Last week you should have started your food diary and put into place a "mind set" to start your summer resolution and to gain that toned and healthy body you need to "get naked".
In the summer months we tend to do more socialising, eat different foods, take part in more sports or exercise and do more travelling. However, this includes longer days and shorter nights, which leads to less sleep, less time to recharge the batteries and possibly less relaxing. Trying to enjoy the summer while trying to continue to work can be stressful (the boss still wants to see your work output at the end of the week). This means that we need to feed our energy levels with the right foods, supplements and plenty of sleep. It also means we need the determination to succeed in what we intend to achieve -which is a healthy, toned, body with some weight loss and increased energy. A body over which we would be proud to pull on a pair of bermudas or a cute little bikini and walk with confidence down to the sea.
The aim of this challenge is to allow you to disrobe with an easy mind, confident and care free.
Eating smart
There are many reasons to eat smart. We need to energise our bodies, reduce inches - which may not be the same as reducing weight, but as long as the body shape changes that is all that matters. So the first tip is don't get hung up on weighing yourself every single day. In fact for the duration of this challenge give the scales to a friend and just feel how good your body is, don't measure!
There is a lot of truth in the saying "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper".
You need food for energy during the day so it doesn't make sense to eat half of your day's food in the evening (in some cases all of the day's food!). Also it is not a good idea to go to bed still digesting your last meal. So a good tip to eating smart is eat dinner early and if you have to eat it later than normal, leave at least two hours before going to bed. Ideally eat, then go out for a walk or socialise. If you want to exercise you need two hours to allow the food to digest then begin your vigorous exercise. Otherwise exercise first and eat later.
Studies have shown that people who graze, or eat little and often, are healthier than those who just eat one or two large meals a day. In practice this confirms what I suggested last week. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a couple of healthy snacks in between, preferably fruit.
Eat as much raw or lightly cooked food as you can, especially in the summer months when your body does not crave heavy foods. Cooking food changes the molecules contained within the food and destroys many valuable nutrients and the enzymes that break down food into components which can be used by the body.
Don't start the day with a stimulant. This includes tea, coffee or a cigarette. The stress state that these stimulants induce inhibits digestion of food. Go for water, a smoothie, apple juice or herbal tea.
Wait until you are fully awake before eating breakfast. Your body will not be able to digest food if it is still asleep. Leave at least an hour between waking up and breakfast. However, if you can't wait this long to eat, then take a fruit salad or a smoothie. Easy to digest carbohydrate breakfasts such as fruit and oats are better than high protein cooked breakfasts.
Eat wholefoods as much as possible. This includes brown rice, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, vegetables and fruits.
Don't add salt to your food when cooking and reduce your consumption of foods with added salt. Icelandic salt (solo) could be a healthy alternative to regular salt as it has more or less equal proportions of sodium and potassium, plus significant quantities of magnesium. Better still, get your body to become used to no added salt and just absorb the natural salt in fresh foods.
Summer is the time you could pick up a stomach bug. As garlic gives viruses, bacteria and parasites a hard time, it is a great food to include in your daily diet when travelling on holidays to different parts of the world or at home. Ideally you should have one or two cloves a day.
Limit your exposure to burnt, browned or fried foods; you will then limit your exposure to antioxidants. Try other cooking methods such as steam-frying, poaching, steaming, boiling and baking.
Neither men nor women want dry skin in the summer months. Drink at least two litres of water each day and eat plenty of water-rich foods such as fruit and vegetables. Alcohol, tea and coffee should be limited if consumed at all. Make sure your diet is low in saturated fat and high in essential fatty oils. Of your total fat intake no more than one third should be saturated fats and at least one third should be polyunsaturated oils with the remaining third from monounsaturated fats. To achieve this, eat less meat and dairy produce and more fish, seeds and their oils. White meats can be included, i.e. chicken without the skin.
The socialising during the summer months leads to a high consumption of alcohol. This is a diuretic so it dehydrates you. The healthiest recommendation is to avoid, however, your limit could be three or four drinks a week but red wine would be preferable. When drinking alcohol make sure you drink water with it to help prevent dehydration.
Watermelons are in abundance in the summer months, so use them to your benefit. Blend the flesh and seeds in an electric blender. The husks will sink to the bottom leaving the seeds, which are rich in protein, zinc, selenium, vitamin E and essential fats, in the juice. To detox, chill it and drink a pint for breakfast and another pint during the day.
In advance of going to the beach for the day, prepare a summer survival kit. In your beach bag and cool box, as well as the usual items, such as sunscreen, deodorant, hats, mobile, magazines, sunglasses and hair protector, make sure you have lots of light snacks such as water melon, prepared smoothies, other fruits, especially berries and grapes. Nuts and dried fruits, oat and sesame seed bars and lots and lots of water.
Finally, remember changing shape is about getting your metabolism working for you rather than against you. So a crash diet of below 1,000 calories a day will just cause your body to feel under threat and slow down the metabolic rate, sometimes by as much as 45 per cent. It is not just how much food that makes the difference, but the kind of food you eat. Eat slow releasing carbohydrates which produce a more consistent energy level, give longer relief from hunger and give your body a better chance to use up the food rather than turning it into fat. Bananas are great for this.
