Health in the Summer
Written by Olly Leicester, Health Coach
Olly Leicester is an experienced health coach. After 5 years working in the NHS he is now coaching online 1:1, and delivering corporate workshops on workplace wellbeing topics - food habits, stress management, sleep, and good energy.
As a professional worker, with plenty of sedentary time indoors at the office, how can we use the summer months to promote our health?
As a professional worker, with plenty of sedentary time indoors at the office, how can we use the summer months to promote our health?
1. Time outdoors in the summer
Sunlight is a natural way to boost our moods. See it as a free antidepressant or a proactive way to promote better mental and physical health. A morning walk before work? A lunchtime, post-meal stroll to help digest? And/or an evening walk to decompress after a stressful day. If you are working from home sometimes, do consider factoring in the fake commute. Walking to work, even though that may be in your home office. You’ll generate some good energy from a morning walk, cycle, or run.
2. BBQs, get them going
If we’re using the BBQ when we get home, it’s a chance to get even more time outdoors, relax in the evening sun, stand up while you’re cooking, and eat some fresh food with great flavour. BBQs can tick a few healthy boxes, especially if you’re enjoying the company of friends or family. Think grilling meat, fish, veg kebabs, or halloumi cheese. One tip for cooking burgers. The pre-formed burgers usually have a bunch of additives and fillers added to them. You’re better off buying plain mince and making the burger patties by hand or with a burger mould. (This is more fun and cheaper as well, and feel free to pimp up the flavour by adding your favourite herbs or spices.)
If you add a fresh, seasonal salad with feta cheese and some seeds on top, with a dressing of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, happy days. No ultra-processed foods at all.
3. Ice cream, do your homework
Whilst we're talking ultra-processed, let’s talk ice cream. There are so many places to get them now. A vanilla ice cream could be made out of sugar, cream, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla extract. But the shop-bought varieties have countless ingredients that you may not recognise. So, if or when you do choose to buy a round for your work colleagues, I’d say get the best available, maybe with the least ingredients.
4. Sun cream, again, do your homework!
One more cream to mention: sun cream. I’ve been curious about this for a few years and have noticed that certain sun cream brands are better than others. As our skin is a massive organ and absorbs everything, it may be beneficial to select the least toxic options. However, I also think time in the sun without sun cream is essential for topping up vitamin D and feeling good. Everyone’s tolerance of the sun is different, but for short intervals, a quick dose of sun on your skin is a mood booster and a simple way to decompress after a challenge.
One more concept I’ll share on this topic is “eating your sun protection,” by selecting natural fats from things like olive oil, oily fish, eggs, and beef. I think when I was eating more processed stuff, my body was more inflamed, and I was definitely more prone to sunburn. Not to say that certain sun creams aren’t required, but what you eat builds your body. So build it with the right materials.
This is just the beginning. For even more support, you can download my FREE Positive Morning Routine guide to learn how to intentionally start your working day with positive energy. You can sign up here.
My aim is to help people stay well and thrive at work, and be healthy by design.
Olly Leicester, Health Coach
Olly Leicester is an experienced health coach. Having coached hundreds of patients over five years in NHS doctor surgeries, Olly now coaches online and has designed 4- to 8-week health coaching programs to help busy working professionals prevent or reverse chronic lifestyle diseases.
