From sea sponges and Japanese konjac roots to woven hemp mitts and dried loofah squashes, the number of natural sponge and scrubber options can be overwhelming. But making the switch from synthetic to organic for this shower staple is well worth the time.

Synthetic scrubbers, sponges and loofahs are made of plastics like nylon and polyurethane. They shed tiny bits of plastic, known as microplastics, every time you use them—contributing to the billions of pieces already in our lakes, rivers and oceans. One 2019 study from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography estimates there are 8.3 million pieces of microplastics per cubic metre of water. In another recent study from the University of Toronto’s Rochman Lab, researchers sampled thousands of fish from the Great Lakes and found microplastics in all of their gastrointestinal tracks—up to 900 plastic particles per fish, suggesting that exposure may be above threshold concentrations for risk. One way to help reduce microplastics in our waterways is to switch to a natural body washing tool.

Not only do they pose environmental risk, but plastic loofahs (also called poufs) may also present a health hazard from bacteria buildup. “A loofah sponge can act as a reservoir for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria,” says Dr. Michal Bohdanowicz, a dermatologist at Bay Dermatology Centre in Toronto. Using a loofah daily results in skin cell buildup in the folds of the material. Combine that with the moist environment of the bathroom, and a loofah is the ideal bacterial breeding ground.

(Related: 11 Important Single-Use Plastic Swaps to Make Now)

While pondering what might live in your loofah, it’s important to think about what your scrubber is made of. According to Bohdanowicz, “The materials within a loofah sponge do matter from a medical perspective.” For example, the friction caused by scrubbing your skin with something too rough might worsen existing skin issues, like eczema and hyperpigmentation, Bohdanowicz says. So even eco-alternatives like a dried loofah squash or hemp mitt might be too harsh.

It’s also a good idea to test out new products on a small patch of skin before charging ahead. “Different materials and contaminants within a loofah can be associated with contact dermatitis,” says Bohdanowicz, who suggests trying any new product on an area smaller than the size of the palm (and ideally hidden by clothing) for two weeks.

With all that in mind, I tried out the silk sea sponge from Toronto-based Wildcraft for my face and the Everist konjac root sponge for my body. Both start off hard and soften as they soak up water. Sea sponges contain natural minerals like iron, zinc and potassium, which are said to help nourish your skin, and the konjac sponge’s material creates a rich lather no matter which body wash I used. I found them each gentle enough for daily use. For weekly exfoliating, I tested the hemp mitt from Body Shop and the plant-based Éco & Éco Loofah (a loofah is a type of squash that, when dried, creates a sponge so natural that seeds fell out onto my shower floor the first time I used it). Both are pretty rough, so I didn’t apply a lot of pressure. They also don’t lather very well, so when I exfoliated I also did a quick pass with the konjac sponge. Overall, I would skip the natural loofah as a body scrubber (but it works great as a dish sponge). I would definitely continue to use the hemp mitt as an exfoliator.

They all pass the environmental test, but they’re unfortunately not bacteria-proof. As with synthetic products, rinsing thoroughly and hanging them to dry after every use is a must. After using the super soft and squishy konjac sponge, I had to squeeze it out multiple times and hang it in a different room to be sure it dried completely. The natural loofah and hemp mitt have large pockets of space for air to get in, so they dried within a few hours. The natural enzymes in the sea sponge actually help block bacteria growth, and it also dried within a couple of hours.

Once a week, give your loofah or sponge a deeper clean by soaking it for five minutes in diluted bleach or vinegar, or in a solution of baking soda and water, then let it dry completely. Check the care instructions for your product. Most importantly, know when it’s time to toss it. If it smells funky or is discoloured, give it the big heave-ho. And don’t feel too bad—natural products will break down and return to the earth.

Get scrubbing with these options:

Éco & Éco Loofah

This all-natural loofah from Montréal-based Éco & Éco is as plant-based as you can get. Made from a dried loofah squash, this sponge alternative is coarse when dry but wonderfully squishy when wet. $7, thegreenjarshop.com. 

Everist Compostable Konjac Body Sponge

From Canadian brand Everist, this Konjac root sponge turns into a fluffy, sudsy cloud when damp. Bonus: It’s fully compostable. $14, helloeverist.com. 

Body Shop Hemp Mitt

Made from 100 percent hemp fibres, this little mitt is the perfect environmentally friendly exfoliator to rub away dead skin in the shower. $12, bodyshop.com.

Wildcraft Silk Sea Sponge

These sustainably harvested seas sponges have enzymes that make them naturally bacteria- and smell-resistant. Their soft texture also gently exfoliates the skin. $12, wildcraftcare.com.

Next: The Best Sustainable Beauty Tools For Every Step of Your Routine

Suffering from seasonal allergies? Thankfully, relief is as close as your local drugstore.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medication may be all most allergy sufferers need, says Dr. Jennifer Malcolm, a general practitioner in Toronto. In fact, people with year-round allergies and skin conditions, such as chronic hives, can safely take antihistamines every day for years, she adds. (However, these medications can interact with other drugs and worsen certain conditions, so speak with your pharmacist.)

Malcolm recommends chatting with your doctor about your experience during allergy season last year. “He or she may recommend allergy shots, an inhaled nasal steroid or an OTC allergy medication with a different active ingredient than what you’ve used in the past,” she says.

The key to sniffle prevention is to take the recommended allergy medication as soon as possible—like when pollen counts begin to rise in your area. “Once the symptoms have started, they’re harder to control,” says Shakeel Bhatti, a pharmacist and clinical tutor at the University of British Columbia’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences. “People come into the pharmacy with a runny nose and itchy eyes, and end up needing multiple medications.” So, you’ll want to have some allergy medication on-hand now.

Here are some OTC options to consider:

Traditional antihistamine

Example: Benadryl
How they work: Ingredients such as diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine are the most effective on the market for blocking the histamine we release in response to allergens, says Bhatti. Histamine triggers the symptoms of a reaction (runny nose, itchy eyes).
Keep in mind: This older-generation medication can cause drowsiness and often last only eight hours. If your allergies peak at night, consider taking one before bed and a newer-generation pill for daytime.

Try:

• Benadryl Allergy Caplets, $34, well.ca

New-generation antihistamine

Example: Reactine, Allegra, Aerius, Claritin
How they work: Active ingredients such as cetirizine, fexofenadine, desloratadine and loratadine also block histamine. They’re slightly less effective for allergies than older-generation products, but don’t make you sleepy, says Bhatti. They can last 12 to 24 hours, depending on the formula.
Keep in mind: As with many OTC medications, see if the regular-strength version works before using the extra-strength, says Malcolm.

