A Nutritionist’s Tips to Help You Slim Down by Summer

With the summer only one month away, it can leave most of us feeling like we’re in crunch-mode to get that ‘perfect body.’ The goal for a perfect body seems lofty,  but it doesn’t mean that you can’t make a difference in the way you look and most importantly in how you feel in the next few weeks before summer. After all, a lot of our own confidence in our bodies comes from the way that we feel more than anything. So let’s get you feeling good!

You can ALWAYS make a difference in both the way you feel and look whether you have 5 days, 5 months or longer. There’s always time to make improvements. The key focus should be on nourishing our bodies and providing it with healthy fuel to make us healthier overall.

To help you get on the road to looking your best, and feeling your best too I have pulled together 9 tips for you to follow.

1. Make at least 50% of your plate vegetables.

   This is the best way to both nourish your body and can help to reduce total calories you consume while helping to keep you fuller too.

2. Eat breakfast.

   Breakfast is such a hot topic in the health and nutrition world, and often something that I find that clients skip, but I really don’t ever recommend skipping it. I find that sometimes we can actually end up hungrier later in the day from skipping meals like breakfast. Start the day with a power-packed breakfast by adding some healthy fat or protein (add avocado to your smoothie, add nuts to your oatmeal, make a yummy scrambled egg dish with veggies).

3. Hold the salt.

   Some salt is really important, but we are by no means starved for salt in most of our diets. Most of us consume more salt than we could ever imagine. Of course there are negatives to salt like elevated blood pressure, but salt can make us thirstier, and hungrier, and can also make us retain water and feel rather bloated. Use lemon/lime juice and salt-free herb and spice mixes to flavor your food instead.

4. Cut the caffeine.

   Caffeine is probably one of our biggest (and worst) vices because it does a really good job of revving us up, but it really doesn’t do all that great of a job of providing our bodies energy and fuel to thrive. As well, caffeine can cause cortisol levels to increase, which can also cause us to retain fluid (also a minus) and can also affect how well our bodies balance our blood sugar.

5. Eat foods that will help you de-bloat.

   Choose foods that contain natural anti-bloat properties like parsley, asparagus, lettuces, ginger, cucumbers, and beets.

6. Cut the artificial sweeteners.

   Artificial sweeteners not only affect our sensation of satiety, but they can also contribute to some gassiness and bloating as well. Skip the artificial sweeteners and instead choose sweeteners that contain some nutritional benefit like honey or maple syrup instead.

7. Eat smaller and more frequent meals.

   Smaller and more frequent meals can help to promote satiety, balance blood sugar and promote healthful and regular digestion too. Choose to have small and frequent meals that contain some healthy fat, fiber or protein like a smoothie or a juice.

8. Add a juice or smoothie into your day.

   Smoothies and juices are great ways to add more healthy nutrients into your everyday and can help to promote overall health too. Here is one of my favorite fresh, green smoothies.

9. Get moving!

   Movement is helpful of course when it comes to burning calories, but it’s also helpful and beneficial when it comes to mood boosting and increasing our feeling of positivity. The best way to get moving is along with friends and family members – so invite them to join in too. Here’s a few of my favorite workouts that you can try:
   24 minute no equipment workout
   14 minute no excuses workout

   Last but certainly not least, you can sign up for a 15-Day Guided Reboot program.