This past week, we hosted a free masterclass on this topic, Summer Nutrition Success, where we dove into how to have the most confident and healthy summer yet. We dove into topics like routine, nutrition, alcohol and more and how we can stay focused on our goals during this time but without having to sacrifice all the summer things.
First thing to consider: how will your routine change in the summer?
For many people, summer time means more late nights outside soaking up as much sun as your can and the sun waking you up early. This also meals you're probably away from home more, maybe out with friends or at a cookout. This will change our routine and the timing of things in our day. Our bodies LOVE routine and without a solid one, we usually end up eating inconsistently and eating more than we should, getting less sleep and then feeling very BLAH digestivewise.
Routine during the summer WILL change from what you usually do throughout the year and into the darker months, but we should still have a rough calendar or focus during this time. Start to think about how you want to start your day. What time will you get up? What time do you have to be at work by? What will breakfast look like? When will you eat breakfast? All of these questions can help you set up a sequence or routine that can help your body stay energized and even throughout the day. Setting normal meal times and getting to bed at a normal hour help to boost energy, increase digestion and reduce bloating.
The food changes quite a bit during summer time. It tends to be fresher, which means we reap the benefits of better nutrients and more fiber. But, a lot of the foods we make and have and then bring to cookouts tend to be more carbohydrate focused. Think about it, you grab a hamburger on a bun, then a scoop of pasta salad and a scoop of potato salad and probably a bag of chips. That ends up being 4 servings of carbs, likely more than 100g in one sitting. Going into these meals, pick 1 carb to have with them. Grab the sausage, peppers and onions without a bun and pair it with a big scoop of pasta salad.
Lastly, alcohol. Alcohol consumption goes up for many people in the summer as they are looking for a cool beverage to cool down with. But, drinking too much as well as choosing not as great mixers can cause other problems like worsened hangovers due to the sugar changes with alcohol's diuretic affect. Try mixing with zero sugar or calorie sweeteners, or, if you do like them, water them down.
These are 3 things you can stay on top this summer to help make it successful. Tell us 1 goal you're looking forward to working on this summer?