Summer “Health” Advice That’s Making You Feel Worse

Every summer, the same advice shows up.

Not in one place, but everywhere. In conversations with friends. On social media. In women’s magazines and wellness newsletters. And, definitely in my practice as a functional nutrition practitioner.

It sounds harmless. Even helpful. But, it leaves a lot of people feeling worse.

Bloated. Wired but tired. Foggy. Wondering if something is wrong with their hormones or their gut.

If you’re following these tips and feeling worse, it’s not because you’re doing them wrong.

It’s because the advice was never designed to support your nervous system, digestion, or hormones in the first place.

Let’s have a look at some of the most common summer wellness myths that I see in my practice and what your body might actually need instead.

Myth 1: “Just drink more water.”

Why it sounds right: We’re told fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and cravings are all signs of dehydration. So we chug water, thinking more is always better.

Why it backfires: Your body can’t use water if it doesn’t have the minerals to absorb it. Without electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, excess water just passes through, and can dilute your mineral stores even more. Overhydration can cause dizziness, fatigue, cramping, and bloating.

What’s really going on: Your adrenal glands regulate fluid balance. In heat, stress, or undernourishment, you lose minerals faster. Without replacing them, hydration won’t stick.

Try this instead:

• Add a pinch of sea salt to your water

• Use a clean electrolyte mix with sodium and potassium (Organika, Summit Supplements, WakeWater)

• Sip steadily through the day instead of chugging

• Prime digestion first:  Take 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) in a small glass of water before meals. This boosts stomach acid, improves nutrient absorption, and helps your body actually use the minerals you’re taking in.

Hydration without minerals is like filling a car with gas without connecting the fuel line. It passes through without being used.

Myth 2: “Skipping breakfast is good. I’m fasting, right?”

Why it sounds right: Intermittent fasting has been sold as the cure for weight gain, brain fog, and “hormone balance.” Many women in perimenopause are told to push breakfast later to burn fat, lower insulin, or “give digestion a break.” Summer heat can also suppress appetite, so skipping breakfast feels both strategic and intuitive.

Why it backfires: For many women in perimenopause, fasting can make symptoms worse. Your body is already navigating fluctuating estrogen and progesterone, which directly affect cortisol, insulin, and thyroid function.

Fasting in this stage of life can sometimes lead to:

• Higher morning cortisol that stays elevated longer

• Blood sugar swings that worsen hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, and sleep issues

• Loss of muscle mass due to reduced protein intake early in the day

• Bigger cravings and overeating later

• Sluggish digestion from delayed stomach acid production

What’s really going on: A flat appetite in the morning is often a sign of stress physiology, not a sign your body “doesn’t need food.” In perimenopause, your stress buffer is smaller. Add to that the natural decline in stomach acid with age, and skipping food in the morning only makes it harder to digest and absorb protein when you do eat.

Try this instead: You don’t need a big breakfast, but you do need something that calms cortisol, stabilizes blood sugar, and tells your nervous system you’re safe.

• Start with organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother – the floaty bits)  in water, 5–10 minutes before eating to prime digestion

• Follow with a light, protein-rich breakfast:

  • 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs with fruit (normally I would suggest more eggs – but if we are going for a ‘light’ option, 1-2 is great).

  • A 30 to 40-gram protein smoothie with chia, berries, and collagen

  • At least 1-2 Scrambled eggs with zucchini or herbs

  • Chia pudding with nut butter

Even a few bites of protein in the morning can reset your hormonal and energy rhythm for the day.

For perimenopausal women, eating within an hour or two of waking is about nervous system safety and hormone stability. It’s not just about “breaking the fast.”

Myth 3: “Just eat salads in summer.  It’s too hot for anything else.”

Why it sounds right: Cold food feels refreshing in the heat, and there’s a baked-in belief that lighter is healthier. Social media and summer meal plans often make raw, colourful salads the gold standard.

Why it backfires: Cold, raw meals suppress stomach acid. HCL (hydrochloric acid) is the first and most critical step in digestion.

Without it, proteins don’t fully break down. This is the starting point for so many symptoms I see,  and honestly, I have yet to meet a new client who is actually digesting protein and fat properly when they arrive.

Low stomach acid leads to bloating, constipation or loose stools, food fermenting in the gut, nutrient loss, and undigested food showing up in the stool.

Why that matters: Protein is non-negotiable for hormone balance, blood sugar stability, and brain chemistry. If you’re not digesting it, you’re not absorbing it – and it becomes another stressor.

This is why ACV before meals is often the very first step I recommend, because it helps restore acidity and kickstart that protein breakdown so the rest of your nutrition can actually work for you.

Try this instead: Choose warm or room-temperature meals that activate digestion. If you do eat raw vegetables, start with ACV in water to boost acidity so your stomach can handle the extra digestive work. Add bitter herbs, spices, or lemon before meals to further support stomach acid.

A few ways I do this for myself:

• Roasted veggie bowl with lentils and tahini

• Warm quinoa salad with olive oil and basil

• Sautéed greens with poached egg and avocado

• Cooked zucchini with lemon, fennel, and olive oil

Protein is powerful,  but only if your gut can process it.

This is my FAVOURITE Summer (well, year-round) Drink:

Citrus Ginger Mineral Refresher

This isn’t just “drink more water.” It’s built to hydrate your cells, support your adrenals, and wake up digestion without sugar or synthetic powders.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut water

• 1 cup filtered still or sparkling water

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• ½ to 1  tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)

• Small pinch of sea salt

• 1–2 slices fresh ginger

• Optional: 1 scoop unflavoured collagen

• Optional: a few drops of stevia or monk fruit for sweetness

• Ice, mint, or basil to serve

Coconut water provides potassium, sea salt replenishes sodium, citrus supports digestion and vitamin C, ginger supports motility & blood flow, and collagen adds a very small protein boost.

Sip alongside your ACV-in-water before meals for full digestive support. Or add the ACV to this drink!

If your body feels off this summer, feeling more tired, more bloated, more overwhelmed,  it’s not failing you. It’s asking for your attention.

Real nourishment isn’t about extremes. It’s about minerals, blood sugar, and digestion. It’s not just what you eat or drink, but how you support the systems doing the work.

This isn’t about more discipline. It’s about more function. And, when you feed function, everything feels easier.