As the weather continues to get warmer and summer approaches, one thing is on many peoples’ minds…bathing suit season! If you’re feeling a little uncomfortable at the thought of switching the closet over from sweaters and jeans to T-shirts and shorts, try out some of these tips for a healthy and slim-living summer.

• Summer is a great opportunity to take advantage of outdoor farmers markets. Not only can you support local growers, but you get the freshest produce imaginable! Base your meals heavily on seasonal vegetables. Season them with low fat and low sodium seasonings such as spices, lemon juice, and different types of vinegar. Enjoy colorful salads and crisp, steamed veggies.

• Fire up the grill! Grilling lean meats, poultry, fish, and even fruits and vegetables is a wonderful way to add extra flavor without added fat and calories. Unlike other methods of cooking, grilling allows fat to drip off the food and away from your plate!

• Focus on fruit. Skip the ice cream and satisfy your sweet tooth with a piece of juicy, fresh fruit. A wide variety of berries, melons, and many exotic fruits are at their peak of freshness during the summer months, so don’t miss out!

• Get outside and move! Now that it certainly isn’t “too cold” to get out and exercise, grab some buddies (or your dog!) and start moving. Go for long walks, swim some laps in the pool or at the beach, coordinate a beach volleyball game, challenge a pal to a tennis match, or play ultimate Frisbee!

• Don’t stress. BBQs and cook-outs with friends and family don’t have to be a disaster when it comes to your meal plan. Make a plan before you head out the door as to what you’ll eat and try to have a filling snack and a glass of water before you leave to avoid overeating. Once you’re out, eat foods you enjoy, but do your best to steer clear of high-fat choices like chips and mayonnaise-based salads.

Summer is the perfect time to get back on track with your exercise regimen and meal plan. Take full advantage of the beautiful warm and sunny weather, and the fresh produce summer has to offer.  Click here to find out how to get the most from your local farmers market!

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If you’re bored of your typical exercise plan and are ready to switch things up a bit, this is the perfect article for you! The summer is a fabulous opportunity to incorporate fun outdoor workouts wherever you live or plan to vacation.

The Beach
Pack goggles, a snorkel, and some fins and go explore the water. While it won’t be an intense cardiovascular workout, you’ll be working large muscle groups in your back, lower body, and core. The fins add increased resistance to make you work harder!

If you’re not a fan of getting in the water, there are plenty of ways to make the sand work for you. Just walking in the sand alone is a workout for your calves, shins, and feet because of the resistance it provides. If you feel ambitious, try intervals of walking, jogging, and sprinting to get your heart rate elevated and work your lower body. You can also challenge some friends to a game of volleyball, Frisbee, or football…you’ll be surprised at how quickly you break a sweat!

To target your obliques, grab one of the kids’ empty sand buckets and kneel down. Reach in front of you and dig out a full bucket of sand, then twist your body to toss it behind you alternating sides each time.

At the end of your beach workout, take time to finish with some stretching, deep breathing, and meditation.

The Lake
What better way to beat the heat and humidity of the summer than to jump in the water? Swimming and treading water are great ways to get your blood pumping and work the cardiovascular system. Keep in mind that while you should get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, that doesn’t mean you have to do it all at once. Go for ten minute swimming sessions throughout the day…they’ll add up!

Many lakefront sites offer canoeing and kayaking rentals and lessons. Both activities will give you a total body workout, working your shoulders, back, core, obliques, and legs too, which act as stabilizers. Remember to turn the boat in different directions and row on alternate sides of the boat to work both sides of your body.

Want some friendly family competition? Go out waist-deep in the water and grab around for shells on the bottom. Then see who can throw them the furthest out to sea. You’ll be using the muscles in your shoulders and abdominals.

The Mountains
Exploring trails and mountainous terrain is a great way to take your workout outdoors! Pole hiking allows you to intensify your workout by incorporating the upper body into an activity that usually only works the legs and glutes. It is also a good activity for beginners because using the poles distributes body weight more evenly and reduces pressure on the knees.

