“After a summer of loose fitting sun dresses, pulling on jeans again is always traumatic,” confides Annabelle. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been shocked at the gap between the top button and the button hole that prevents me from doing up the same jeans I wore in the spring and winter.” The obvious advice for Annabelle – modify her cooking and eating habits.
Menu planning
Canada’s Food Guide advises everyone to eat at least one dark and orange vegetable daily; eat whole veggies and fruit rather than drink juices. Adults should eat at least 7 servings of fruits and veggies per day which is easier in the summer when local produce is excellent and inexpensive.
It’s dangerous to default to traditional summer recipe choices. While strawberry shortcake is divine, seasonal, local strawberries taste fan-tastic without whipped cream and cake. Instead of slathering corn on the cob with butter and salt, slice the kernels off the cob and toss in a lightly dressed summer salad. The result is even less caloric with low-fat dressing.
Grilling and barbecuing are often blamed for sabotaging our summer healthy eating plans but you can still cook over fire and stay slim. Choose lean meats: skinless, boneless chicken; lighter, low fat fish – tilapia, black cod; lean turkey, chicken or veggie burgers a few nights a week. Save the burgers, steaks and sausages for treats; skip the bun and pair the meat with salad to save calories. 
Summer pitfalls
Besides tempting summertime foods such as ice cream cones, smoked back ribs and juicy grilled burgers, our summer lifestyles are filled with less obvious pitfalls. Although Annabelle is active in the warmer months golfing, gardening and walking, she finds herself trapped in a summer weight gain cycle. Annabelle’s experience doesn’t surprise healthy lifestyle experts. Author and registered dietitian, Rosie Schwartz says that her clients expect to lose weight in summer and are surprised that weight loss doesn’t naturally follow with the season. One reason is that in summertime, our social patterns change.
“We socialize more, seeing friends during the week as well as on the weekend,” observes Schwartz. “And of course, with socializing comes snacking and drinking that wouldn't occur if you were home doing chores or even sitting alone watching television.”
Fitness expert Jennifer Cohen, author of
No Gym Required (Key Porter 2009) agrees that summer can hold unexpected health and weight gain traps. “It seems counter-intuitive to gain weight in summer weather when you’re outside more and more active, you should be shedding the pounds. But, when we're rushed it’s fast food we tend to pick when hunger strikes; add more BBQs, parties and a few extra drinks a week and you get extra pounds.”
Air-conditioning is another hidden pitfall; it tricks our bodies into craving heavier foods than we’d choose when feeling the true effects of outdoor ambient temperatures. As a result of living and working in air-conditioned comfort, today we eat more during the summer months than 25 years ago. “Winter appetites are regulated by the shorter daylight hours that make us crave comfort foods,” points out Schwartz. “Summer appetites should be regulated by warm temperatures but the prevalence of air-conditioning means appetites don’t diminish.” .
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Swimming in cold water is also a problem for Canadians who vacation near lakes that are frozen for several months, and oceans that contain icebergs well into June. Low water temperatures stimulate appetite, while exercise that increases body temperature (running, cycling or playing tennis) often diminishes appetite. Research shows that competitive swimmers typically have body fat levels that are about 5% higher than runners and cyclists; swimmers often report increased hunger after exercise.
So the strategy for Annabelle and others in her predicament: modify your menu, be conscious of your social habits and environment and you’ll be sure to have a wonderful light and easy summer! H&L
Annabelle* not her real name
Summertime survival tips
Jennifer Cohen’s tips:
• Develop a healthy routine and stick to it all year: “I maintain mine every day, it's hard for me to deviate – it's ingrained in my life, so I stay healthy,”
encourages Cohen
• Party plan for guests: “If I expect amazing party food, I fill a plate with veggies as soon as I get there and keep it with me. When I’m offered some deep-fried deliciousness, I have my plate and a reason to say ‘no’ to these treats”
• Be prepared: Have a healthy snack such as an apple and low fat cheese before you leave home so that you’re not starving by the time you get to your destination. If you eat on the go, a McDonald's salad is a healthier choice than a Big Mac.
Rosie Schwartz’s tips:
• Warm up: Turn off your air-conditioning or eat outside where it’s warmer so you make lighter food choices
• Plan a picnic: On car trips, pack a healthy picnic, include lots of veggies, lean meats and snacks like hummus or low-fat cheese. Plan stops where you can get out, move around and eat your light, home-packed meal
• Think about drinks: When it’s hot and you’re thirsty, it’s easy to take in too many calories drinking soft or alcoholic drinks, be sure to match this intake with water intake
• Never say diet: Don’t tell people you’re watching what you eat; it provokes guilt in others and they may want to corrupt you so they won’t be alone. Instead, say “No thank you I’m full; I’ll have some later”
• Rule of 10: Enjoying life is important and you never know when a wonderful 10 out of 10 food experience will come along. “If it’s the best ever, eat it and enjoy. If it isn’t fantastic, skip it after the first bite,” advises Schwartz.
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