Summer is coming, and it brings the season of bright colors, sunny weather, and various outdoor activities. No wonder many want to look the best in their new swimsuit or shorts – or simply wish to improve their health and avoid problems caused by excessive heat.
All these goals heavily depend on your diet, so carefully choosing what you eat can seriously improve your summer experiences and allow you to enjoy this beautiful season fully. Avoiding some foods is necessary for maintaining your weight and health during summer, but we’ve prepared some alternatives that might be even better for your taste buds.
Fast food
Though fast food might be delicious, eating burgers, fries, and hot dogs in summer might not be the best decision as they are quite difficult to digest. Often, these products contain excessive salt and added sugar, which negatively impacts your health, causes dehydration and leads to weight increase. Moreover, they are often overprocessed and contain a lot of inflammatory saturated and trans fats – doesn’t sound healthy, right?
What to eat instead?
Opt for steamed, baked, or boiled foods – they can be just as tasty as their oily fast-food counterparts. Try preparing your meals at home – this way, you’ll be able to control the whole cooking process and preserve most vitamins and nutrients. Moreover, you’ll be able to adjust your recipes for the specific diet you follow and exclude less healthy ingredients.
Tea and coffee
These beverages have long become a staple for many households, but overindulging in them during summer might bring some problems. Since they both contain caffeine, which works as a diuretic, you risk losing too much water – and in hot summers, this problem can be extremely dangerous for your health. The same goes for energy drinks and other artificially caffeinated beverages – better put them off until the weather changes.
What to eat instead?
Of course, the best way to stay hydrated is drinking plain fresh water – and don’t forget that in hot weather, you need to do it regularly. You can also enjoy some herbal teas, like lemongrass, chamomile, ginger, peppermint, or other refreshing and delicious alternatives. A tip – though icy drink sounds tempting, be careful to avoid catching a cold.
Products with added sugar
Sugary and sweet foods might be tasty, but they are still not healthy to eat in large quantities, especially in summer. If you plan to lose or maintain your weight, overindulging in such products can easily disrupt your diet due to the high calorie count. Don’t forget that not only sweets and baked goods contain added sugar, so thoroughly check the label to determine the amount of carbs in your food.
What to eat instead?
Summer is the time when you have full access to a variety of fresh seasonal fruits, berries, and veggies, which can satisfy your cravings even better than overprocessed sweets. They also contain a lot of fiber and vitamins, which makes them an excellent and healthy addition to your meals. Moreover, most berries are compatible even with low-carb diets, like keto.
Sodium-high foods
You might be surprised by the amount of salt in your favorite snacks and dishes – especially if you like to order them instead of cooking at home. Sadly, sodium usually drains water from your body, causing dehydration – and we already know how dangerous it is during hot days. Moreover, it causes your body to retain water, causing bloating.
What to eat instead?
Thankfully, most sodium-high foods have alternatives – for example, you can choose nuts without salt instead of chips and pretzels or buy some chicken instead of deli meats. Cooking at home also helps since you can control the amount of salt you add to your food.
The best way to improve your summer experience is by controlling what you eat. Grease, sodium, and sugar can make hot days unbearable, and skipping them in favor of more refreshing (and healthy!) options will positively reflect both on your well-being and fitness. Taking care of your body in summer is vital – so choose some delicious foods that won’t make you bloated or dehydrated, and enjoy this season to the fullest.