Today, I asked Andrea, a great friend from my good old days at Butler University, to guest post.  She recently started her healthy-living blog, and I absolutely love it!  I love reading it, and I love being able to talk about blogging, healthy eating, exercises, and how sometimes it’s nice to enjoy just a plain old good glass of wine.  After all, it is all about balance 😉

Andrea shares some great tips for staying active and healthy in the summer heat while keeping up with a busy schedule.

Guest Post:  Staying Healthy in the Summer Heat

Hi everyone!  My name is Andrea and I blog over at www.A-Doctor-In-The-House.com.  Here is a little bit about me:

I am a third year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine and I am obsessed with all things healthy-living and science of course 🙂

Typical Day Going To Work 🙂

I just started my blog in June and I am loving every bit of it already.  My goal is to share recipes, work-outs, tips for staying healthy, and sciency facts.  Another huge goal for my blog is to meet new people and learn as much as I can about food, fitness, and everything in between!!

I met Tara when we were both in college at Butler University.  I was actually really good friends with her fiancé Brian all through college because we were both headed in similar directions- he was going to dental school and I was off to medical school.

When Tara started her blog, I was hooked from the very start.  I have been an avid reader and I can honestly say that her blog was a huge inspiration for me to start one of my own.  When she asked me to write a guest post, how could I not be thrilled??

Since it’s right in the middle of summer, Tara asked me to blog about how I stay active and healthy all summer long.  I find myself longing for the days when summer was an actual vacation and I could take as many pilates classes as I wanted while grilling out every night.  Unfortunately, I’m stuck in the hospital all day basically every day and so fitting in a healthy life-style is a challenge that I’m still facing.  I learn new tips and tricks all the time and I hope to share them with you!!

Here’s how a busy medical student stays healthy in the heat:

1.  Get outside!

Just being outdoors makes me feel better and gives me energy to make good choices throughout my day.  Summer is the best time to take advantage of long days and warm weather so whenever I can, I get my butt outdoors.  If I don’t have to be at the hospital early, I will run outside in the morning.  Just a quick 3 miles is enough to wake myself up and start the day on a great note.  If I happen to get home early, I will take my workout to a playground!  There is a great park about 1.5 miles from my house- run there, do some push-ups, lunges, and other strength work around the playground, run back- you’ve got a great workout that makes the time fly by!!

Ducks along the canal I like to run on!

2.  Get grilling!

Fire up the grill because it is the most delicious way to prepare healthy food all summer.  Plus- it saves your kitchen from heating up the entire house.  I have made grilled kabobs, Vietnamese marinated beef for spring rolls, and tons of veggies this summer.  You can check out some of my recipes on the Food page of my blog.

3.  Get prepared!

This doesn’t apply to summer exclusively.  I have found that when you live a busy life, the only way to be successful when it comes to staying healthy, is to plan ahead.  I make most of my food for the week on Saturday or Sunday (whichever day I happen to have off from the hospital).  This way, it’s a no-brainer when I am packing my lunch in the dark at 4am.  I have tons and tons of friends who eat out every day and not only does this make me cringe thinking about how much money they spend, but also how many extra calories they would save by making meals at home!

So there you have it! My 3 best tips to stay active and healthy this summer.  I try to remember every day that life is a balance.  You won’t see me pass up too many trips to get frozen yogurt, and trust me- I load it up with all the toppings!  I have to miss my workouts every now and then when I’m studying hard for an upcoming exam.  No one is perfect all the time!  But the fabulous summer weather makes it easier to get moving outdoors and be active.  And don’t forget summer produce!  I’m pretty sure I could eat a whole watermelon by myself!

These are healthy cupcakes with a secret ingredient in the frosting!  Check out the recipe on my blog 🙂

Enjoy your summer day and I hope you go do something fun outside!
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