Try:

• Reactine Regular Strength Reactine 36 Tablets, $31, well.ca or Reactine Extra Strength, $31, well.ca.
• Allegra Allergy 24 Hour Relief Trial Pack, $10, well.ca
• Aerius Dual Action 12 Hour Non-Drowsy Allergy+Sinus, $11, well.ca
• Claritin Allergy Decongestant Nasal Spray, $7, well.ca

Note: Some OTC allergy medications contain decongestants in addition to antihistamine. Ask your pharmacist. According to Bhatti, decongestants can cause rebound congestion if taken for more than three days in a row, can worsen glaucoma and high blood pressure, and can increase the risk of stroke.

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This ratatouille might look like an intimidating dish, but it’s a simple veggie stew made with colourful tomato, zucchini, eggplant, summer squash, and fragrant herbs baked in a cast-iron skillet or casserole dish until soft and bubbling.

Ratatouille is a classic summer dish originating from Provence, in the South of France. Leave it to the French to make a simple stew so impressive! We absolutely love this French-inspired rainbow ratatouille for dinner, and often include it in our weekly rotation.

I especially like to serve it with toasted baguette.

Summer Rainbow Ratatouille

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cans (28 ounces/800 mL each) crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
• ½ cup tightly packed fresh basil
• leaves, chopped, more for garnish
• 1 green zucchini, sliced into ½-inch rounds
• 1 yellow summer squash, sliced into ½-inch rounds (or another green zucchini)
• 1 Japanese eggplant, sliced into ½-inch rounds
• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into ½-inch rounds
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion, garlic, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and season with the herbes de Provence and 2 teaspoons of the thyme. Cook at a low simmer until the sauce has slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the basil and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
4. Starting from the outer edge of the skillet and working your way to the middle, arrange the sliced veggies over the tomato sauce, snugly upright but slightly angled, and alternating the colours (zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, and tomato). Fan them apart slightly, if needed, to cover the entire pan with no large gaps. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
5. Cover the skillet with foil or an oven-safe lid and bake the ratatouille for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the vegetables are very soft and the ratatouille is bubbling, another 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with basil leaves just before serving, if desired.

Tips:

1. Try to buy all the veggies in a similar size, as it will be easier to arrange the slices over the sauce.
2. You can simplify this recipe by chopping the veggies into bite-size pieces. Mix the chopped veggies into the tomato sauce and gently simmer, covered, over medium heat, or in the oven, until very soft, 45 to 55 minutes.
3. You can also make the ratatouille in a large round or rectangular casserole dish. Prepare the sauce in a large skillet, transfer it to the casserole dish, and arrange the sliced veggies on top as instructed in step 4. If using a rectangular dish, arrange the sliced veggies in rows lengthwise.
4. Note that if you serve this with toasted baguette and my vegan cheeses, the recipe is no longer nut-free or gluten-free.

Storage:  Store the ratatouille in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw before reheating.

Excerpted from The Two Spoons Cookbook, by Hannah Sunderani © 2022, Hannah Sunderani. Photography by Hannah Sunderani. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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Bullying began around the time Alyssa Wodabek hit puberty. She had suddenly started gaining weight in her legs and, no matter what she did, they just got heavier. It didn’t take long before the kids at school noticed. “I felt like I had no control over my body—it just kept growing and I didn’t know why,” Wodabek says. “All I wanted was to fit in and wear the same clothes my friends were wearing. I don’t know how many dressing rooms I cried in.”

Her doctor suggested she go on the Bernstein diet to get the weight off fast so the bullying would stop. At 12 years old, Wodabek was restricted to what she now estimates to be around 700 calories a day: one apple for breakfast, two egg whites with Brussels sprouts for lunch, three ounces of fish with green beans for dinner. Wodabek visited the diet clinic in the morning before school, where she was weighed in front of everyone else in the waiting room. “You could always tell by the face of the nurse recording your weight whether it was going to be a positive meeting or not.” When she didn’t lose weight, her apple was taken away. “I remember feeling such shame. I felt like I was failing at everything I tried.”

For the next five years, Wodabek bounced from one diet to the next and began working out twice a day. It didn’t matter. Every time she looked in the mirror, she felt like she was inhabiting two different bodies: a size-six torso atop size-16 legs. And with the weight came pain. After training for months, Wodabek ran a 10K in Toronto, shedding tears behind her sunglasses as she neared the finish line because every step hurt, thanks to the “fireworks” in her legs.

When she was 18, Wodabek searched for answers on the internet and discovered a German study about a condition called lipedema. A disease typically triggered in puberty, it causes fat to build up in the lower half of the body and often in the arms as well. She printed out 60 pages of information and took them straight to her doctor. At first, her doctor told Wodabek she was pronouncing it wrong. “It’s lymphedema,” she said. When Wodabek insisted, her doctor countered that lipedema wasn’t real. Then she informed her that she just needed to lose more weight. “She shut me down so fast, I didn’t know where to go from there,” Wodabek says. She didn’t see a doctor about her disease for another five years.

But lipedema is real. It’s a condition that affects women almost exclusively. And it’s not only patients like Wodabek who have struggled to convince the medical community that lipedema exists. Back in 2006, Dr. Karen Herbst, a Beverley Hills- and Tucson-based endocrinologist, felt like she was all alone, too. Desperate patients were coming to her for help, but any attempt to raise awareness—or even interest—among her colleagues failed. “When I first started talking about this, nobody believed me,” she says. “They all thought I was a quack.”

Although lipedema is not a recent discovery, it does remain something of a mystery. First identified by two American doctors in 1940, it didn’t garner much medical interest. Scientists still don’t know what causes it or even how widespread it is: Some studies suggest five percent of women may be affected, but the condition is largely under-diagnosed. Lipedema is also under-researched, Herbst says, and the fact that it’s a disease associated with women—like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome—may be one reason why.

“We know that women have historically been ignored in research and that most studies are done on men or on male animals,” Herbst adds. “I’m always saying, ‘Well, what happened to the female mice?’” And, of course, women are still considered to be more emotional than warranted about our medical conditions—and are even blamed for them. “With lipedema, it becomes, ‘You ate too much and didn’t exercise enough so it’s your fault. You did this to yourself, you made yourself obese.’”

