The transition from cold to warmer weather brings about a number of changes to our lifestyle and health.
During the warmer months of the year, your body will naturally crave different foods and your typical workout schedule and diet may be disrupted by social commitments.
It is important to maintain our health throughout the months of Summer to fuel our bodies with energy, confidence and nutrients. Above all, this is a great time to find balance in our lives so we can enjoy all the things we love, while feeling amazing.
We know that between holidays, events and end of year celebrations, maintaining a healthy movement routine and balanced diet can be difficult. So we’ve made it easy for you.
Welcome to part two – Healthy Summer Swaps
With Summer comes holidays, parties and celebrations filled with our favourite foods we often associate with the warmer weather.
While everyone loves to indulge sometimes with hot chips at the beach or ice creams in the sunshine, these foods are not always beneficial to our health. Often high in sugar and low in nutritional value, they can leave us feeling sluggish, doing little to no good for our gut health, skin and digestion.
However, there is no need to fear missing out when there are a range of healthy alternatives to our favourite Summer foods. Here is a quick guide to making healthy swaps when it comes to Holiday season.
Iced Coffee
A popular Summer swap to your hot coffee, sometimes with some hidden ingredients. Skip the sugary iced coffees made with syrups and ice cream. Opt for an iced long black, cold brew or iced latte with milk of your choice. Ask for no added sugar, or add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten.
Ice Blocks
Try dicing up fruits and popping them in the freezer for a delicious ice block alternative. The natural sugars makes for a sweet, refreshing snack without nasty added ingredients and colourings. My favourites are watermelon and bananas. Try freezing orange slices and adding them to mineral water for a refreshing, citrus flavour.
Soft Drink
One of the worst foods for your health! Soft drink is high in sugar and offers no nutritional value. Swap your soft drink for a Kombucha (contains probiotics for a healthy gut) or mineral water with a squeeze of lime or frozen fruit blocks.
Burgers
Burgers do not have to be the greasy, unhealthy kind. Rather than a takeaway cheese burger, opt to making your own using fresh ingredients, loaded with salad and veggies on sourdough bread. Avoid white bread and make your own sauce or dressings. Try our Black Bean Beetroot Burgers from the Summer Meal Plan.
Hot Chips
A quintessential Summer favourite! Unfortunately deep fried in oil and covered in salt. Try making your own in the oven with just a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of quality salt. Swap potatoes for carrots, beetroot, sweet potato and parsnip for a variety of vegetables and vitamins.
Another simple alternative is crunchy raw vegetables with homemade hummus or tomato sauce. Make your own with diced tomatoes, cooked with herbs for a tasty tomato relish.
Get creative!
Share your favourite Healthy Summer Swaps on Instagram and Facebook to inspire our community to do the same.
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