Have a mountain bike? Get your gear and go for a ride! Many mountainous areas have endless dirt trails that are perfect for mountain biking. Chances are you’ll be having so much fun that you won’t even feel like you’re exercising!

The Bottom Line
No matter where you live or go on vacation this summer, you can liven up your fitness routine with these exciting outdoor workout suggestions.
 

Don’t forget to incorporate weight training to tone your muscles and trim off inches. Click here for ways to get pumped about lifting weights.

Just about everyone these days can benefit from adding more fruits and vegetables to their meals each day. With food costs constantly rising and budgets getting tighter, it may seem difficult to afford fitting fresh produce in. By planning ahead, shopping smart and by tweaking preparation techniques you can get the most for your money when it comes to fruits and veggies.

Meal Planning
Not only does cooking meals and eating at home save you money, but it gives you the opportunity to sit down and enjoy meals with your family. Planning ahead is the key to avoiding expensive pre-packaged and take-out food on those extra busy nights of the week. So, what can you do? Start with making a list and sticking to it when you’re at the store! Avoid spending money on unnecessary items. For nutritious and quick meals, incorporate frozen, canned and dried fruits or vegetables to your list to speed up prep time. To make things even simpler, keep a well-stocked pantry so you always have staple items on hand when you need them.

Now that the kitchen is stocked, focus on making fruits or vegetables the center of the plate and adding protein and grains to complement them. Use fruits and vegetables that you can eat in several ways, several times throughout the week. For example, carrots and celery are great grab-and-go snacks, and can be put into soups and casseroles, too!

Smart Shopping
Don’t shop when you’re hungry! Stick with what is on your list and avoid tempting impulse items at the checkout counter.

Buy in season! Fruits and vegetables are generally less expensive when they are in season. If the fresh variety isn’t looking great that day, frozen and canned forms are nutritious too.

When there are sales and specials on fruits and vegetables, buy more! You can freeze them or prepare a meal to be frozen for a later date.

Practice comparison shopping! Check different stores for the best deal and compare different package sizes. The larger size is not always the lowest price.

Limit or totally skip snack foods, desserts, and soda. They provide no nutritional bang for your buck!

Preparation Tips
Cook extra so you have leftovers that can be eaten for lunch the next day or transformed into a new dish.

Try replacing half the meat in a recipe with beans or vegetables. Not only will it save you money, but you’ll treat your body to less fat and more fiber!

Take time on Sunday night, for example, to prep fruits and vegetables for the week ahead. Wash, peel, chop, slice, and dice in advance to save you tons of time after a long work day! Store your prepped produce in airtight containers or Ziploc bags so they stay fresh until you’re ready to use them!

Click here to find out what items to keep in a well-stocked pantry so you’re ready to cook all week long!

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Have you ever wondered why vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin?” Well, here’s your answer! Vitamin D is unique in its ability to be synthesized in the skin as a result of exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Just 10-20 minutes in the noonday sun will provide the body with its daily dose of vitamin D. Besides sun exposure, supplementation and consuming foods rich in vitamin D are great ways to get your fill!

Vitamin D is essential to the body for proper absorption of calcium and phosphorous to maintain bone and dental health, and for regulating blood levels of calcium. It also plays a role in strengthening the immune system and regulating cell growth.

More than 200 million people in the United States are vitamin D deficient, and research links the deficiency with various chronic conditions including obesity, heart disease, depression, diabetes, and fibromyalgia. Correcting vitamin D deficiency in Americans is important because increased circulating levels of vitamin D appears to treat, prevent, and possibly even reverse ailments such as hypertension and back pain, as well as reduce the symptoms of diabetes and arthritis, and help fight infectious diseases.

If you’re worried about being deficient in vitamin D, consult your physician to check your levels. In the meantime, be sure to eat a variety of foods that provide your body with the vitamin D it needs for optimal health.

