Late-summer miracle workers!

Great news! Turns out many of the things you love to do on sunny summer days are a boon for your health and happiness

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Sharpen your brain with a dip in the pool

An easy way to pay attention to all the details in your latest book club pick: Read while wading up to your waist in the shallow end of a pool, ocean or lake (or simply as you soak in the bathtub!). According to a Utah State University study, submerging yourself in water improves your ability to concentrate by as much as 45%. The researchers explain that submerging your lower body in water increases blood flow to areas of the brain that help you pay attention.

OR PICK FLOWERS!

Snip some of your favorite late-summer blooms, such as coneflower and hibiscus, from your garden and place them in a vase near where you spend the most time indoors. Researchers from Washington State University found that simply seeing flowers spurs a significant improvement in concentration by reducing mental fatigue.

Sipping lemony iced tea wards off skin cancer!

Kick back with iced tea flavored with 1⁄2 tsp. of lemon zest. University of Arizona scientists say tea’s polyphenols and lemon’s d-limonene halt the growth of cancer cells, cutting the risk of squamous cell carcinoma (a common type of skin cancer) by up to 78%.