5 healthy eating tips for summer

Summer is the perfect time to commit to a healthy eating and exercise plan.

The weather is warm, the water is inviting and there is no excuse not to get outdoors and get active.

When it comes to healthy eating don’t get confused with all the latest diet trends, what you’re looking to do is eat clean, colourful and balanced meals.

Think rainbow

If there is one thing to remember it’s ‘think rainbow’. If your meals are full of colour you know you’re on the right track; red cabbage, carrots, broccoli, red capsicum, asparagus, yellow squash will brighten up your plate and nourish your body.

Fruit and vegetables should be the bulk of your diet. Ideally, you should be consuming two pieces of summer fruit and eight servings of seasonal vegetables each day.

Processed grains are out

Remove processed cereals and grain products from your diet and replace with whole grains such as brown rice, rolled oats, sprouted rye bread and quinoa.

Processed and refined grain products provide little more than carbohydrate whereas whole-grain options are packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre, all of which are essential to health.

TIP: A good way to choose bread is to feel the weight. The heavier the bread the better it is for you.

Include organic protein

Protein provides amino acids vital for muscle repair, immune function and appetite control.

Choose organic eggs, chicken, turkey and lamb.

Fresh fish should be consumed three times each week. Switch from grain-fed to grass-fed meats.

Don’t forget good quality fats

Fresh nuts and seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil and nut oils should be included in a balanced healthy diet.

Coconut is fantastic to cook with and flaxseed oil is great on salads.

Look in the healthy food section of your supermarket, or visit your local health food store.

Hydration

A common cause of fatigue and lack of concentration is simple dehydration.

This is especially evident in summer as the warm weather causes us to lose more fluid via sweating in the attempt to cool ourselves down.

Invest in a good one litre, BPA free water bottle and make it a mission to get through at least two bottles of water per day. Homemade iced tea is another great way to stay hydrated throughout summer.