Another barrier to our understanding of the disease is the medical community largely ignoring the importance of fat. “When I started out in my medical career, we thought that fat was just a storage depot for triglycerides, or fatty acids,” Herbst says. “Then, we slowly began to see it as connective tissue made up of a variety of cells—including immune cells—and as an endocrine organ, which produces hormones. It’s actually an incredible organ and, if we understood it better, we would treat people with diseases of the fat better.” Herbst also notes that women have different fat than men, and more of it. For almost 20 years, she has worked to raise awareness about lipedema; in 2019, she headed up an NIH-sponsored conference to improve understanding and establish a standard of care for the disease in the United States, where none existed. Still, she says, there is a long way to go.

It’s not just the misshapenness of the body that’s a huge burden, Herbst says. The chronic pain and mobility issues in later stages of the condition, not to mention the social stigma of having an “imperfect” body, lead to anxiety and depression. “I often hear women say, ‘Well, I would go to the pool, but I can’t go out in public looking like this.’ That breaks my heart. Some days I just want to build a pool for women with lipedema and only women with lipedema. No one else can come.”

Herbst says that, in many cases, lipedema patients find better support and information about diagnosis and treatment from other women online, rather than from their doctors. In her 20s, Wodabek did just that, finally finding some answers in Facebook groups. “If it wasn’t for other women getting treatment and sharing resources, I don’t know if I would have been able to find the help I needed,” she says. “It really gave me hope to keep fighting.”

By this point, Wodabek’s lipedema was affecting her arms; she began to gain weight from shoulder to wrist. She was working in Toronto as a professional photographer and, during a long day of shooting, struggled to hold her camera steady. It was time to get help. Through a network of other lipedema patients, Wodabek found a doctor in Bronte, just west of Toronto, who was familiar with the disease. She was officially diagnosed in 2019, almost two decades after her symptoms first appeared.

(Related: Here’s Why It’s Time to Finally Part Ways with Your Scale)

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Although you can’t prevent or cure lipedema, you can treat it. Managing the condition requires a holistic, multidisciplinary approach that ranges from conservative therapies to more invasive procedures. Conservative treatments include manual-therapy compression garments (to help reduce inflammation), physiotherapy, weight management and psychotherapy. For some patients, power-assisted or water-assisted (a.k.a. lymphatic-sparing) liposuction is an option. Both procedures dislodge fat from surrounding tissue and leave the important lymphatics—the network of vessels and nodes that collect and transport fluid throughout the body—intact.

Wodabek discovered that it isn’t easy to find a surgeon who can perform the specialized procedure—plus, lipedema treatment is considered cosmetic and therefore isn’t covered by health insurance. (In 2018, a lipedema patient in Winnipeg had to remortgage her home so she could afford treatment after her attempts to get coverage were repeatedly denied by Manitoba Health. Breast reduction is covered, but treatment for a chronic, debilitating and potentially progressive disease is not.) Wodabek found one surgeon in Canada who offered water-assisted liposuction, but she couldn’t afford the $33,000 price tag for each of the multiple surgeries required. Her Facebook groups recommended that she expand her search to Europe, where doctors have been treating patients for longer than in Canada and the United States (generally 20 years, compared to fewer than 10) and also tend to charge far less.

Wodabek’s research led her to Dr. Kai Klasmeyer, who has worked with lipedema patients for 13 years. Roughly 60 percent of his patients travel to his clinic in Cologne from outside Germany, and most of them find him via word of mouth. “We met over Skype and he was so kind, I immediately felt comfortable,” Wodabek says. Klasmeyer had a two-year wait-list, so she used that time to get in the best physical shape possible to ensure quick recovery post-surgery. Her first procedure was in March 2021 and covered the fronts her of thighs and hips. She returned to Cologne three more times over the next year, paying around $7,000 each time, to tackle the backs of her thighs, her arms and her legs from knee to ankle.

“The recovery was pretty brutal. I was purple all over and couldn’t get off the couch; I needed help to do everything.” She also had to wriggle her way into custom compression garments, worn 24/7 for eight weeks, on her legs, arms and torso. “It’s like a second skin—once you’re in it, you’re in it.”

But Wodabek, now 32, is feeling at home in her body for the first time since she hit puberty. The fireworks in her legs diminished after her first procedure; she could climb stairs more easily and the swelling and bruising she’d endured for years went away. Right before her final surgery, she walked 14 kilometres exploring Cologne—with zero pain. “It’s life-changing. I feel as though someone took the sandbags off my legs. I said to my husband, ‘Is this how you always feel when you’re walking around?!’”

Although there are no studies on the long-term effects of liposuction for lipedema patients, Klasmeyer says he has never seen a recurrence of the condition after surgery. “The longest study we have looks at patients after about 15 years, and it found very stable results,” he says. More importantly, he adds, patients need to be supported in managing their condition after their surgeries. A few years ago, he tried to work with a psychologist to offer more holistic post-operative care, but it was too complicated when so many of his patients were coming from other countries.

“Lipedema has a big impact on your entire life,” he says. Some patients aren’t able to work, and many suffer from debilitating depression and anxiety. Then there is the day-to-day management of the disease. Wodabek continues to wear her compression garments ($800, not covered by OHIP) and sees her physiotherapist for manual lymphatic drainage about once a month to relieve any fluid buildup. Because there isn’t a ton of research on what happens next, patients are often just told to keep watching their diets, exercising and wearing compression garments to help keep the disease under control. Wodabek says that, after years of counting calories and obsessing over every meal, she is also still trying to make peace with food.

“Patients often continue to struggle with disordered eating, especially if it took them a long time to get properly diagnosed,” Klasmeyer says. “My biggest wish is for patients to have more streamlined medical support, so they don’t feel like they’re alone with their condition.”

Herbst says that support is on the horizon, although it isn’t happening yet. “It’s a complex disease but, finally, there are a lot of people working on it now,” she says. In 2019, Swiss researchers issued a call to action to raise awareness about lipedema within the medical community. In March of that same year, a European lipedema forum was held in Hamburg that involved experts from seven countries—everyone from surgeons and psychologists to physiotherapists and nutrition experts—all sharing information about the disease. Herbst herself is studying the work of doctors in other countries, including Spain and Brazil, to learn more about how anti-inflammatory treatments and diets may help patients manage lipedema. “We have to develop new ways to improve our care of patients, and people are doing that. It’s happening. And that’s very exciting to me.”

These days, Wodabek’s Instagram grid is a lively assortment of professional photos of beaming newlyweds, dreamy landscapes and artfully styled food interspersed with playful shots of her kind-eyed corgi, Nori. Naturally, there are selfies—it is Instagram, after all—but these are selfies with a purpose. Wodabek’s shots of herself, framed in a full-length mirror, are less of the “Hey, look at me!” variety and more of a “Hey, look what’s happening to me” vibe. She chronicles her experiences living with lipedema, sharing images of herself pre- and post-surgery (with confetti!), and she offers other patients encouragement and support. “We need more doctors to catch up and learn about this disease here in Canada. We need awareness and we need our medical system to support us,” she says. “I hope that by sharing my story, I can help raise that awareness—and help others who might be going through what I went through.”

