5 Tips for a Healthy Summer

Most of us would like to believe we are healthier in the summer – we spend more time outside, and we trade heavy, hearty winter fare for light, summer salads, right? Maybe, but summer is also the time for lazing around, sipping beer and cocktails on patios, barbecuing burgers and hot dogs, munching on mini-donuts at the Stampede, and cooling down with ice cream and popsicles… yikes!

Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help you stay healthy this summer, while still giving yourself room to relax and indulge!

1) Plan ahead

A useful tip for all seasons, planning ahead for different situations can help make it easier for you to make healthier choices, whether it’s offering to bring something healthy to eat, or preparing yourself for a situation where your choices may be limited. For example,

• If you are flying this summer, pack easily transportable fruit, like apples, pears and oranges, as airports are notorious for not having fresh produce, and if it is available, it is very expensive. Raw vegetables, nuts, granola bars and whole grain crackers also make good snacks. For something more substantial, pack a pasta salad or bean salad. Leafy salads can work too – put the dressing in a small takeout container for your carry-on. Also pack an empty water bottle you can fill up once you get past security to help you stay hydrated during the flight.

 

• If you are taking a road trip, bring lunch in a cooler to avoid eating at greasy truck stops. On the way back, you can stop at a farm or market and use your cooler to bring home fresh, local produce.

2) Follow the 80/20 Rule

It’s nearly impossible to be “good” all the time, especially in the summer! A more reasonable approach – which can be used in any season – is to follow the 80/20 Rule: aim to eat healthily 80% of the time, while leaving room to indulge 20% of the time. This strategy works because it allows you to enjoy your treats and unhealthy foods, then simply move on. if you instead tried to eat healthy 100% of the time, the moment you eat something “unhealthy”, it can make you feel guilty and negative about yourself for breaking your own rule and not being perfect. As a result, you may end up indulging more just because you have been so restrictive with yourself, and it will be more difficult to get back on track. 

The 80/20 Rule can also be used to plan ahead. For example, you may choose to serve yourself a smaller portion at dinner so you can treat yourself to dessert, or swap an iced cappuccino for a lightly sweetened iced tea so you can indulge in something else later on in the day.

3) Indulge… in seasonal fruits and vegetables

Who says that eating healthy can’t be delicious? Summer is the perfect time to discover fresh, local produce. Sweet, juicy fruit alone is perfect for dessert or a snack. Fresh, crisp vegetables can be enjoyed raw in a salad, or simply blanched or grilled. If you can’t afford to spend extra money on organic produce from the Farmers’ Market, you don’t have to – some grocery stores provide information on where the produce comes from, making it easy to buy what's in local and in season. You will also find that foods that are in season tend to be less expensive.

4) Be honest with the calories you burn

When we are active and spending more time outside, it’s tempting to say that it’s OK to treat ourselves because we’ve “earned it” or that we’ll “burn it off anyway”. While this may be true if you are going on long runs or bike rides, walking around the Stampede grounds will not burn off two corndogs, a bag of mini-donuts and a pineapple twist. (Sorry!) Again, it’s all right to treat yourself once in a while (see: 80/20 Rule), as long as you are being honest with yourself as to how this contributes to your energy balance in a day.

5) Don’t drink your calories

It’s important to keep hydrated over the summer, but if you are drinking beverages other than water, the calories can add up! Beverages are particularly “dangerous” as they do not fill us up the same way that food does.

A beer will set you back 100-150 calories, while a piña colada can have nearly 250 calories! It’s not just the alcoholic drinks – a Grande Frappuccino from Starbucks is between 250-450 calories (depending on the flavour) while the Banana Buzz smoothie at Jugo Juice clocks in at 510 calories!

Water alone can get a little boring – try perking it up with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. You can also try throwing in a few frozen berries, or adding sliced cucumber and muddled mint.

Another idea is to keep a pitcher of unsweetened iced tea in the fridge. The tea can be made by brewing the tea as you normally would and then chilling it, or you can cold brew the tea by putting the tea bags in ice cold water and letting it sit for a night or two. Sweeten the tea with honey, agave nectar or simple syrup (made by boiling equal parts sugar and water until sugar is dissolved) and/or flavour with a splash of your favourite juice.