• Stay cool and hydrated. Drink water, at least two to four cups (16-32 ounces) upon rising, and similar amounts if you are going out for activities and exercise. Carry water with you in a hard plastic container (more stable polycarbonate rather than polyethylene that leaches plastic into the water). You may also use a traveling water filter. Most people need two to three quarts of liquid per day, and more in hot weather or with sweating and exercise.
    While enjoying the sun and outdoors, protect yourself from overexposure to sunlight by wearing a hat and using natural sunscreens without excessive chemicals. Carry Aloe Vera gel for overexposure and have an aloe plant growing in your home for any kind of burn. The cooling and healing gel inside the leaves will soothe any sunburn. It works great.
  • Keep up or begin an exercise program. Aerobic activity is important for keeping the heart strong and healthy. If you only work out in a health club, take some time to do outdoor refreshing activities -- hiking, biking, swimming, or tennis. Reconnecting with these activities will help keep your body and mind aligned.
  • Enjoy Nature's bounty – fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables at their organic best. Consuming foods that are cooling and light -- fresh fruits, vegetable juices, raw vital salads, and lots of water -- will nourish your body for summertime activities. Include some protein with one or two meals. There are a number of light, nourishing proteins that don't require cooking. Most of these complement fruits and vegetables nicely-- nuts, seeds, sprouted beans, soy products, yogurt and cottage cheese. Fish and poultry can also be eaten.
  • Take some special summer time with your family, kids, and friends who share the enjoyment of outdoors. Plan a fun trip if you're able and motivated for a day or longer -- hiking in the wild, camping, playing at the river, or a few days resting at the ocean. Rekindling our Earth connection has benefits that last beyond this season, continuing to enrich the whole of your life.
  • Relax and breathe. You've been working hard. This is the season to slow the pace a bit and absorb the light that stimulates your hormonal message centre. Leave your cell phone at home or take a week off from TV. In many European and Asian countries, most of the population has a month off during the summer.
  • Sun teas are wonderful. Use flowers and leaves (or tea bags) in a clear half- or one-gallon glass jar filled with spring water. Hibiscus or red clover flowers, peppermint, chamomile, or lemon grass are all good choices, or use your local herbs and flowers that you learn are safe, flavourful, and even medicinal. Leave in the sun for two hours or up to a whole day. Moon teas can also be made to enhance your lunar, dreamy side by letting your herbs steep in the cooling, mystical moonlight. Add a little orange or lemon peel, or a sprig of rosemary and a few jasmine flowers.
  • Nutritional supplements can support you with a greater amount of physical energy, enhancing your summer activities. The B-complex vitamins are calming to the nervous system and helpful for cellular energy production, while vitamin C and the other antioxidants protect your body from stress, chemical pollutants, and the biochemical by-products of exercise. Helpful summer herbs are Siberian ginseng as an energy tonic and stress protector, dong quai is a tonic for women, hawthorn berry is good for the heart, and liquorice root will help energy balance and digestion.
  • Pick Up the Right Sport Some sports become more popular in the summer as a way to stay cool. If you're near a body of water, water sports like surfing, swimming, and diving allow you to stay cool under water's refreshing and cooling properties while still keeping you outdoors.
  • Avoid the Sun When It's Strongest If it's possible, try avoiding exercise when the sun is at its strongest, in the middle of the day (between around 10am and 4pm). Instead, opt for some exercise in the early morning or late evening, when it's most likely to be cool out. In some places around the country, depending on how hot it gets, it's not odd to see people briskly jogging in the wee hours of the morning or closer to midnight.

Don't Eat When You're Thirsty We often mistake thirst for hunger, especially during the warm months. Don't eat when what you really want is to drink. Always ask yourself if you are really hungry.