family on pier

Summer has arrived, and with it, comes plenty of outdoor activities. Here are some tips to keep healthy during the summer.

* Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate- this means drink a lot of water, not pop, coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages or other sugary beverages. If you consume sugary, alcoholic, and caffeinated beverages, you'll need to add an extra glass of water for each. How much water should you drink? It varies with each person’s activity level, food, and climate, among other things. A general rule of thumb would be to drink in ounces, the amount equal to half of your weight in pounds. In other words, if you weigh 150 pounds, you probably need 75 ounces or 2.25 litres of water.

* Exercise- use this opportunity to take walks and bike with the whole family. You don't have to do running and gym workouts to get good exercise. The outdoors provides all you need and is more fun. Great quality time with your kids, friends, etc!

* Eat fresh vegetables and fruits- farmers markets abound and have great local produce. Eat it fresh while you can, and freeze, pickle, and can extras for the winter. Great snacks for the whole family are cut up fresh raw veggies with hummus. Provides protein, fiber and good carbs! Get your family used to fruit as dessert. Fresh ripe fruit is as sweet as a sugary piece of junk. Try yogurt on top. We like to use plain yogurt since the flavoured ones often have added sugar. With sweet fruit, this works. If you do need to add a little extra sweetness, mix in a little vanilla yogurt, purée some overripe fruit, add some cinnamon, or add a dash of local maple syrup to the plain yogurt. Dairy sensitivities? Try coconut milk yogurt.

* With the hot summer comes mosquitoes and other biting insects. Many have found that by taking a Vitamin B1-B6 combination, a Vitamin B complex, or garlic capsules, they stop being a mosquito magnet. If you do get bites, "Itch Stop" can help take the itch out. We recommend keeping some on hand. If you are traveling to a place known for its bad mosquitoes, start the vitamin regimen a month in advance. Before starting any supplementation, talk to your pharmacist about what is right for you!

The above is for information purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any symptoms or health issues. For specific help regarding your personal health, please contact the pharmacy to schedule an appointment with Dr. Peter Ford or Dr. Taylor White. For additional information, references, or for questions about anything mentioned in this blog, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by using this link, https://www.fordrx.com/contact and a pharmacy staff member will respond within 1 business day.

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