• Ms Borg is a member of the UK Guild of Health Writers
In the summer months we tend to do more socialising, eat different foods, take part in more sports or exercise and do more travelling. However, this includes longer days and shorter nights, which leads to less sleep, less time to recharge the batteries and possibly less relaxing. Trying to enjoy the summer while trying to continue to work can be stressful (the boss still wants to see your work output at the end of the week). This means that we need to feed our energy levels with the right foods, supplements and plenty of sleep. It also means we need the determination to succeed in what we intend to achieve -which is a healthy, toned, body with some weight loss and increased energy. A body over which we would be proud to pull on a pair of bermudas or a cute little bikini and walk with confidence down to the sea.
The aim of this challenge is to allow you to disrobe with an easy mind, confident and care free.
Eating smart
There are many reasons to eat smart. We need to energise our bodies, reduce inches - which may not be the same as reducing weight, but as long as the body shape changes that is all that matters. So the first tip is don't get hung up on weighing yourself every single day. In fact for the duration of this challenge give the scales to a friend and just feel how good your body is, don't measure!
There is a lot of truth in the saying "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper".
You need food for energy during the day so it doesn't make sense to eat half of your day's food in the evening (in some cases all of the day's food!). Also it is not a good idea to go to bed still digesting your last meal. So a good tip to eating smart is eat dinner early and if you have to eat it later than normal, leave at least two hours before going to bed. Ideally eat, then go out for a walk or socialise. If you want to exercise you need two hours to allow the food to digest then begin your vigorous exercise. Otherwise exercise first and eat later.
Studies have shown that people who graze, or eat little and often, are healthier than those who just eat one or two large meals a day. In practice this confirms what I suggested last week. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a couple of healthy snacks in between, preferably fruit.
Eat as much raw or lightly cooked food as you can, especially in the summer months when your body does not crave heavy foods. Cooking food changes the molecules contained within the food and destroys many valuable nutrients and the enzymes that break down food into components which can be used by the body.
Don't start the day with a stimulant. This includes tea, coffee or a cigarette. The stress state that these stimulants induce inhibits digestion of food. Go for water, a smoothie, apple juice or herbal tea.
Wait until you are fully awake before eating breakfast. Your body will not be able to digest food if it is still asleep. Leave at least an hour between waking up and breakfast. However, if you can't wait this long to eat, then take a fruit salad or a smoothie. Easy to digest carbohydrate breakfasts such as fruit and oats are better than high protein cooked breakfasts.
Eat wholefoods as much as possible. This includes brown rice, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, vegetables and fruits.
Don't add salt to your food when cooking and reduce your consumption of foods with added salt. Icelandic salt (solo) could be a healthy alternative to regular salt as it has more or less equal proportions of sodium and potassium, plus significant quantities of magnesium. Better still, get your body to become used to no added salt and just absorb the natural salt in fresh foods.
Summer is the time you could pick up a stomach bug. As garlic gives viruses, bacteria and parasites a hard time, it is a great food to include in your daily diet when travelling on holidays to different parts of the world or at home. Ideally you should have one or two cloves a day.
Limit your exposure to burnt, browned or fried foods; you will then limit your exposure to antioxidants. Try other cooking methods such as steam-frying, poaching, steaming, boiling and baking.
Neither men nor women want dry skin in the summer months. Drink at least two litres of water each day and eat plenty of water-rich foods such as fruit and vegetables. Alcohol, tea and coffee should be limited if consumed at all. Make sure your diet is low in saturated fat and high in essential fatty oils. Of your total fat intake no more than one third should be saturated fats and at least one third should be polyunsaturated oils with the remaining third from monounsaturated fats. To achieve this, eat less meat and dairy produce and more fish, seeds and their oils. White meats can be included, i.e. chicken without the skin.
The socialising during the summer months leads to a high consumption of alcohol. This is a diuretic so it dehydrates you. The healthiest recommendation is to avoid, however, your limit could be three or four drinks a week but red wine would be preferable. When drinking alcohol make sure you drink water with it to help prevent dehydration.
Watermelons are in abundance in the summer months, so use them to your benefit. Blend the flesh and seeds in an electric blender. The husks will sink to the bottom leaving the seeds, which are rich in protein, zinc, selenium, vitamin E and essential fats, in the juice. To detox, chill it and drink a pint for breakfast and another pint during the day.
In advance of going to the beach for the day, prepare a summer survival kit. In your beach bag and cool box, as well as the usual items, such as sunscreen, deodorant, hats, mobile, magazines, sunglasses and hair protector, make sure you have lots of light snacks such as water melon, prepared smoothies, other fruits, especially berries and grapes. Nuts and dried fruits, oat and sesame seed bars and lots and lots of water.
Finally, remember changing shape is about getting your metabolism working for you rather than against you. So a crash diet of below 1,000 calories a day will just cause your body to feel under threat and slow down the metabolic rate, sometimes by as much as 45 per cent. It is not just how much food that makes the difference, but the kind of food you eat. Eat slow releasing carbohydrates which produce a more consistent energy level, give longer relief from hunger and give your body a better chance to use up the food rather than turning it into fat. Bananas are great for this.
• Ms Borg is a member of the UK Guild of Health Writers