Summer is finally here! I love the feel of the warm sun on my face, BBQ's with family and friends, and feeling the wind blow through my hair as we take a sunset ride on the boat. There are many things to look forward to in the summertime. With all of the backyard parties and umbrella drinks, it's easy to lose sight of our healthy eating habits. I'm here to remind you that you can still enjoy your summer and stay on track with your diet at the same time.
Here are 4 reminders that can help you stay on track and are easy to incorporate into your daily eating habits!
1. Be Mindful of What you Eat
Learn to listen to your body. Eat when you feel hungry. Drink water when you are thirsty and so on. As a society we are so used to mindless eating i.e. putting any kind of food into our mouth to satisfy our hunger and cravings. Instead of eating just to eat, start actually thinking about what foods you are putting into your mouth. Ask yourself, "Am I really hungry? Do I need that extra handful of potato chips? How is eating that second piece of cake going to make me feel later?" I"m not saying you should never eat these foods. It's okay in moderation. Try replacing the cravings with healthier options like carrots and hummus instead of potato chips. Being mindful of what you are eating will help you to stay on track and still enjoy foods that you love.
2. Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Day
The new guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to eat that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing, the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size, and texture, to give yourself a varied diet everyday. When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely artistic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and everyday.
3. Portion Control
Portion control simply means knowing how much food to put on your plate. We are so used to going out to eat and having serving sizes be double or triple of what our bodies actually need to stay satisfied and healthy. Learning how much to put on our plates will also help you to stay on track. If you do go out to eat, remember you can always take food home to have at a later time. Here are a few suggetions on how much should be on our plate. You can adjust these portions up or down depending on how frequently you eat, your size and calorie needs, or your appetite. Using your hand as a guide is a great way to help with portion control.
Protein: Carbs:
Women=1 palm sized portion Women: 1 cupped hand
Men=2 palm sized portions Men: 2 cupped hands
Veggies: Fat:
Women: 1 fist sized portion Women: 1 thumb sized portion
Men: 2 fist sized portions Men: 2 thumb sized portions
4. Drink Plenty of Water
Humans need about 3 liters (101 ounces) of fluid per day, though the exact amount will vary from person to person. Depending on someone’s diet, about 34 ounces (1 liter) of that will probably come from food, especially if you're eating watery foods like veggies, fruit, prepared oatmeal, or yogurt. That leaves about 2 liters (67 ounces) to get from beverages. So the old “drink 8 cups of water a day”-which adds up to 64 ounces-is actually a pretty good general rule. However, how much water you need will depend on a range of factors like age, weight, health
status, and activity level, to name a few. If you’re small and sedentary, you might need less than 3
liters. If you’re a larger body and also exercise in a hot, humid environment, you’ll need more. That’s why thirst is probably a much better gauge than forcing yourself to guzzle a predetermined volume. Unless, however, you’re an athlete, elderly, or pregnant.
Following these tips will help you to stay on track during the summer, while also enjoying some of those summer treats we all love!
If you want to learn more about how to stay on track with your diet, contact me about my 8 Week Nutrition Program. It's all about building healthy habits that are sustainable and can last a lifetime!
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