Nutrition Articles - Nutrition News

Spring is in the air and … summer is around the corner! I know a lot of people have been contacting me about getting themselves and their bodies ready for da-da- DUM …BATHING SUIT SEASON.

For those of us who live in the more northern part of the country and did not go anywhere tropical during the last six months, this can be an intimidating time. Our skin (and everything underneath it) has been tucked away, protected and hidden beneath beautiful sweaters and warm scarves. Now it is time to let every part of you take a deep breath of summer sun. Here we go!

Bathing Suit Season – a Nutritional Guide

Two important concepts to keep in mind when looking at your food in preparation for your summer self is 1) to start, try to love your body right where it is now 2) be willing to allow your food habits to change. Take into consideration that your body WANTS to change what it is eating. As mentioned in previous editions the springtime is the perfect time for the body to “go light”. If you listen closely I bet you can hear your body asking for different food, lighter food, and less food. To allow yourself to make these changes follow these guidelines:

1) Do Not Skip Meals –Eat small meals or snacks containing some PROTEIN every few hours to keep blood-sugar levels steady. Do not to let more than 3 hours go between eating. This will help keep your blood sugar stable and avoid ravenous hunger which often leads to overeating. Low blood sugar and extreme hunger are a dangerous combination.

2) Keep Healthy Snacks Around – whether you like crunch, salt or sweet, take care and prep ahead to have some energy rich™ food available for yourself. The worst type of pre-summer sabotage is stopping somewhere UNKNOWN for just A LITTLE SOMETHING to HOLD YOU OVER. Use some of these Healthy Snack Ideas or create your own.

Crunch • lite popcorn, or plain popcorn popped in paper bag in microwave/ or use coconut oil to pop in a covered pan

• frozen grapes

• 1 – 2 hard pretzels – the large Bavarian variety

• apple

• carrots – particularly the super sweet, organic baby carrots

Sweet

• organic carrots (category cross over on this one!)

• organic yogurt and over ripe fruit – all kinds of flavors to enjoy • fresh, whole fruit

• leftover grains – (i.e. brown rice, quinoa, spelt) drizzle maple syrup and cinnamon; add soy milk and bananas, heat and enjoy warm oatmeal-like porridge, cook grains in fruit juice (i.e. apple),

• smoothies – mix any of the following – whatever you have in the kitchen: fruit, ice…soy milk, yogurt, protein powder, carob powder, fruit juice, etc…

Salty

• tortilla chips and fresh salsa – try whole grain chips such as “Garden of Eatin” Brand in health food stores and try freshly made salsa vs. shelved and processed stuff.

• pickles

• fresh lime/lemon juice as seasonings or in beverage

3) Dandelion Greens – That’s right. This pesky flower has leaves that are a magic component of winter weight loss. This common "weed" of the composite family is a powerful restorative to the liver. It's also rich in minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium and zinc, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3,and C. Ounce for ounce, dandelion contains more carotene than carrots. Dandelion also cleanses the blood and liver (the organ most associated with Spring in Traditional Chinese Medicine), and increases bile production. Go clean to get lean!

4) Fruits - Fruits are cool and juicy, so they get you the water you need to stay hydrated and they also provide the vitamins and nutrients that fat-free snack foods don't. Eating a lot of fruit does not work for everyone, but if you are a person who does well with fruit “Spring Lightening” can include eating a lot of fruits.

To your health and success, Heather

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