8 Tips For a Healthy Summer
Summer time is on the horizon— kids are out of school, schedules are changing and that can throw us off our routines. It can be so hard to stay on track and to make time for ourselves especially when we are unable to do many of the things we normally do to stay on track.
Aside from the winter months, Summer is a time that a lot of us tend to fall off track with our regular eating and workout routines. The last thing you want to be thinking about while you are trying to enjoy yourself during these long summer days is about the food you are eating and drinks you aren’t drinking. If you follow me or have trained with me, you know I am a huge advocate of allowing yourself to eat your favorite treats in moderation, but I also stress how important it is to find the right balance between the two.
There are so many things you can do to keep yourself feeling your best this summer with all of the schedule changes and warm weather festivities— I have put together a list of 8 ways to help you stay on track. Simple things like swapping out unhealthy choices for healthier ones, switching up your workouts and my favorite sleep and meditation! You don't have to deprive yourself, but you also don't want to have to start from square one when September comes around.
GET OUTSIDE (EARLY) TO EXERCISE
Pick one outdoor activity a day-- going on a hike, taking a nature walk, playing games such as tag with your kids, cycling, roller blading, or swimming —I recommend getting your workouts done early, because the day gets away from us so quickly and you will feel so much better if you finish it first. I don’t know about you, but I love to workout outside —getting sun, fresh air and a good sweat, win-win! (be sure to wear sunscreen, that’s the mom and public health major in me) I love my adidas ball caps to help protect my skin from the sun.
SOME OUTDOOR IDEAS:
Bike instead of drive
Try a different walking or running route
Take an outdoor fitness class with friends
Join an outdoor volleyball league
Do a sunrise yoga class
Hire a trainer and workout outdoors
Go try a new hiking spot
2. CHOOSE YOUR DRINKS WISELY
When in doubt, drink water. That is always my golden rule and I normally only drink water and kombucha. You can make water more interesting by adding lemon or mint, or when you are needing some carbonation— my go to is spindrift. I am also a huge iced tea drinker in the summer months, but make sure you are not drinking tea loaded with sugar. I know many will be asking what alcoholic drinks to choose, so I found a page that has healthier alcoholic drink recipes —click here and one that gives you options when ordering out—click here. (my fav on this list is to add vodka to kombucha!) Since I have Celiac, I cannot drink beer and am not really a fan, so if I do drink, I will have a glass of pinot noir or a hard kombucha.
3. CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING HEALTHY TO YOUR HANGOUTS
Whenever I am invited to a BBQ or party, I always contribute something that is healthy, delicious and something that everyone can enjoy. Get creative with your regular types of summer treats and here are some summer swaps to save calories—click here.
4. GRILL ALL THE VEGGIES
Grilling veggies gives them so much flavor and can help you fill up your plate with goodness rather than all of the other items that may be available. You can throw vegetables directly onto the grill or into a grilling basket. I love to grill when I can and it is fun to mix it up from the normal sautéed or steamed veggies. Try grilling bell peppers, onions, Brussels sprouts or onions!
5. SLEEP AND MEDITATE.
If you don’t do this already, you should! As a mom of 2 littles, some weeks are better than others. ha. but as you may know, getting enough sleep is vital to feeling good, losing weight and staying healthy—it's so easy to forget. When you are getting enough sleep, anything is possible, am I right?. Throw in some meditation and you will thank me! You can read some more about this by clicking here.
I'm loving my comfy adidas set to wear to bed and winding down with my 5 minute meditation.
6. FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many friends who are like me and like to workout. It keeps me in check even on the days when I would much rather just go to the beach and be lazy. Even my 3 year old reminds me, “mom, let’s do a workout,.” I don’t know about you but for me it is much more fun to workout with someone and share my healthy food choices with them. If you can’t think of anyone close to you, you can always text or call your friend, sister, mom, etc. When in doubt, can always use me as your accountability partner and tag or message me on instagram. I will be sure to call you out when I haven’t seen or heard from you in a while.
7. EAT MORE WATERMELON
If you know me, I bet this isn’t a shocker that I put this on this list. If you don’t know me, well I’m totally obsessed with watermelon. For starters, it tastes delicious and is so refreshing, but it is also low in calories (only 92 calories per 2-cup serving), and it fills you up because it's 92 percent water—which helps keep you hydrated —and as a busy mom, this is a WIN. One cup of watermelon has 7.5 to 10 milligrams of the antioxidant lycopene, which is a good source of vitamins A and C, and also contains potassium, vitamin B6 and thiamine. Talk about a win-win.
8. PLAN IT OUT
Whether you are a working mom juggling kids being home 24/7, a stay at home mom trying to stay sane entertaining the kids all day or someone who is looking to find balance in the summer months—if you fail to plan, plan to fail! Tips 1-7 will be easier to accomplish if you take the time to plan your summer out. From kids schedules, to vacations, work schedules, to appointments, workouts, grocery shopping—the list goes on—if you write it all out, it really helps having a visual of the next couple months and a plan of action, which will help you be more successful at staying healthy this summer. I love to lay out my adidas biker shorts and matching adidas crop top and training shoes at night so when I wake up I put it on and get my workout in first thing before starting my day.
**BONUS TIP**
9 . HAVE FUN!!
When in doubt, try and enjoy yourself. Before we know it, the summer will be behind us, and we will be gearing up for the craziness of the holiday season ;-)