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“Stay hydrated” has become the new way to say “stay healthy.” Twitter accounts are created with the sole purpose of reminding you to drink a glass of water. Trendy oversized reusable bottles proliferate on the internet, often with chipper messages like “You’ve got it!” and “Keep drinking!” written on the sides to remind you that you need to gulp down more water. Buzzy hydrating products—juices, various waters and tonics—flood the market, promising optimal hydration along with all its associated benefits.

Aside from those benefits—like improved mental health and cognition, better skin and even higher energy levels—keeping hydrated is a necessity for staying alive. And while clean drinking water is easy to find in many parts of the world, in others—including parts of Canada—not everyone has access to this critical resource. Numerous Indigenous communities in Canada have long-term drinking water advisories in effect—even as neighbouring settler communities have plentiful clean water.

“Water is the most critical nutrient that humans need,” says Stephen Cheung, a professor of kinesiology at Brock University who studies the effects of environmental stressors like hydration and temperature on the human body. “If you don’t drink any water, you would be dead or severely incapacitated in five to eight days.” By comparison, you could survive without any food for up to 70 days.

So, how much water should I drink?

How much water you need depends on a lot of different factors, like your size, activity level, age, sex and diet. The guideline for adults is eight glasses, or two litres, a day, but that doesn’t really hold water in 2022: That standard was developed by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board in 1945, but the study wasn’t based on any research. Plus, most public health recommendations leave out the crucial second part of the guideline, which is that most of your water intake could come from food sources. Still, having a daily goal like eight glasses can help ensure that you’re drinking enough.

That being said, for healthy individuals, the only water drinking guideline you should seriously follow is your own. “The most important indicator is to drink when you feel thirsty. For most people, that’s the perfect solution,” says Charles Bourque, a professor at McGill University’s department of neurology who studies the neurophysiology of thirst. Thirst is a primordial emotion—it’s one of the instincts we’re genetically programmed for that help us stay alive. In fact, thirst originates in the same part of our brain, the anterior cingulate cortex, as other primordial emotions like hunger, pain and the need for air.

(Related: How Healthy Is Filtered Water?)

Why do I feel thirsty?

There are many factors that can stimulate the sensation of thirst. Heat is a big one: We mainly lose fluids through sweat, so when your body gets hot, it can trigger thirst, which tells your body that “you’re going to sweat, you’re going to lose water, you’re going to need to compensate for that later on,” Bourque explains. Sodium intake is another thirst trigger, as it increases your blood sodium concentration (more on that later). Anyone who’s ever had a super salty meal knows just how much water we can gulp down during it. “It’s not good to have rapid changes in sodium concentration, but you can dilute the sodium by drinking water, which is why it’s another very strong stimulus for thirst,” Bourque says.

We also lose water just by being alive. This is called obligatory fluid loss, and Cheung notes that even if you were bed-bound for a whole day in a comfortable temperature, “you would still end up losing about a litre of fluid a day, through the moisture on your skin,” he says. It does depend, though, on the size of your body, your metabolism and your environment: “If you were lying in the jungle, you’re going to be sweating a lot more and losing more sweat.”

While the parts of our brains that detect conditions like heat and sodium intake are different, they all activate the cingulate cortex. It’s also how we know not to drink too much water: Being overhydrated leads to a condition called hyponatremia (or water intoxication), which means low blood sodium. Luckily, for healthy people, if we drink too much, our bodies make us feel repulsed to water, so we stop drinking, Bourque explains. “There are sensors starting in your mouth that go through your throat and esophagus into your stomach,” he says. “All of these places have nerves that tell your brain, ‘Okay, enough fluid has been ingested,’ well before your body has fully recuperated.” As we age, our thirst signals diminish, so it’s important to stay aware of fluid intake and purposefully drink more water to compensate.

(Related: How to Boost Your Mood with Water)

What are electrolytes?

Our bodies also need to maintain a healthy level of electrolytes, which are minerals like sodium and potassium essential for nearly every bodily function, like regulating muscle contractions and balancing pH levels. We gain electrolytes naturally through a healthy diet and we lose them through sweating, urinating, defecating or vomiting. Does that then mean trendy electrolyte-filled waters like coconut water or Powerade are the way to go? The idea behind electrolyte drinks is to help retain fluid in your system. “Our bodies are a saline—there are salts in our plasma,” says Cheung. “So if you’re drinking pure water, it’s not going to be retained as well as if there were electrolytes in it. The whole point of electrolyte drinks is that our body absorbs water better when it’s closer to the electrolyte level in the body.” For most healthy individuals, though, unless you’re really active and sweating buckets, just drinking water and maintaining a healthy and varied diet is enough to stay hydrated.

Really, it depends on how salty your sweat is, Cheung says. The saltier the sweat, the more electrolytes are lost. The easiest way to determine the saltiness of your sweat is by looking at the stains left behind after a workout. “If you’ve gone for a run and your clothes are really crusted, it’s a good sign you’re a salty sweater,” says Cheung. “For those individuals, it’s important to increase the amount of electrolytes because you don’t want to lose too much while exercising.”

But again, we get electrolytes from the food we eat, so there’s really no reason to get them from fluids, unless you’re sick or sweating a lot. Plus, many sports drinks on the market have unhealthy additions like extra sugar. Even options that claim to have added vitamins, like Vitamin Water, don’t have enough to really make a difference, says Karenn Chan, an associate professor at the University of Alberta’s department of family medicine. “If you’re eating a reasonably healthy diet, you don’t need to supplement. There’s no evidence that drinking extra vitamins in your water makes you any healthier.”

(Related: Is It Bad to Drink Water That’s Been Sitting Overnight—Or Longer?)

What drinks dehydrate you?

Caffeinated drinks also get a bad rap for being dehydrating, but that’s a myth. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it increases your urine production. But it’s all about volume: Drip coffees contain a lot of water, which offsets the diuretics in your cup of joe. In order to get a negative diuretic effect, you’d pretty much need to be chugging tiny espressos (without added water!). Taking caffeine pills or chewing caffeine gum can cause you to become dehydrated, because you’re getting pure diuretic without any water content. But the same can’t be said for your regular cup of drip joe. “Coffee is also a rehydrating fluid, because we generally drink so much of it compared to the [diuretic] caffeine that we’re taking at the same time,” Cheung explains.

