- Wear Sunscreen: When outside, make sure to use sun protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Studies show that sunburns increase the risk of skin cancer by 12 times!
- Eat Light: To make sure your food doesn’t weigh down your festivities, make salads and sides to balance the main course, maybe grill your meal and prepare veggies sticks for snacks.
- Stay Hydrated with Water: Be sure to drink plenty of water and keep your body from overheating, and stay away from caffeinated and sugary drinks that dehydrate you.
- Start and Active Tradition: Be it an annual family kickball tournament, neighborhood volleyball game, or a pre-dinner hike, an annual activity will be a welcome event to any July 4th celebration.
- Wear Some Earplugs: Fireworks have a sound decibel of 150, and ear protection is recommended for decibels above 85.
- Make Sure you’re Using a Clean Grill: After you are done grilling, do a quick clean up of any visible debris and food, then turn up the heat and let the grill burn off a bit.
- Keep Hot food Hot and Cold food Cold: Be sure you cook all of your food to the recommended temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria and keep things that should be refrigerated in a cooler over ice.
- Play Lawn Games: Encourage your party guests to bring their favorite lawn game instead of yet another dessert.
- Skip Sugary Deserts: Cut up strawberries and melon or grill peaches, pineapple, or bananas to satisfy your sweet tooth without adding unnecessary processed sugar.
- Make Healthy Drinks: Make healthy drinks such as home-made iced tea or lemonade sweetened with agave nectar, or even sparkling flavored water!
If you have an idea for Wellness Wednesday, email us at Elements@nfta.com.