5 Nutrition Tips To Keep You Healthy This Summer
As the weather warms up, you want to take your activity outside and enjoy the new season. Warm sunny skies, a long walk on hiking trails, a dip in the pool, and an outdoor Pilates class with your friends will create fun memories. However, your body needs more attention than ever to keep up with the heat. Here are five nutrition tips to keep you healthy this summer.
1. Stick With Lean Meats
Instead of burgers and brats for summer meals, stick with lean meats and healthy vegan options. You can make delicious dishes with poultry, such as ground turkey and skinless chicken breasts, for satisfying proteins to support the body and brain.
Additionally, consider throwing more fish and shellfish into your diet, such as tuna, salmon, lobster, and calamari, for a bump in omega-3s and other beneficial vitamins. Lastly, you can find plant-based protein, pea protein, tofu, and soybeans, which are high in healthy vitamins.
2. Keep Up With Hydration
Whether you’re doing Pilates outdoors or going outside regularly, the advice that you should watch your hydration is an essential nutrition tip to keep you healthy this summer. Dehydration can happen quicker than you’d expect, so carry around a reusable water bottle to stay cool. You can also set a reminder to drink water every few hours to stay hydrated all day.
3. Bump Up Your Fruits and Veggies
There’s nothing more satisfying than having a cold piece of fruit or a water-dense vegetable to keep you cool in the summertime. Fruits and vegetables provide many vitamins and minerals to support your body in the intense heat.
Some beneficial vegetables include avocados, greens, tomatoes, bell peppers. Fruits and vegetables deliver vitamins C, A, K, and B, as well as fiber, potassium, and folates.
4. Buy Yourself Healthy Snacks
Snacking on sweets or simple carbs won’t provide you with the necessary energy you’ll need to manage the heat. Because of their short-chain amino acids, you’ll get a short, temporary boost in energy. But as your insulin levels spike, you crash much quicker and feel sluggish. Instead, find light snacks that will give you the energy you need, such as seeds, trail mixes, nuts, and fruits.
5. Keep Your Food Safe
Hot weather can quickly soil food in your home. Cold foods should ideally stay in temperatures at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. As for cooking your food, stay at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bacterial growth. Make sure to cook your fish thoroughly, as catching Botulism is dangerous. Lastly, avoid cross-contamination by keeping uncooked foods and raw foods separate.