Confession. I went on a party boat, had one cocktail, shook myself loose and completely roasted my shoulders. This was one week after lecturing Belle about sunscreen before her 9am to 2pm school beach day, at which I was completely unconvinced that she would apply — let alone reapply — sunscreen. I even resorted to bribery: “Come home without a sunburn and I’ll give you $25!”

She did and I did. I don’t know if that was great parenting, but it was certainly effective.

Fortunately, as Belle is with her dad this week and as she never reads this, I am pretty sure I will get away with the hypocrisy. I’ve since been militant about SPF and I’m even applying it before my morning commute on the bike.

I absolutely love the bike on summer mornings. It’s so fun to zip along with a warm breeze blowing over you before the humidity really sets in.

Now I’m SPFing (new word!) things are a little more sticky, but I will thank myself for it when I am older (even older …) I am sure.

I’m also topping up the SPF at work before walking to get lunch. I’m one burn short of marching around outside with an umbrella.

Not there yet, but tempting — and kudos to those of you who do it. And to make sure I stay in my dolphin-loving daughters good books (Chloe!), I’m making sure I have reef-safe SPF.

I didn’t realise that “reef safe” isn’t a regulated term so it’s a bit of a minefield. And when it comes to stats, this one got my attention ….

According to an environmental laboratory survey in Hawaii, it was found that over 2500 visitors left over 412lb of sunscreen per day in Hanauma Bay waters.

Common chemicals in sunscreen (such as oxybenzone and Octinoxate) damage reefs by causing bleaching, triggering deformities in coral larvae and by disrupting the reproductive cycles of marine life (note that these chemicals are also thought to be significant endocrine disrupters for humans, too.)

However, although oxybenzone and Octinoxate are two of the top culprits, the list also includes: any microplastic beads, any nanoparticles (like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide), any paraben, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, octocrylene, PABAs, triclosan, homosalate, octisalate and butyloctyl salicylic acid.

If you check your labels, that’s going to reduce your options significantly.

Two clear winners available here in Bermuda however include Think sunscreen (Miles and other grocery stores) as well as All Good (Salt & Cedar on Front Street.)

Staying healthy on the water of course also means staying hydrated (I did manage that part!)

So, if you are having any boozy drinks, try to stick to a wine spritzer (with sparkling water) or a decent alcoholic seltzer with clean ingredients (something like Spindrift Spiked, Miles) and make sure you rotate with water and/or electrolytes.

If you go non-alcoholic, then try to avoid anything especially sugary — remembering that juices or punch can be just as bad as sodas. Here are my favourite non-alcoholic options for you (other than water, but that would make it a very short column!)

The best low-sugar drinks for summer!

Spindrift

Waterloo, La Croix, Perrier, Bubbly … there are a ton of flavoured waters out there, but Spindrift is hands down my favourite. The sugars are practically non-existent and the flavours come from real juice and taste so much more natural. Definitely avoid any options with artificial colours or sweeteners (such as Ice water.)

Culture Pop

Just 8g sugars per can and sweetened with juice only. No stevia aftertaste for those who are not stevia fans! As a reference, a cola has about 35g sugars and a Gatorade about 36g. So these are significantly lower. I would still stick to one or two though and again, rotate with water as your body loves water!

Poppi

5g sugars. You will definitely taste the stevia but, it’s oddly delicious! Contains lots of gut-loving prebiotics, too.

Something & Nothing

Up to 8g sugars per can. They are labelled differently and the sugars look lower because it’s done per serving, so just keep your label-reading wits about you! The flavours are ah-mazing. They would make delicious mixers, too. They feel more sophisticated and grown up. Cucumber, Yuzu, Hibiscus Rose …. So good. These are exclusively at Miles (the options above are pretty much everywhere.)

Nuun

My favourite electrolyte for everyone. The most brilliant all-rounder. Just drop a tab in your water bottle and go. Nice and clean with no artificial colours or sweeteners. If you use these for kids, make sure you pick a caffeine free option (or don’t, but good luck at bedtime.)

Punchy

Super clean electrolytes in cans from Miles. A little sweeter than Nuun — nearly 12g per can, but great if you need a little energy whilst sweating it out. These are so delicious but quite intense. I’d actually water this down and let the sweetness linger longer. It depends where your taste buds are set.

Blume

Belly-loving electrolytes in super delicious flavours from the covetable Salt & Cedar. On the more pricey side but absolutely worth it for a treat or if you just like to prioritise your spend on your health. (Get your All Good sunscreen there, too!)

• The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION, BNTA is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in Britain. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda or instagram @naturalbda