Click here to find out great food sources of vitamin D.

DHA, docosahexanoic acid, is an omega-3 fatty acid found in cold water fish including salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and shellfish, as well as in fish oil supplements. In adults, DHA is essential for proper brain function. In infants, it is necessary for the development of the nervous system and vision.

Research suggests that very premature infants may be deficient in DHA because they are not in-utero for the full third trimester when this fatty acid accumulates in body tissues. Mothers’ diets lacking in DHA is also a contributing factor to the deficiency in infants. Researchers in Canada conducted a study to determine if breastfeeding mothers who are supplementing with DHA would result in an increase in DHA levels in premature babies. Breastfeeding mothers of 12 infants born at 29 weeks or less gestation were given high supplemental doses of DHA and were compared with breastfed preterm infants whose mothers who did not receive supplementation. Researchers looked at DHA levels in the mothers’ breast milk, plasma lipids in the mothers and babies, and daily intake of DHA in the premature infants from birth to day 49 in both the supplement and control groups. Results showed that DHA levels were 12 times higher in the breast milk of supplemented mothers compared to that of mothers in the control group. Additionally, although both groups of babies received the same amount of DHA via tube feeding, the infants in the supplement group received about 7 times more DHA and had 2-3 times higher plasma concentrations of DHA than the control group. This suggests that early supplementation with DHA in lactating mothers with a low dietary DHA intake is successful in improving DHA status in preterm infants.

While these findings are premature, this research highlights the urgent need to address DHA recommendations in lactating mothers of premature infants in order to ensure the infants receive optimal amounts of DHA for proper growth and development of the nervous system.
 

History:
Walnuts date back as far as 7,000 B.C. where they were a popular food among royals in ancient Persia. Today, the United States is the leading producer of walnuts, with the majority of walnuts originating in the state of California.

Selection:
Shelled walnuts are off-white in color with two wavy lobes attached to each other and covered in a thin brown skin. The nut itself is protected by a tough, dark brown, round or oblong-shaped shell. If you have access to unshelled walnuts, choose those that are heavy for their size without any discoloration or cracks on the shell. If you choose to buy the shelled variety from the bulk bin at the store, give them a sniff to be sure they are not rancid. The high fat content of the nuts allows them to easily go rancid. Avoid shelled nuts that are soft or rubbery.

Storage:
For the best shelf life, shelled walnuts should be stored in refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container. This prevents the natural oils from becoming oxidized and going rancid.

Health Benefits:
Walnuts, like many other nuts, are a great source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Omega-3’s and monounsaturated fatty acids are beneficial to the cardiovascular system by helping to prevent hypertension, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce atherosclerotic plaque. These delicious, crunchy nuts also contain an antioxidant that appears to strengthen the immune system and contain anticancer properties.

Nutrition Facts:
One ounce of walnuts contains 185 calories, 18.5 grams of total fat and 2 grams of fiber. Although the fat content is high, only 2 grams come from unhealthy saturated fat, with 3 grams from monounsaturated fat and 13.5 grams from polyunsaturated fat, rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Always remember to be mindful of portion sizes!
 

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Ingredients:

Dressing
¾ cup fresh raspberries
2 shallots
4 tbsp. red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
2 tbsp. walnut oil

Salad
1 lb. fresh string beans, trimmed
3 tbsp. walnuts, coarsely chopped
6 cups mixed greens

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, pulse raspberries with the shallot. Add vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly add walnut oil. Set aside.

2. Steam string beans until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes, or until desired consistency.

3. Place walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until nuts become fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

4. Combine string beans and mixed greens and toss with prepared salad dressing. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 ½ Fat

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 120
Total Fat: 7 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.5 gram
Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.5 grams
Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Protein: 3 grams
Carbohydrate: 11 grams
Sodium: 227 milligrams
Fiber: 4 grams

For more healthy recipes, click here.

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