Foods to eat in the Heat of Summer

WOW!  No matter what part of Australia you live in, this Summer has been a scorcher – and it looks like there are a lot more ‘hot’ days to come.   Sometimes you may not feel like eating when it’s hot outside, but it’s important that you do simply because you run the risk of becoming deficient in vitamins and minerals.  Not only that, you have to ‘feed’ your body to keep your metabolism burning energy – food deprivation can lead to a slowing down of your metabolism which increases your chance of gaining weight.  Below are some great ideas that will help to keep you cool on the inside:  

• Salads:   I guess this is an obvious suggestion however if you find salads ‘boring’ then you need to ‘mix it up’ from the usual ‘lettuce, tomato and cucumber’.  Be sure to use a lot of fresh herbs in your salad to vary the tastes.  Better still, have a look in our Recipe Book – we have a great variety of salad ideas that are quick to prepare and delicious!
• Veggie sticks and salsa:   If you have friends coming over for dinner, this is a great starter on a hot night.  Make ‘veggie sticks’ from carrot, cucumber and capsicum and keep them stored in cold water in the fridge until serving – then just drain the water away and arrange on the platter.  The veggies will be cold, crisp and retain their high water content – perfect for a balmy summer night (not to mention a healthy snack for kids on school holidays too!)
• Summer soups:  Chilled soups are a perfect summer meal, particularly if the heat has robbed you of your appetite.  Gazpacho is particularly good – full of vitamin-packed vegetables (including the antioxidant lycopene which is found in tomatoes), low fat and very tasty.  Here is a great recipe (just leave out the sugar):  http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/gazpacho
• Fruit kebabs:   A favourite on our Health & Vitality eating plan but also makes the perfect summer dessert.  Make sure you prepare the kebabs in advance, squeeze lemon juice over each one (to stop the fruit from ‘browning’) and keep chilled until you are ready to serve.

Your best weapon against the heat is to stay hydrated – and water is the best candidate for the job!  Aim to drink at least 1.5 litres to prevent dehydration, as you do sweat much more in the summer so it is very important to replace the water you lose. A delicious and healthy alternative is tohave your water with our Bio – fermented Lychy Iced Tea. Bio-fermented Lychee Iced Tea is a green tea with anti-oxidants and is a guilt free alternative iced tea. Lychee iced  tea has a good nutritional profile, with very high levels of potassium, and good amounts of polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, and beta-carotene, as well as Vitamin C and assorted B Vitamins. 

The Natural Way can help you lose weight in Summer… and Winter, Spring or Autumn.  The fantastic variety of programs we offer coupled with our unique Recipe Book means we have oodles of options for meals that are designed to suit your tastes and lifestyle (not to mention the temperature).  So if 2021 is the year you are going to lose weight, call us now on 1300 SLIMMER (1300 754 663) to book your FREE appointment.  With over 40 years in the weight loss business, we know The Natural Way program will work for you!

 Find out more about us here:  www.thenaturalway.com.au