While it may have been useful in the cold months, when I needed insulation from the bitter winds, the gorgeous sunshine of the summers beckon me to strip down to just a light tank and short shorts. My skin is also chapped as I didn’t bother to care for them so much during those dry months; after all, who is going to care about my skin under layers of clothing? But in summer outfits, my bare skin is so much more visible. With that, any muffin top or just extra pockets of pooch can be seen by all. I’m sure I’m not the only female who gets nervous as the days turn warmer. I just have a few tips to offer to help the transition into the warmer season so that you can enjoy it fully without worrying about your body.
Recognize your body for what it is: Sure there are always things we want to change about our body, but also recognize features that you like about it. Once you do that, you can improve on the parts you don’t like, such as the extra fat. For me, I like my waist, even though it’s become a lot less defined with weight gain. But, this shows me that there is something that I can work towards.
Eat more veggies and fruits: These food groups provide a lot of nutrition, such as the necessary vitamins and minerals, for your body. Vegetables, especially leafy greens, also provide a lot of roughage that helps with digestion and will keep you fuller longer. They ultimately will help your skin look better, but will also help with weight loss because you will already be full on these items. Fruits are best eaten in their raw forms, so make sure to eat a variety. Learn to replace your dessert with fruit – after all, they are both deliciously sweet!
Drink more water: Besides filling you up so that you would eat less, water also helps detoxify your body. It helps shuttle the waste out of your system so that your cells are being continually replenished with nutritious fluids. Water also helps keep your skin look nice and glowing. But, don’t go overboard with water and start chugging down bottles. Although this sounds a bit drastic, too much water can cause death – this is actually a problem with a lot of marathon runners who think that more water is better. So, make sure you drink enough, but don’t get too eager and drink everything in sight.
Sunscreen! Sunscreen! Sunscreen!: This may sound obvious, but not enough of us actually heed all the media that suggests sunscreen. Although it does help prevent skin cancer, as it absorbs the harmful UV rays, it also helps keep your skin younger looking for much longer. Sunscreen is especially important for the face if you want to keep your features youthful for the future. While it is recommended that you apply sunscreen throughout the day, as it wears off after a few hours, I think just getting people to put on sunscreen at the beginning of the day is the most important step. So ladies, just find a nice, light sunscreen moisturizer to put on after you have cleansed and toned your face and work it into your daily routine. I’ve been doing this for a while and I really feel there is a difference. Just make sure you find a product that you really like (I love the Shiseido brand).
Take care of those lips: Lips may not become chapped as easily in the summer, but it is still very possible. Especially on the beach where there is salt everywhere, including the air, lips are usually the first part of the facial body that experiences a change. It’s never fun to walk around with chapped lips – besides the pain, it doesn’t look pleasant at all. To target this problem, I advise not to lick your lips. If you have chapped lips, your saliva will only make the condition worse. It may provide some relief for a few seconds or even minutes, but eventually it will just make the edges of your lips very chapped as well and lead to more pain and unsightly skin peelings. Instead, keep on applying chapstick. Or, follow as I do and apply lip gloss and lipstick. Besides making your lips look nice and ready for smooching, it provides a nice protective layer for your lips. I have definitely seen changes in lips after I started a daily routine of applying lipstick.
Buy a flattering bikini: You will feel better by yourself if you look better. The thing about visual appeal is that for the human, it’s mainly about clothing. Even if you do not have the best body, flattering clothes that enhance your assets and minimize your weaknesses will make you look extremely good. So, save your money on cheap clothes and invest in some nice ones that you can keep for a long time and feel sexy and confident in. For those with slight extra fat in their hips, I recommend the string bikinis that tie on each side of the hip. I’ve found that they minimize the amount of fat there since you can adjust how tight or loose you want it.
But the most important thing, as we all know, is confidence. The tips I have provided is meant to make your body feel better. Hopefully, this will translate to a better state of mind. Confidence is also the most attractive asset a person can have. So, take my advice if you think it will help and hopefully it will make both your body and mind better. Have fun in the summer!