While everything should be consumed in moderation, any fluid intake is generally good. The only drink that isn’t hydrating is alcohol. A hormone called vasopressin tells our kidneys to reabsorb water—but it’s inhibited by ethanol. That means when you imbibe, your bladder fills up quickly, and if your kidneys aren’t reabsorbing water after you urinate, “you’d lose more water than the drink you’re ingesting and you could dehydrate yourself,” Bourque explains.

Chan says that many of her patients struggle with fluid intake, especially drinking water. So if someone is willing to get their daily fluids through coffee or tea, Chan says she’ll take it. “I say, ‘Do you like Jell-O? Or popsicles? Those things are mostly water.’ It’s about getting them fluids some other way,” she says.

“Just drink frequently and, if you want to, add a little bit of flavour to increase its palatability,” Cheung says. “You don’t need to overthink drinking water.”

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Fatigue, low-libido, even depression—if you’ve been feeling off in the new post-Covid world, you’re not alone. Two years of quarantining and trying to avoid (or recover from) the coronavirus has left many people feeling off their peak, and looking for natural remedies to recapture their old selves again. One such potential solution is popular in alternative medicine: maca root—and the powder from maca root.

Flora Waples, MD, medical director at Restor Medical Spa, who also works in emergency medicine, says that maca’s reported properties help explain why it’s become increasingly popular. “Maca root has been used in the Andes by traditional healers to improve everything from infertility to libido to mood and energy level,” she says. For people hoping to treat ailments like low-libido and sluggishness, plant-based remedies like maca root powder, tend to be more alluring compared to their traditional counterparts, like prescription drugs because they’re “natural” or not synthetic.

But when it comes to maca root, is it worth it—or is it all just hype? We spoke with experts who reveal everything you need to know about maca root, including the science behind the plant and its alleged benefits.

(Related: Where Did My Sex Drive Go?)

Where does maca root come from?

Known as Lepidium meyenii, says Dr. Waples, maca root is an Andean plant of the mustard family and has been called “Peruvian Ginseng”. But don’t let the name fool you. “It is not actually a member of the Ginseng family,” says Dr. Waples. It may look like a humble radish or turnip, but maca has reported powers of its own. “Maca powder or maca root comes from drying the root of the Maca plant,” explains Dr. Waples. “Indigenous people have used it both in traditional healing, as well as to improve the fertility of their farm stock for centuries.”

The plant naturally grows between 12,000 and 14,000 feet above sea level in the Andes mountains, and is currently cultivated in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, she says. Some believe that maca is an adaptogen—a class of herbs that can help your body better deal with stress, explains Rachel Eva Dew, ND, board-certified doctor of natural medicine, integrative life transformation coach, and co-founder of the integrative telemedicine platform, ModiHealth. It’s a cruciferous vegetable like cauliflower or broccoli, says Karyn Eilber, MD, board-certified urologist at Cedars-Sinai specializing in female pelvic medicine in Los Angeles. “The most edible part is the root.”

You’ll typically find maca in powder form, such as a scoopable supplement that can be blended into drinks or smoothies.

What are the potential benefits of maca powder?

Like many popular natural medicine alternatives, reported claims and scientifically proven benefits don’t always match up. “The Maca plant was not widely known until the 1980s, and there is still very little research on it,” says Dr. Waples.

Although the body of research is slim, it’s slowly increasing, says Dr. Eilber. These are some of the alleged benefits of maca root. Remember, the science on the benefits of maca root in human health is limited and most research has been done on animals. Further investigation of maca root for human use is required before any recommendations can be made.

Libido?

One of maca root’s health claims is tied to its ability to boost libido. So does it really work? “Simple answer: no one knows,” says Dr. Waples. “While claims that it improves libido and fertility have been made based on traditional uses, there have been no conclusive studies on humans at this date.”

However, she notes that a handful of small studies on rats showed it increases fertility and sexual behaviors. “Whether or not this finding can be carried over to humans is unknown.” Of course, devotees of maca root will swear that it really does help bring a spark back to their sex life. Interestingly, notes Dr. Waples, maca root does seem to help sperm motility, and therefore could improve fertility.

“There is a slowly growing body of evidence that indicates that maca root does improve sperm motility, which could improve fertility,” says Dr. Waples, adding, “Fun trivia fact: this effect seems most pronounced in Alpacas. However, much work remains to be done and the exact molecular mechanism of this is still not certain.”

(Related: Samantha Bitty Knows Good Sex (and Wants You to Know It, Too))

Erectile dysfunction?

Another popular maca claim: its ability to treat erectile dysfunction. But from a scientific point of view, the jury’s still out. A 2016 review of various clinical trials published in the journal Maturitas on the improvement of semen quality found “suggestive evidence for the effectiveness of maca in improving semen quality.” Dr. Eilber believes maca can improve erectile dysfunction, as well as low libido and sexual function. “There are studies that show an improvement in sexual desire with maca compared to placebo, but the exact way it works isn’t known.”

However, Dr. Waples remains skeptical. “I am not aware of any high-quality studies that show real improvements in erectile function,” says Waples. “The difficulty in this type of study often comes down to the fact that human sexual responses are known to be very prone to the placebo effect.” Therefore, if a man thinks it will work, it often does—which might skew data. Dr. Waples also draws a connection to Viagra. “Consider this: everyone knows that Viagra works. Therefore, if humans have not made up their minds on what maca does or not do in over 500 years of cultivation, the effect is probably not all that large.”

Energy boost?

Yet another common claim associated with maca root is its ability to restore energy. But does this claim really hold water? Once again, says Dr. Waples, there is no conclusive evidence around maca’s energy-boosting properties.

However, Dr. Eilber is encouraged by some animal research, such as a 2016 study in Pharmaceutical Biology looked at the effect of maca on endurance capacity in mice and found that it had anti-fatigue properties. One small study in male cyclists suggests the root may help with stamina, as well, but more research is needed.

Depression?

We could all use a pick-me-up after the past year, which makes maca’s claims that it can help with depression and mood-lifting especially tempting—but, as with the other promises, this claim still needs further testing. Because people use maca to boost energy and ease stress, it’s possible it could help with depression, says Dew. She notes that a traditional use has been to help balance mood. Dr. Waples believes that maca has shown promise with some mood issues. “Over the years there have been claims that it can help a variety of neurological conditions,” she says. But, as with other claims, it’s impossible to tell if it’s a placebo effect. “There is no clear data on any of these claims yet.”

