Health clubs and gyms are a little more packed than usual this time of year. In the mad rush to carry a little less weight for those out-of-town trips where physique flaunting is required, gyms are abuzz with activity.
Sweaty bodies are hitting the cardio machines and weights with renewed fervor that can only indicate that summer is indeed upon us.
Consequently, it is also the season of crash dieting. Some will limit food intake to dangerously low levels. The thing with crash diets is they do not quite make sense. While we may lose some weight in the short term, chances are, we will be gaining it back—and then some. For active individuals, erroneously restricting food intake may deprive us of the necessary nutrients to perform our daily functions.
A sensible option would be make better, healthier food choices. To lose body fat, apart from exercise, making good food choices is key. Five small, healthy meals a day will keep the body’s metabolism running, switching it into fat-burning mode.
Apart from the requisite breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is advisable to take a midmorning and afternoon snack. The benefit of this, aside from keeping our metabolism in overdrive, is that it may prevent us from over-indulging during regular meals.
Take note that these should be healthy choices. Not just any snack. So, instead of the usual slice of cake, various fried sweets, junk food, processed foods and whatnot, here are some snack options that may help support our fitness goals this summer:
- Fruits with cottage cheese—Bananas, apples, papaya or honeydew will go well with a tablespoon or two of cottage cheese. The vitamins and nutrients in the fruit are a perfect complement to the protein found in cottage cheese. This is a good alternative to the usual sugary snacks. You satiate your sugar fix somewhat, and get to put some protein in your system.
- Protein shake—For those who lift and consequently want to constantly feed the muscles for sustained growth, a scoop or two of protein powder mixed with water or nonfat milk is an excellent snack alternative. Easy to prepare and hassle free.
- Whole-wheat bread with peanut butter—A slice of whole-wheat bread smothered with peanut butter is a healthy filling snack that provides the body with slow-digesting carbohydrates and protein all at once. This keeps you fuller longer. Just make sure the brand of peanut butter you choose has no more than 7 grams of sugar per serving of about 1 teaspoon.
- Chicken/tuna sandwich on whole wheat—This is an excellent choice for those wanting added protein in their diet in support of muscle growth. Tuna and chicken breasts contain loads of protein with minimal fat and other undesirables. Do not scrimp on the tuna and chicken. Load up and make a monster sandwich for monstrous muscle growth.
- A handful of nuts—While considered to be a generally high-calorie food, nuts are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. Boiled peanuts are a good choice. Along with roasted cashew and peanuts. Limit the quantity to a handful of shelled nuts. Almonds, pistachios and pili nuts are some other options that will help keep away hunger pangs in between meals. Stay away from the highly sugared and sodium filled variety.
Last, with the summer heat, the temptation to imbibe liquid calories during snacktime to quench your thirst is a rather tempting and intuitive option. Stay clear of the ice teas, faux fruit juices and sugary coffee concoctions. These contain loads of sugar and empty calories our bodies are better off without. Nothing beats good old reliable water for quenching our thirst.