Make some changes to your lifestyle to shape up for summer
With summer approaching and warmer weather on the way, it will soon be time to bare our bodies again, whether bathing by the pool, relaxing on the beach, or being out and about clad sparsely in more revealing clothing.
To help us look and feel our best this summer, pioneering natural health store, Nutrition Centre, have created a ‘Shape Up for Summer Guide’, sharing their secrets for shedding those pounds while also managing to feel healthy, vibrant and energised.
Clare Galpin, Director of Nutrition Centre, says: “We recommend that looking and feeling your best for the summer boils down to three key things: eating the right foods, taking regular exercise and supporting your healthy food intake with vitality boosting supplements. Follow our recommendations for each of these in our Shape Up for Summer Guide and you’ll be feeling radiant, alive and raring to head for the beach in tip top shape for the summer!”
FOOD FOR FUEL
Rather than viewing food as your biggest enemy when trying to shed those pounds, try changing your perception and seeing food as vital fuel for fitness and wellbeing. Here’s some essential tips on which foods boost your energy, which leave you sluggish and which make you look and feel fantastic.
Carbohydrates, protein and fats
Most importantly, ensure your diet contains plenty of carbohydrates, protein and fats, and all in combination for optimum health benefits. Carbohydrates, as found in vegetables, fruits and grains, are your main energy source and without them you’ll be feeling sluggish, tired and unwell. A regular intake of protein, best sourced in meat, eggs and fish, is vital for helping your body repair itself and stay lean, while maintaining beautiful skin, hair and nails. Vegetarians and vegans can ingest a certain amount of protein from legumes and grains, and you can try a non dairy supplement made from soya, hemp or pea to top up your levels. The right kind of fats are essential for a healthy diet, such as oily fish, seeds, nuts, avocado and coconut oil.
When it comes to considering what foods you need to cut back on, Clare Galpin recommends keeping a food journal, she says: “Take a long hard look at what you eat and be really honest with yourself. Do you tell yourself that you only eat loads of vegetables, but overlook that large bowl of pasta followed by the tasty piece of carrot cake? If so, you need to be tough with yourself. It’s time to decide, it’s you or the carrot cake! A food journal requires honesty, even that one chocolate you found on the staff room table goes in your journal! And once you’ve brought awareness to your unhelpful eating habits you need to make changes. If you’re not at your ideal weight now then you’re not eating your body’s ideal food types.”
Cut down on processed foods
When you can make the time, making your meals from scratch helps avoid eating hidden preservatives, artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated oils. Most importantly, cut back on soda, dairy chocolate and package bought cookies, cakes and sweets. Instead when you want a snack, grab a healthy snack bar made with fruit and nuts, such as pulsin bars, nakd bars, 9 bars and bounce balls. Whatever you’re doing, keep healthy snacks at hand to avoid temptation.
Eat regularly
Be sure to eat regular meals and don’t skip breakfast, it sets you up with energy for the day. At the very least eating fruit or making breakfast bars with oats, honey, dry fruit and nuts will be much better for you than sugar laden cereal with cow’s milk. And if you’re hungry, eat! Don’t starve yourself, your body is telling you it needs fuel so just feed it the right stuff. And try to include six or seven portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
Learn to cook healthily
If you love cooking then make the switch, get passionate about making nutrient dense meals packed with colourful vegetables. If you’ve always hated cooking, then try to learn to love it, it could be your key to enjoying how your body looks and feels. Start simple. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring or complicated. Acquire a few different herbs and spices on your shelf, learn what goes with what meats and start making tasty dishes. If you are looking for inspiration, try reading The Medicinal Chef by Dale Pinnock.
EXERCISE
Exercise is crucial for shaping up for the summer. But to stay motivated, it needs to be fun, so find a form of exercise you enjoy and do it regularly. Little and often works well if you struggle to find dedicated time. Aim for at least three exercise sessions a week to start with, making sure you leave plenty of time in between to recover. Personal trainers are a great way to get motivated if you can afford one, even if you only do a session once a fortnight. And if you’ve no budget for the gym, that’s no excuse – some of the best things in life are free! Get out for a run or a walk, and there always those exercises you can do at home like squats, sit ups, burpees, push ups, tricep dips and jumping jacks. And why not get a skipping rope? Try and do as many skips as you can without stopping and you’ll soon be trying to beat your score.
And on those days when you’re struggling, when all you want to do is kick back and relax, just remind yourself why you’re doing this and what your goals are - you’re probably not going to achieve them lounging on the sofa, so get back out there and keep working on it!
SUPPLEMENTS
When shaping up for summer, you may feel you want extra support to complement your efforts getting your eating right and supplements can really help with this.
Green Food supplements like spirulina, chlorella, wheatgrass and nettle can be a useful addition to a healthy diet, providing vitamins, trace minerals, enzymes and antioxidants to nourish and purify the body. For a winning combination of these greens try Pukka Clean Greens Powder which can be added to juice or water and taken twice daily to cleanse your system. Alternatively, as a useful adjunct to diet and exercise, Pukka Weight Balance offers a powerful blend of organic herbs and superfoods to help bring your metabolism under control and support digestion.
Bearing in mind that most thermogenic (fat burning) supplements contain high levels of caffeine, Solgar Thermogenic Complex is a good “low caffeine” option with the same demonstrated thermogenic properties. Green Tea, a rich source of catechins shown to stimulate thermogenesis and fat oxidation is helpful for limiting weight regain; likewise Green Coffee, which also reduces blood sugar levels, increases insulin sensitivity and increases lean body mass - perfect for anyone wanting to shape up and lose fat.
Shakes can be a useful addition to a healthy diet, but don’t rely on them for all your nutrients. Supplements should never replace real food and proper eating. But shakes can be a simple and effective way to top up protein levels after a hard training session. Try the Nutiva Hemp Shake, complete with just 120 calories per shake, no artificial flavourings and packed full of easily digestible, high quality plant protein – it’s ideal for adding it to a smoothie or almond/rice milk for a fantastic high protein snack.
Clare Galpin says: “Remember that supplements are like the super boost for your body, giving you that little bit extra, but you have to work on your diet and your exercise regime to reap the real benefits supplements can offer. Get these three things sorted, stick with it, and you will be feeling alive, energised and ready to hit the beach looking in tip top shape for summer!”
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