Summer is Coming – Change to be Healthier

With summer quickly approaching, it’s a great time to reflect on how you handled the winter. Generally during the winter people eat heavier food – comfort food – and will tend to drink more. Now is a great to time reflect on your winter habits and what you want to change. It’s a great time to set fitness goals that you want to achieve during the summer. Ditch the heavy stews and go for salads and other fresh vegetables and fruits.
Just focus on what you’re eating. Ditch the ranch or blue cheese dressing and go for light vinaigrette or low sugar dressings. Even a squeeze of lemon will make that salad taste better. Throw away the mayo, chips, refined goods including sugars. Sugar consumption is on the rise in the US, and do not be part of that statistic. Look for whole grains, organic, wild or grass-fed.
If you developed a beer-gut over the summer, then reassess drinking as a priority or is your health and looking good more important. Remember calories from alcohol will be burned by your body prior to burning those fat calories that your body is storing. Alcohol has been shown to develop that gut that most of us are trying to avoid.
Look for colorful and organic vegetables and select a wide variety of leafy greens. Leafy greens will provide you with a bunch of nutrients including calcium, magnesium, and potassium which helps regulate your blood pressure. Leafy veggies also contain manganese, folate and betaine…..so enjoy!
Lastly, my moto is to drink 100oz of water a day. On a hot, humid summer day, it’s easy to double your consumption of water. Dehydration will leave you sluggish and will negatively impact your metabolism. So make sure you’re drinking enough water.