A Guide To A Fun, Active and Health Summer

Summer vibes give me the sensation of ultimate freedom! Warm sun, flowery scents and time outdoors does the body and mind good. At the same time, summer indulgences can get us off track with our health goals. Here’s several tips to add to your weekly summer routine:

• how you can swap out unhealthy options for healthier choices.
• how to avoid over-indulging at barbeques and garden parties
  
• fun workout activities

Level-up Your Summer Choices!

Here’s how you can swap unhealthy options for healthier options this summer!Take it one step at a time and as always, watch portion sizes.

How to avoid over-indulging at Barbecues and garden parties!

Make the Best of Drinking and Eating Out – Focus on Connection
It’s not about the food and drink, it is about being able to spend time with people. From across the table, look your friends, family, or co-workers in the eyes. Smile. Nod. Affirm. “Be” there and stay present.

Try this: Prep for eating out!

Adding a bit of mindfulness can help you to feel a bit more secure, take the pressure off potentially overeating or over drinking and focus on the connection with others.

• What questions can you ask your friends and family to create connection?
• What jokes can you tell to ease the pressure and awkwardness?
• Do you have any funny stories from your time at home?
• Can you put away the phone or use it only for pictures together instead?

Make the Best of Drinking and Eating Out – It is… about the food and drink.

Make the Best of Drinking and Eating Out – Focus on Connection
Now is the time to enjoy the best food and drink at the gathering. No matter if it’s a juicy grilled steak with lots of side veg or you prefer a delicious veggie salad bowl, enjoy it to the max. So, what does this mean?

Try this: Eat slowly and savour every delicious bite!

It may feel like you’ve never been to a party before, so take a deep breath and slow down.

• Look at your food and appreciate the colours.
• Smell and let your salivary glands get started.
• Cut into small pieces.
• Chew one piece at a time and notice, the textures, the flavour, and mouth sensations.
• Notice how the food feels when it arrives in your belly.
• Take time to notice when you feel satiated and slow down or stop eating.
• When you are full, decide it’s enough and remind yourself that it feels good to be satiated and you don’t want to eat anymore.
  

Drinking Cocktails, Beer, and other Alcoholic Beverages.

Imbibing can feel like the ultimate freedom right now, and at the same time can sabotage your healthy habits (and your morning after.)

Try this: Focus on feeling balanced by enjoying a drink with friends, but not overdoing it.

• Drink water before you go out and have a glass between each drink.
• Make sure you’ve eaten something hearty.
• Women metabolize alcohol differently than men and are more affected by it, so don’t try to keep up drink for drink.
• Remember that drinking alcohol makes you hungrier and creates the desire for fatty, fried, and sweet foods. So, make a list of healthy snacks to prepare you for the munchies the day after.
  

Staying Well Hydrated.

We all forget about drinking water. So, here is a secret easy way to add water to your daily routine. Staying hydrated goes beyond drinking water! Think about soup, fruit and raw vegetables that have a high-water content.

Try this: Freeze fresh fruit!

My favourite fruit to freeze for picnics or the pool are:

• Grapes
• Cherries
• Mango pieces
• Banana slices
  

6 FUN Easy Ways to Get in Exercise this Summer.

The weather is so nice, nobody wants to exercise in a hot gym. But what can you do to boost your physical activity? Consider adding in one or two of these easy ways to exercise into your weekly routine throughout the summer. Maybe one physical activity will stick, and you’ll start enjoying exercise that much more!

1) Do it with friends. Plan a bike tour!
Take the train, rent some bikes, and get into the countryside. Your adventure could even include an overnight stay. Most important is to log some kilometres and enjoy the scenery to the max. Bring the water bottles, as hydration is a must when you exercise to avoid muscle cramps.

2) Do it with friends. Go roller-skating!
Turn it up 80’s style. Break out the skates, rainbow t-shirts, neon bracelets and feather clips. Play some Beyonce while cruising town or the park and just have plain old fun with your besties. Don’t forget to pack a polaroid camera to capture your physical activity in style!

3) Do it with friends. Play tag with the kids!
There is nothing like running top speed to get the heart pumping. If you don’t have a kid, go borrow one from your sister, auntie, or friends. I am sure they would be happy to have an hour free for themselves. If you can play tag in a grassy field with trees you get extra points for added nature, if not… find a playground or open square where you can run freely and feel your muscles burn!

4) Do it with friends. Play basketball!
No experience required. Simply running around with a ball and laughing will suffice as exercise. Bring lots of water and good supportive shoes. For bonus sport points as a warmup for basketball, run up and down a flight of stairs. Stairs exercise your legs and get your heart pumping.

5) Do it with friends. Yoga in a gorgeous place!
Find a lovely park, waterfront area or beach. Could also be a city square. You’ll need to start mega early in the morning to avoid crazy people watching and keep the heat at bay. There is something magical about yoga, the breath and doing something physically together with friends at the same time.

6) Do it with friends. Marco Polo!
Hot weather and swimming pools go hand in hand. If the water is a bit too chilly, play Marco Polo with your friends in the pool. One person closes their eyes and says “Marco.” The others say, “Polo” and the Marco tries to catch a Polo. Expect tons of laughs as it is difficult to move quickly in the swimming pool and therefore you will start to warm up and get some exercise at the same time. Fun, fun!Let your summer be creative!Which sport works for you? Inspire you and your friends to get outside and start making better choices that feel good in your body. It doesn’t have to happen overnight. Just one simple change at a time and MAKE IT FUN!