With summer just around the corner, it can be super easy to let any healthy eating take a backseat! After all, whether it’s a BBQ on the beach, one too many cocktails in the garden, or the daily trip to the ice cream van ‘as a little treat’ – summer is full of delicious food and drink!
Unfortunately, delicious doesn’t always mean healthy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be! We’ll dive into our top tips for eating healthy this summer.
1. Sneak In Those 5 A Day
If the thought of eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day sounds daunting, you’re not alone! But what if we told you there’s an easier (and tastier!) way to at least hit a couple of those?
Sounds ideal, right?
Put simply, you can have your 5 a day in a way that feels right for you. Creating your own ice lollies with fresh fruit, for example, is a great way of feeling like you’re having a summer treat while helping towards your fruit and veg goal! Another option could be to make a home-made fruit smoothie, power-packed with berries. Not only would you turbo charge your antioxidants (really helpful for optimising your physiological function) but you could slake your thirst which leads us onto the next point….
2. Hydration Is Key
You may have heard people talk about how your body can mistake thirst for hunger, but this can actually be the case!
Think about it.
Particularly in the summertime, you’ll likely sweat more, generate more heat, and overall lose more water from your body. It’s therefore essential to make sure you’re drinking enough water (no, cocktails don’t count, sorry!) to ensure you’re staying hydrated.
Being hydrated also has the benefit of not allowing your body to mistake thirst for hunger!
3. Crash Diets Aren’t The Answer
With what feels like endless pressure from social media to be ‘beach body ready’ (note: every body is a ‘beach body’) – it can be tempting to turn to crash dieting as a quick fix for weight loss. However, if you only take one thing from this post:
Don’t. Do. It.
Whilst you may lose weight initially, you generally push your body into ‘famine-mode’ and this resets your hormone control. When you do eat, your body will panic and store everything, which leads to weight gain. And it becomes more difficult to lose thereafter. More often than not, crash dieting leads to you feeling absolutely starving, making you much more likely to binge uncontrollably later in the day or at the weekend – completely defeating the object of the crash diet. Crash dieting is unpleasant, unsustainable and ineffective. Don’t Do It!
A much better (and healthier!) solution is to eat a balanced diet throughout the day, meaning you won’t get to the point where you simply want to eat anything and everything!
4. Eat Mindfully
We get it, it can be super difficult to juggle between taking the kids to school, going to work, doing the household chores, and everything else life throws at you, let alone finding the time to sit down and eat your meals mindfully!
But trust us, taking the time to sit and just eat slowly can make the world of difference; your body has the time to tell you when it’s full (and that will likely be a lot sooner than you’re used to).
This does mean, though, being properly mindful. Take note of what you’re eating, how it looks, tastes, smells, etc. but to do that means no TV (your favourite show can wait!), no mindless scrolling, and no obvious distractions!
Try it! You might be surprised.
5. Speak With A Professional
If you’re looking to eat healthier this summer and have no idea where to start, a private nutritionist could be the answer.
A professional nutritionist can offer a full consultation which will result in a tailored, detailed nutritional action plan (including room for some of those summer treats!).
If you’d like to find out more about our nutritionist services in Leeds, contact us today to speak with our friendly team.
