Welcome to the summer sun, longer days, and chaotic schedules.  With our hectic schedules and activities we often forgot to eat.  Research has shown that we consume fewer calories in the summer than winter due to the heat.  Regardless if we are swimming, biking, hiking, gardening, walking, running, or playing tennis, we need to pay close attention to our nutritional needs.

WATER

• Losing 2 to 3% of your body weight (3 pounds water = 8 glasses of water) can hinder your physical performance in strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity.
•  Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after physical activity.
• For activities lasting more than an hour try fruit juices or sport drinks to replace electrolytes (sodium, chloride, and potassium).
• Watch out for alcohol drinks before outdoor activities since alcohol does promote dehydration.

CARBOHYDRATES

• Body’s preferred energy source.
• Choose complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, whole grain products, beans, legumes, and peas.
• Reduce simple carbohydrates such as cookies, candy, soft drinks, and white refined products.

FAT

• Helps power activities of longer duration.
• Choose unsaturated fats (healthier fat) derived from olive oil, raw almonds, mayonnaise made with canola, and seafood.
• Reduce saturated fats and trans fatty acids.  These are fats that are solid at room temperature such as baked goods, fried foods, margarine, and palm kernel oil.
• Try not to limit your fat grams during the summer heat since fat satisfies the body’s cravings.

PROTEIN

• Build muscle.
• Good sources include lean meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, eggs, beans, tofu, and nuts.

OTHER NUTRIENTS

• Iron such as red meat, dark turkey meat, clams, oysters, iron-fortified cereals, legumes, and dried apricots.
• Consume your iron foods with vitamin C (citrus fruit) to increase absorption.
• Do not consume your high iron foods with calcium, because calcium decreases absorption of iron.
• Calcium helps build, and maintain strong, healthy bones. Foods that are high in calcium include, dairy products, tofu, broccoli, sardines, and salmon.

Enjoy the long, hot summer days with proper nutrition. By doing so your energy will increase and weight will decrease while having fun.