Your Healthiest Summer Yet
Summer is here! With longer days, vacation time, and plenty of activities, it’s the perfect time to reset your habits and make health a priority.
Sometimes it's not about making all kinds of wild progress but staying consistent with this season that brings endless opportunities for fun activities, and plenty of time to relax and unwind, let’s not forget—it also tends to bring more food and drinks into the mix too. So even combatting that challenge and being able to overcome it is truly a win!
SUMMER PLANS
No matter what season or stage of life you are in, you can always have something to improve upon. Think about your previous summers, have you been able to feel healthy coming out of it, feel like you are making lastING choices, supporting your family's health, or even making the most with the time you have during the summer? This is a perfect time to reflect on your goals and what you want this summer to look like!
✍️Write this down: what are your top 3 goals this summer?
Here are some examples for inspiration:
📝Allowing yourself a treat while on vacation and then moving on
📝Continuing to work out, or maybe trying a new workout routine
📝Setting up realistic expectations and intentions to grocery shop weekly to stick to your routines?
Once you've been able to write those down, share them with someone, like a nutrition coach, to help keep you accountable!
Tip #1️⃣: We love to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
We know that whenever we make healthier foods available more often, we will tend to gravitate towards them rather than the snacky sugary options.
Try washing and storing your fruits in the front of the fridge or having a fruit bowl available on the countertop. For your veggies, start by washing them well and even chopping them to store them in easy-to-reach containers in the fridge. Having nutritious snacks ready to go makes it more likely that everyone will grab something healthy.
Tip #2️⃣ Keep Hydration Fun and Flavorful
Did you know many people gain weight in the summer, and sugary drinks are a big reason?
WHY?
Just look at how much sugar is in these drinks:
A glass of lemonade = 6¼ teaspoons of sugar
A Coke = 10¼ teaspoons
A Starbucks frappe = 20 teaspoons!
The American Heart Association recommends no more than:
6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women
9 teaspoons for men
It can be as simple as swapping out sugary drinks with water, infused with fresh fruits like berries, citrus, or cucumber. It's refreshing, low-calorie, and helps kids and adults stay hydrated in the summer heat.
Staying hydrated with water improves energy, supports digestion, and helps avoid unnecessary sugar intake. It also helps regulate body temperature—especially important during hot summer days!
The bottom line, be mindful of what you drink this summer—as sugary and alcoholic drinks can sneak in a lot of extra unwanted calories!
Tip #3️⃣: Plan Active Outings
Research consistently demonstrates that spending time together, especially quality time, has numerous benefits for relationships and overall well-being.
What better way to spend time together than taking advantage of the longer days with outdoor activities like hiking, biking, swimming, or even a family walk after dinner.
Don't let the heat stop you from being active!! Consider other options to stay active such as going to an arcade, bowling, going for an early morning workout to beat the heat, trying after dinner mini golf, or even getting everyone involved for a scavenger hunt or escape room!
This is a great way to stay active and bond with those around you!
Physical activity has so many benefits including decreased stress, better sleep, increased confidence, not to mention better weight management.
It doesn't have to be a strict active gym session to be activity. When things excite us it is easier to stay consistent, so give yourself something new a try for your summer outings this year!
