Weight loss tips

Weight loss tips for the summer

The summer is approaching and many people have several misconceptions about their diet habits during the summer period. This article outlines 10 weight loss tips especially for the summer period. It clarifies the truths and myths regarding a proper and healthy summer diet.

The summer is approaching and many people have several misconceptions about their diet habits during the summer period.

This article outlines 10 weight loss tips especially for the summer period. It clarifies the truths and myths regarding a proper and healthy summer diet.

1. Weight loss tips for alcohol and cocktails

Is it better to drink a cocktail rather than a strong drink?

The cocktails usually contain larger amount of alcohol than a simple drink. Moreover, they contain juice or milk and this increases the calories they contain. So if you prefer a cocktail to reduce the number of calories you consume, this is wrong.

If on the other hand a cocktail seems more refreshing, this depends on the amount of alcohol they contain since a large quantity of alcohol causes dehydration. For example, a whiskey has about 140 calories from the alcohol it is containing (40% to 50 ml, which is a portion, i.e. 20 grams of alcohol, with each gram of alcohol gives 7 calories) while a pina colada starts from 410 calories (100 ml rum has 280 calories and 50 ml coconut liqueur has 56 calories, due to lower alcohol and 150 ml pineapple juice has 74 calories).

Moreover, this cocktail contains a total of 68 grams alcohol, which exceeds the levels of 40 grams, which is the recommended limit of alcohol consumption.

2. Weight loss tips: Alcoholic drinks can help you fight thirst

The beer can make you less thirsty more than anything else?

The beer, like most spirits is not a good way to fight your thirst. During the summer, our body to maintain constant temperature eliminates water through sweat, which should make us very cautious in our diet.

Approximately 80% of a person’s daily needs in water come from taking water and other liquids and the remaining 20% from foods. Typically, water is the first choice, but a number of other fluids can contribute to water uptake, such as juices, milk, soda, tea, coffee, soft drinks and fruit and vegetables. In contrast, alcohol leads to dehydration, while we believe that it helps our thirst.

3. Weight loss tips: Frozen drinks cannot help you fight thirst easily

The frozen drinks are not absorbed quickly by the digestive system and therefore do not hydrate the body better. It is indeed likely to have the opposite effect. In any case any drink can be refreshing without being cold and in a temperature that would better satisfy the feeling of thirst.

4. Weight loss tips: The excessive heat of summer reduces appetite

The high temperatures developed in the summer are dealt with the human body through the elimination of water. If the combustion-taking place inside the body produces extra heat, the required adjustment is even more difficult.

That is why we can not consume large amounts of food during the lunchtime hours, regardless of the sense of appetite. The heat does not diminish the appetite; just adjust to the climate of the season.

5. Weight loss tips: During the summer we should eat at night

There is no specific time of the day we should eat and of course the night is an equally good time like noon for lunch. Just be sure to eat dinner at least three hours before sleep, we during the summer we prefer to eat night because it is not so hot, like all the afternoon. This does not mean that we should not eat anything all day and at night to eat three meals together.

In this case the load on the digestive system is heavy and does not facilitate our digestion, thus causing discomfort, which is worse than lunch.

6. Weight loss tips: During summer foods should be very salted

During summer it is recommended to eat lightly salted foods because salt although it causes thirst it helps fluid retention, thus less loss of liquid. However, it is quite normal to eat salted foods all the time and not add more salt in summer!

During the summer we can eat our meals, salted, and in winter we can reduce the salt added! Let us not forget that the dietary guidelines allow consumption 6 gr. salt daily, a full teaspoon! Moreover, for people with high blood pressure that limit drops to half, thus increasing temperatures in the summer can not serve as an excuse to cause serious health problems.

7. Weight loss tips: We do not need to put the food in the fridge, if we are going to eat it in the next few days

Particularly during the summer, humidity and high temperatures favour the growth of microbes. Therefore, cooked food must be maintained always in the fridge, otherwise a risk to develop pathogens in it and to cause gastrointestinal problems.

8. Weight loss tips: During the summer fruits are sweeter, so they are more fattening

The summer fruits are liked by most people and because we have the false impression that what we like is fattening; we assume that we should not eat them. It should be clear that all fruits contain 15 grams. 80 g sugars., so the energy efficiency of each fruit depends purely on the quantity that will consume.

However, because the summer fruits are more delicious, we tend to eat large quantities and actually acquire more calories. But if we think that a portion of fruit corresponds to a slice of watermelon or melon, or 2 apricot, or peach or 8-10 cherries or grapes, then we understand how much fruit we should eat in order to follow the recommendation of 3 to 6 fruit per day, depending to our energy needs.

9. Weight loss tips: The melted ice cream is not a healthy choice and we must avoid it

The ice cream is maintained at freezing temperatures and must be consumed soon after removing it from the refrigerator so as not to grow microbes. This does not mean that we cannot eat it melted, simply when it melts it must be consumed and not return to the freezer, because it increases the risk of ‘damage’.

That is why we insist to verify if they ice cream has crystals, which shows us that it has been re-frozen, and it is very important that fridges are kept at a shady place and not under the warm sun.

10. Weight loss tips: When you eat do not go to sea, because you will drown

The process of digestion requires a large amount of blood transferred in the digestive system and thus is missing from the other organs. So when you consume large quantities of food you are feeling drowsy (this is because less blood is in the brain). This does not mean that if you eat a light meal or a sandwich you cannot cool down to the sea.

Just you should not swim if the lack of blood supply in your muscles can cause cramps and numbness or when you consume extra food and can not get adequate breathing or our heart cannot draw enough blood to meet the needs and of digestive and swimming.

 

About the author

Hara Hagikalfa

Hara Hagikalfa completed her BSc(Hons) in Health and Exercise Science, Sports Science and Medicine. She is a certified Personal Trainer and Pilates instructor. You can learn more about Hara and connect with her on Facebook