Mindful Summer Eating
Hey, hey there friends! It’s summer so you're probably super busy and food prep is the last thing on your mind. I get it, but if there is one thing that I have seen over the years it’s women struggling to “get back on track” every September- and let me tell you, the struggle is real! So this year instead of waiting for the struggle bus in September take a few minutes each week all summer long and stay on course.
What if you didn’t have to get “back on track?” What if you could make a few small changes to your day to day mindset so that in the fall it’s just business as usual: new planners, shopping for stationary, and organizing your life for the cooler weather? OK, that stationary stuff might just be me, but you’re busy af and you don’t need to keep kicking the healthy eating can down the road. The time to deal with it is now, and I’m here to help.
Summer isn’t the time to let all of your good habits slide, here are four ways to stay focused and on track during the hottest months of the year….
1.Outsmart temptations: I know, it’s ice cream season. I love ice cream and there is no reason to skip it completely. Nor should you have to give up the pool side cocktails, the BBQ macaroni salad, or any of your favorites. But it’s not time to throw logic out the window! You know that you feel worse when you eat too much of that stuff so pace yourself. The key to success all summer long is portions. Think of those foods as precious and treat them accordingly.
Start with small portions, savor them by being present, and skip the junk that only makes you feel worse. If you have an event or special food, give it your full attention. Savor the taste, the texture, and the experience- it will be more special than if you simply hoover a bunch of junk on the go.
2.Nourish: It can be tempting to skip the veggies to “make room” for the treats, but try this instead: load up on the in-season, high nutrition, low calorie produce and you’ll have fewer cravings. Local fresh produce is only around for a short time so take advantage of what you have at your fingertips and boost your vitamin & mineral intakes while you can.
3.Hydrate: Hydration is so important, yet it’s the thing that everyone struggles with! Let me begin by saying that a dehydrated body is a sluggish body, and a hydrated body burns more calories. If that doesn’t motivate you to get in your ounces today, consider that water isn’t the only way to hydrate. You can mix it up with herbal non-alcoholic cocktails, hydrating fruits & veggies, and loaded smoothies. Check out these hydrating recipes, then stop counting ounces and start boosting nutrition while you hydrate.
4.Time: It may seem like endless summer, but in reality time gets away from you and next thing you know it’s 10pm and you haven’t eaten anything all day!
Begin by prioritizing 3 meals a day. Give yourself the gift of a 10 minute break and eat something to give you the summertime energy that you need. These two hacks are my favorite way to make sure that I have healthy meals even when my schedule is packed.
a. Cook once, eat twice. I’m not a fan of leftovers, but I do like to take advantage of times when I am cooking. When you fire up the grill throw a few extra chicken breasts on for lunch time salads all week. Sitting down for a Netflix & chill session? Sounds like the perfect time to roast some sweet potatoes & veggies for after work tomorrow. Look at your schedule with an eye for finding pockets of time that you can use to chop some veggies or cut up that watermelon.
Prepping ahead doesn’t have to take all day, and it certainly saves time and calories in the long run.
b. Use the resources you have! Grocery delivery, meal prep, and home delivered meal plans are very abundant right now. Let go of some of the control and order groceries you can pick up on the way home, the 30 minutes you save running around the store can be put to good use cooking a balanced meal. Or maybe you try out a meal-prep kit. You can commit to a couple of meals a week for the summer months and try some new recipes. If it works then awesome,if not try a different one.
It's the perfect solution to boredom and it might just inspire you to use all of those zucchini’s your garden produced this year.
And last but not least, the best advice that I have for staying on track all summer is give yourself a break.
Enjoy the raw veggies, indulge in fresh fruit, and just have fun savoring all the tastes of summer- whether they check a box for “healthy” or not!
Make sure that you download this awesome summer recipe book for more than a dozen summer recipes that you can throw together in about 30 minutes or less.
Are you looking for more support & accountability? Coming in September I'll be opening my schedule for a handful of dedicated women who want to explore mindful eating for hormone balance. Get on the wait-list & be the first to know when my schedule opens up for this 12 week program.