Updated 2025 Jan. Available from: https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/