Below are 2 things our doctors think you should know.
Summer’s here! This means two things for sure: drinking lots of smoothies & spending time in a hot tub! Exciting.
It’s important to understand a few things before you enjoy your lazy summer evenings.
- Too many smoothies; and, too many trips to the hot tub can have negative health effects.
- Hot Tub Rash
- Smoothies and Excess Calories
Expert Opinion 👇
First with smoothies.
They have some hidden risks:
- Excess sugar
- Excess calories.
Because everything is blended – – we lose sight of what’s in the smoothies.
Know this: If you’re eating whole foods & whole fruits —
- You not only end up eating less,
- Your brain gets signals from your belly: “Hey, we’re full!”
Think about it: would you eat 5 apples in one sitting? No, not likely! But, when consuming blended drinks, excess calories and sugars enter the fray.
For next time: Moderation is key. You feel like drinking a smoothie: go for it! But, don’t do it every day & try eating whole foods.
Take home message:
- Limit your smoothies
- Don’t add excess sugar to your smoothies.
- Keep an eye on how many fruits and other “sweet” things are being added.
With summer, come drinks & hot tubs!
Hot tubs can help with sore muscles and they definitely provide some level of mental relaxation.
Be Smart: 2 hidden dangers that I want you to be aware of:
- Hot water is a natural relaxant. It causes your blood pressure to fall just a bit. Now mix that with alcohol. And, you could be facing some trouble.
- Why?
- Because, when you’ve had one too many, your blood pressure also falls.
The big picture: dizziness, lightheadedness, & possibly passing out are some of the risks of mixing alcohol and hot tubs.
Sitting in the hot tub for a long period of time also puts you at risk of catching an infection if the tub or water is not clean.
Expert Opinion 👇
- You can get infected with a bacterial infection of the hair follicles.
- One of the symptoms of this infection: bumps and zits all over your body.
Worth noting: to reduce the risk of this infection, don’t sit in a tub if you have open sores or wounds. Second, take a nice shower AFTER the hot tub session. Use soap and lather up quite a bit! This will reduce the likelihood of pseudomonas folliculitis.
Take home message: Make sure you shower & use soap after getting out of the hot tub.