• 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!
Information provided by Health Fitness Revolution 

If you have an idea for Wellness Wednesday, email us at Elements@nfta.com.