Hormonal issues?

While going through perimenopause and menopause, women may suddenly experience a host of issues, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, insomnia, discomfort, and mood swings. As an adaptogen—essentially, an herbal pharmaceutical—maca is thought to help address menstrual and other similar issues. So how do the claims stack up? Dew notes that adaptogens such as maca are known to decrease the effects of stress, which may support the immune system and help balance hormones—all of which could theoretically help with various women’s reproductive system issues. However, there is simply enough research to determine whether maca actually helps.

Risks and side effects of maca powder

Remember that you should always check with your physician before taking any supplement or herb, and in the case of maca root, it’s especially critical. Dr. Waples explains that the presence of something known as MTCA in maca extracts could indicate a potential safety issue. “MTCA is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, which is a class of compounds that can raise blood pressure and heart rate, and interacts dangerously with some prescription medications,” says she says, adding that it’s not known if this compound is deactivated by cooking or not.”While maca root may someday prove to have beneficial effects, I would hold off using it until the science is more clear.”

Dew advises pregnant or nursing mothers to avoid maca. “Additionally, those who have conditions sensitive to hormones such as cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids should consider avoiding maca as well, since maca extracts can act like estrogen.”

If you take it, take with caution

Remember that, just because it’s a plant extract, it could still have a potent effect on your body. Therefore, always proceed with caution.

“While maca root has been safely used for thousands of years it is important, as it is with any supplement or natural medicine, to run it by your doctor or a qualified health practitioner to make sure it is right for your body,” says Dew. “Always take as directed and do not exceed the recommended dosage.”

Try: Navitas Organics Maca Powder ($15, houseofwellness.ca).

Next, this is what you need to know about adaptogens and fertility. 

Balmy summer days are here and with them come skin blessings (no more dry flakes) and woes (so many clogged pores).

“Various conditions, like increased humidity, can cause stickiness of the skin that can lead to clogged pores,” says Nicole Hawkins, a Calgary-based dermatologist. They materialize in two ways: as closed comedones and open comedones, both of which are small bumps in pores that give skin a rough, uneven texture. “Closed comedones appear white and are sealed off,” she says. “Open comedones appear dark—they’re blackheads—because the natural oils in the skin have mixed with keratinocytes [the cells that make up the outermost layer of skin] and oxidized.”

The main concern with clogged pores is they have the potential to manifest into pimples. “If you look at any diagram of how pimples evolve, it usually starts with a clogged pore, and then it evolves with inflammation and bacteria,” says Hawkins.

But just because the temperatures are rising doesn’t mean everyone’s comedoomed. Clogged pores are more likely to appear on people with larger pores and oily skin (both of which can be dictated by genetics) as well as people who are stressed, since stress can increase skin’s oil production, says Hawkins.

If you are prone to clogged pores, Hawkins is here to help. Below, her best tips for preventing and treating them.

Resist the urge to squeeze or pick

Yes, it’s the same rule that applies to pimples. While it’s certainly tempting to try to extract clogged pores yourself, picking and pinching can damage your skin. ”Even gentle squeezing stretches the pores out, so you’re actually doing yourself a disservice,” says Hawkins. Not to mention, you can also increase your chances of infection. “You don’t want to start with a blackhead and end up with a terrible skin infection, so leave them alone,” she says. “Slow is the name of the game.”

Use special skin care ingredients

There are many powerful ingredients that can help increase skin cell turnover and unclog pores. These include alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids. “I really like alpha hydroxy acids, like lactic or glycolic acid, for comedones because they’re not too drying,” says Hawkins. “They can help with exfoliating the skin, they can give you a glow, and they can also help to get rid of blackheads and whiteheads over time.” The keyphrase here is “over time.” Hawkins says clogged pores can’t be scrubbed away overnight. “We ask patients to play the long game with us,” she says. “You don’t want to use products too much or too often or you can cause irritation and set yourself back.”

Hawkins is also a fan of using retinol to help unclog pores. “It helps to control skin cell turnover, helps to decrease inflammation, and shrinks pores over time,” she says. Again, Hawkins stresses “over time.” “This is not something that’s going to happen in just a few weeks,” she says.

If you’re someone who’s never used an AHA, BHA or retinol, Hawkins advises starting slow. First, test the product on your jawline, as it isn’t uncommon to get an irritation with a topical acid. If your skin responds well, go slow—apply it just one night a week, then increase to two, then three times a week. “Personally, I do an AHA three nights a week, and my retinol on the other four nights,” says Hawkins. “But I had to work up my skin’s tolerance to that level.”

Prevent them with non-comedogenic products

Some skin care products are labelled “non-comedogenic,” meaning they don’t clog pores—these are the products, the only products, you should be using, says Hawkins. This goes for makeup and sunscreen as well as moisturizers and serums.

Pack away the heavier skin care products

“Thick foundations can interact with increased oil production and humidity in the air,” says Hawkins, “which can give you a sticky environment on the skin and lead to issues like comedones and acne.” Switch to light formulas and save the occlusives (that includes those for slugging!) for the fall.

For quick-fix, you can use nose strips

“I don’t think they’re bad,” says Hawkins. But nose strips, like the popular Bioré ones ($11, well.ca), are only a short-term fix. “If you have an event coming up, and you’re really bothered by a bunch of blackheads, the strip works nicely to clear them all at once,” she says. “And people tend to tolerate it pretty well—I haven’t encountered many reactions to them.” The catch? They don’t help prevent clogged pores, so you may want to pair the strips with a long-term solution.

Try these:

Hawkins’ favourite products for preventing and treating clogged pores include:

• Reversa’s Acnex Purifying Solution ($29, reversa.ca), which she says is a great choice for anyone who’s acne-prone with large, clogged pores.
• Functionalab’s Retinol 0,5% Serum ($130, boutique.functionalab.com), which is one of Hawkins’ favourite retinols (and what she uses).
• Skinceuticals’ LHA Toner ($55, skinceuticals.ca), which Hawkins suggests for its effective blend of acids.

Next: Layering Skin Care Products—Am I Doing It Right?

When the federal government launched the Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) in the very early days of the pandemic, it renewed calls for a permanent framework for a national basic income program.

Generally, “basic income” or “universal basic income” means a guaranteed livable income that’s provided to everyone in a specific population on a regular basis by the government. There’s debate over how exactly a basic income program should work: Who should be eligible (for example, would there be an income threshold?) how much money should be provided and how it should be funded. But the idea is that everyone has enough to live a modest life, with necessities like basic housing, food and transportation covered.

There are plenty of dissenters who argue that a universal basic income would be “unfair” or dissuade people from working, or that it simply wouldn’t work. However, while the idea of a basic income is meant to combat poverty, it also has an outsized impact on health outcomes.

“What we know is that [economic] shocks [like the pandemic] not only affect people’s health in the current period, but that they have important legacy effects,” says Audrey Laporte, a professor of health economics and the director of the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. “If you look at the financial crisis of 2008, there is literature that shows that mental health suffered quite dramatically—and these effects linger. There is a link between what happens in the economy and what happens to people’s well-being, and government policy has a role to play in terms of how severe those consequences are going to be.”

Here are 4 ways that a universal basic income program could impact health care in Canada.

Mental health outcomes improve

Turns out that money can, to a certain extent, buy happiness. “One of the key stressors in modern life is finances,” says Evelyn Forget, a professor of community health sciences at the University of Manitoba. Forget points to people who are working multiple jobs with no fixed shifts as an example of a population where mental health outcomes would improve with a UBI. “Trying to live that kind of life while trying to make sure that you can feed your kids, take care of your family and meet your obligations at work is an incredibly stressful way to live,” she says. “The idea of a basic income is like an insurance policy—a sort of peace of mind. If you do need to take some time off work, you can take time off work. You don’t need to work when you’re unable to just to put food on the table.”

Previous basic income experiments, such as the Mincome (meaning minimum income) experiment in the 1970s in Manitoba, found that there was a decrease in mental health-related visits to doctors.

People are more likely to seek out preventative health care

According to Laporte, there’s an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases when unemployment rates go up. “As good as our health care system is, it really is dealing with the problem once it’s already happened,” she says. “We want to focus on prevention, and I see [basic income programs] as a part of the prevention strategy.”

During a 2017 basic income pilot program in Hamilton, Lindsay and Thunder Bay, Ontario, participants were found to be happier and healthier because of the extra money. They also found it easier to access prescription drugs and other forms of preventative health interventions, with the potential for more long-term health cost savings.

One of the strongest determinants of health is income, says Forget. “One of the things that a basic income would do is make it possible for you to go to the doctor on a regular basis,” she says. So while certain parts of the health care system are being utilized more, like screenings and regular check-ups, people would be accessing recourses resources to stay healthier in the first place so they avoid emergency care.

Hospitalizations may go down

It’s not just mental health outcomes that improve. Hospitalizations also go down. Forget’s analysis of the 1970s’ Mincome experiment found less people were getting into accidents and injuring themselves as well.

In the 2017 Ontario pilot, participants shared stories about how basic income helped them manage their chronic conditions, leading to an overall decrease in visits to the doctor and hospitals. One participant noted that they were able to save up for a mobility device, which drastically cut down the number of doctor visits.

Nutrition and physical health may improve—leading to better health outcomes overall

Having a livable income means being able to move out of an apartment that has black mould, for example. Or, being able to afford fresh food to feed yourself and your family. It also means having the ability to take time off work for leisure, or exercise, or spending time with loved ones—all of which improves mental and physical health. In the 2017 pilot, 85.2 percent of participants surveyed increased the amount of nutritious food consumed—and they were happy to be able to try new things at the grocery store. “If you’ve got a reasonable work-life balance, if you’ve got enough resources to live a reasonable life, it’s a whole lot easier to take a breath and say, ‘okay, now I’m going to pay attention to my diet,’ instead of ‘give me something to eat because my shift starts in 15 minutes,’ and that improves overall health,” says Forget.

“When we give people a stable life, where we reduce the degree of uncertainty, this changes their life in that moment and opens up a whole different life path,” says Laporte.

Next: Caring For My Dying Mom Showed Me That Caregivers Need More Support, Too

This luscious lemon tart is a show-stopping dessert that is perfect to serve for celebrations. Made with a silky lemon curd filling that is bright, citrusy, creamy, and sweet, this tart melts in your mouth, yet is firm enough to hold its shape when sliced. The crust pairs perfectly with its oat, almond, and walnut base. It is lightly baked until golden for a nutty flavour and crispy texture.

Lemon tart was served at our wedding in the Dordogne region of France. Even though all the food was a smashing success, it’s the lemon tart that my mum always raves about. I created this recipe in tribute to that tart, so that I can serve it to my mum for years to come.

Lemon Tart

1 cup raw cashews

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup (133 g) gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup (60 g) raw walnuts
• ½ cup (50 g) almond flour
• ¼ cup (50 g) coconut oil, melted 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Lemon filling

• 1 can (14 ounces/400 mL) full-fat coconut milk
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, for colouring
• Pinch of fine sea salt 1 teaspoon agar

Garnishes (optional )

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fresh raspberries
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 1 hour, then drain. (Alternatively, soak the cashews in room-temperature water to cover for at least 6 hours or overnight, then drain.)
2. Make the Pastry Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
3. In a food processor, pulse the oats until they reach a flour-like consistency. Transfer the oat flour to a small bowl.
4. Add the walnuts to the food processor and pulse into a fine meal. Add the oat flour, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse until well combined, 15 to 30 seconds.
5. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Using a fork, poke 10 to 12 holes in the base of the dough. (This will stop the base from lifting as it cooks. There’s no need to use pie weights with this crust.) Place on a baking sheet and blind-bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let the crust cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.

Excerpted from The Two Spoons Cookbook, by Hannah Sunderani © 2022, Hannah Sunderani. Photography by Hannah Sunderani. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: A Recipe for Faux Gras—A Vegan Take on the French Delicacy

All in the Bag

Dermatologist Dr. Cheryl Rosen shares her hot tips for staying safe in the sun.

Burning question: Do I really have to reapply sunscreen every two hours?

“If you’re sitting in the shade, sunscreen probably lasts longer—so you don’t have to reapply every two hours. But if you’re sweating or swimming, reapply when you finish those activities,” says Rosen.

Forgot to reapply your SPF? We got you (but don’t let it happen again!). This lotion will cool and hydrate your skin.
Dr. Hauschka After Sun, $32, well.ca

Whether you’re hitting the road or rolling up to the beach, a pair of polarized sunglasses will reduce eye strain from the sun’s strong rays.
Clearly Basics, $73, clearly.ca

In this debut novel, a married English professor finds herself positively smitten with the much-younger Vladimir—and you’ll be similarly obsessed.
Vladimir by Julia May Jonas, $34, indigo.ca

A light straw hat with a wide brim delivers sun protection and style.
Sun Hat, $17, Winners

This golden-striped, oversized canvas carryall will hold everything you need for the day.
Summer Tote by Love & Lore, $50, indigo.ca

Sunny Side Up

This convenient SPF spray offers high UVA and UVB protection for both face and body. Plus, it keeps skin hydrated for up to six hours.
Avene High Sun Protection Spray SPF 50+, $34, well.ca

This natural, matte face cream with SPF 30 touts skin-soothing benefits from ingredients like aloe vera and green tea extract.
Odacite Sun Guardian Day Creme SPF 30, $87, thedetoxmarket.ca

Mid-day SPF touch-ups are a breeze with this brush, which dispenses loose powder to provide sun protection and regulate excess sebum (so your skin looks less oily).
Mineral Powder Sunscreen SOLIS+ SPF 50, $59, idcdermo.com

After a day soaking in sea water, your skin may feel dry. Shower off then coat your bod in this oil, which will moisturize and revitalize your skin.
Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil, $73, dermalogica.ca

Feeling a little crispy? This spray cools you down and alleviates redness.
CV Skinlabs Rescue + Relief Spray, $50, thedetoxmarket.ca

Protect your head with a scalp spray that won’t make your locks greasy.
Sun Bum Scalp Spray SPF 30, $20, well.ca

This sunscreen is perfect for sensitive skin.
Avene Aqua-Fluid Sun Protection SPF 50+, $31, well.ca

Witch hazel, which can relieve irritation, is the star of this face mist.
Sun Bum Original SPF 45 Sunscreen Face Mist, $20, well.ca

This primer leaves you with a velvety finish.
Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer SPF 30, $74, dermalogica.ca

(Related: 8 Simple Tricks to Better Protect Yourself From the Sun)

Burning question: When I’m under an umbrella, do I need to bother with other sun protection methods?

“You should still wear sunscreen because the sun can bounce off the ground and hit you. You also want to choose an umbrella that’s large and has a high UPF rating [that’s Ultraviolet Protection Factor—like SPF, but for fabrics] of about 50,” says Rosen.

Fun in the sun needs proper protection. Before you hit the beach (or grass, or deck), snag one of these umbrellas.

• Red Beach Umbrella Red Pink by Oui, $80, indigo.ca
• Spotted Sunday Supply Co. Black Sands Beach Umbrella, USD $337, sundaysupply.co
• Striped Outbound Beach Umbrella, $22, canadiantire.ca

Cool Toppers

Burning question: Do some hats offer more sun protection than others?

“Any hat is better than no hat. It should cover your ears, but if it doesn’t, remember to apply sunscreen to them. Hats with a wide brim are best because more of your face is shaded,” says Rosen.

A light and loose linen shirt shields your shoulders and arms from the sun’s rays.
The Oversized Linen Shirt in Apricot, $90, frankandoak.com

A wide-brim hat is the best pick for keeping your face (and ears) out of direct sunlight.
Floppy Sun Hat,$20, Winners

Whether you’re strolling around the city or floating on the lake, this long-sleeve nylon top will help prevent sunburns.
Ripzone Women’s SL Solid Black Long Sleeve Rashguard, $41, sportchek.ca

Keep your head in the clouds with this cute bucket hat.
Cloud Bucket Hat, $17, Winners

This lightweight, quick-drying jacket gives you both warmth and UV protection for breezy boat rides.
Old Navy, StretchTech Loose Cropped Jacket, $55, oldnavy.gapcanada.ca

No summer running uniform is complete without a baseball cap—and this sweat-wicking, reflective number is a good one.
Lululemon, Fast and Free Ponytail Cap, $38, lululemon.com

This swimsuit cover-up lets you linger by the water.
Billabong Love to Lounge Cover-Up Shirt, $70, nordstrom.ca

Think on Your Feet

Burning question: What are the chances I’ll get a wart walking around a public swimming pool?

“If you go barefoot in any public wet space, you’re definitely increasing your chances. I recommend wearing flip flops if you’re using a public shower or walking around a pool,” says Rosen.

It’s the season of sandals—and blisters. These picks will keep your feet cool and comfortable.

• Sugarcane-Blend Flip-Flop Sandals for Women (Partially Plant-Based), $7, oldnavy.gapcanada.ca
• Crocs, $50, Marshalls
• Keira Slide Sandal, $80, ketchshoes.ca
• Hunter Women’s Bloom Sandal, $80, hunterboots.com
• Merrell Hydro Moc shoes, $70, altitude-sports.com

(Related: How to Find Summer Sandals That Won’t Wreck Your Feet)

Bite Back

Buzzing question: Why are mosquitos so obsessed with me?

“Insects like you if you wear dark colours, if you wear fragrance or if you’re hot and sweaty. If your bites are itchy, putting something really cold on the area can be helpful,” says Rosen.

This isn’t your average button-up: This top is cut from fabric that’s been treated with special mosquito repellent technology.
Women’s Tick and Mosquito Repellent Long Sleeve Shirt, $80, marks.com

Keep your late-night patio chats going strong with a candle made with citronella, a natural oil that staves off bugs by masking the scents they like.
Citronella Candle, $10, canadiantire.ca

Not a fan of stinky, sticky bug spray? This rechargeable, non-toxic, scent-free device releases repellent into the air, creating a 20-foot protection zone.
Thermacell Radius Zone Rechargeable E55 Mosquito Repellent, $70, canadiantire.ca

Nights spent under the stars are possible with this natural repellent spray that also keeps the itch from past bites at bay.
Public Goods Insect Repellent, $14, publicgoods.com

We love the tree-bark print on this citronella candle.
Citronella Candle, $25, Homesense

(Related: Bug Bites Don’t Stand a Chance Against These Natural Home Remedies)

Raise Our Glasses

Burning question: How important is it to wear sunglasses?

“Very important. Sunglasses protect the skin around your eyes as well as your eyeballs—some cataracts are induced by chronic UV exposure,” says Rosen.

Sunnies can do more than accessorize—polarised lenses can help prevent eye strain from squinting, and ones with UV protection  (ideally UV 400) can help keep your eyes healthy.

• Sunglasses Clearly Basics, $73, clearly.ca
• Clearly Basics mahone-54, $65, clearly.ca
• Quay Australia After Hours 50mm Polarised Gradient Square Sunglasses, $75, nordstrom.ca
• Old Navy Pink Cat’s Eye, $20 oldnavy.gapcanada.ca
• Tortoise Sunglasses, $20, Winners
• Kam Dhillon Marion-49, $100, clearly.ca
• Royce Sunglasses, $95, bananarepublic.gapcanada.ca

Now that you know sun safety tips, here’s a sweaty gal’s guide to sunscreen.