Enjoying the summer season with its long holiday season from December to New Year is an integral part of South African culture, but the potential for excess makes navigating food during the summer essential for your health and your waistline.
Warm days and warm nights are the perfect settings to enjoy the outdoor-focused lifestyle that gives us so many more opportunities to be physically active and unleash our social natures.
However, the whirlwind of year-end parties, holiday celebrations and holiday gatherings is changing our eating habits. In this article, registered dietitians Retha Harmse and Faaizah Laher, representatives of the Dietetic Association of South Africa (ADSA), offer an evidence-based road map for navigating nutrition this summer vacation.
READ MORE | 5 ways to stick to your health and fitness goals while enjoying the holidays
Become lighter, fresher and rich in nutrients
Both Faaizah and Retha emphasize this Summer offers increased opportunities to make healthy food choices and stay focused on healthy, balanced meals.
With the heat of the summer days, it’s a natural step to start including a lot more salad dishes and light meals based on salad or vegetables, opting for fruit and yogurt smoothies over hot breakfasts and choosing lighter sweets and desserts which make the most of the delicious abundance of South Africa’s local summer fruits.
This makes it easy to include a wide range of fresh produce across the color spectrum in light yet nutritious meals.
Retha says, “It’s normal to have a reduced appetite in hot weather and you need to focus on nutritious foods to ensure you’re meeting your nutritional needs even if you’re eating less. Fortunately, summer offers an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Seasonal products are at the peak of their flavor and nutritional value. It’s a great time to experiment with recipes that highlight summer produce, such as gazpacho with fresh tomatoes, delicious salads with lots of crunchy greens, or berry parfait with yogurt.”
READ MORE | What does it have to do with a cheat meal?
Balance nutrition and enjoyment
The end of the year and the December holiday season is a busy time for socializing and it can be difficult to stick to healthy eating plans.
Typically, there is an increase in visitors to parties, eating out, braaiing and picnicking, as well as festive traditions that tend to include large meals and rich foods.
Faaizah says, “I love the buzz of the end of the year, when school is finally over, the days get longer and food becomes easier to prepare. I also love the flurry of invitations before we leave for vacation.
Here are 4 easy tips to stay on track during this busy social season:
- Plan ahead: I recommend planning the next day or week if you know you’re being invited out. Plan your meals for that week or day to include lighter, more nutrient-dense foods. This will ensure you don’t get overly hungry when dealing with all the party food.
- Enjoying a pre-event snack: It’s a good idea to eat a small, balanced snack 30 minutes to an hour before the party starts. Make sure your snack has protein, carbohydrates, a vegetable and a fat. An example of this is hummus, pita, cucumbers and avocado.
- Making conscious pairings. Balance and combine lighter sides with smaller portions of richer current. For example, pair a generous portion of roasted vegetables or green salad with a moderate portion of hearty meats. Or, if you want to try this creamy potato cake, choose a lean meat and lots of colorful salads to go with it.
- Make a Trip: Visit the party table or buffet only once. Make a small portion of all the foods you like and try not to go back for seconds. Eating slowly and making sure to enjoy the food on your plate will enhance your satiety and reduce the temptation to eat more just because it’s delicious.”
Retha also advises that we we choose our pleasures carefully, while allowing flexibility and avoiding all-or-nothing thinking.
He says, “It’s important to be kind to ourselves and optimize our holiday socializing enjoyment. An enjoyable meal doesn’t derail your overall healthy lifestyle. Enjoy and go back to your normal routines afterwards. Decide which treatments you really love and skip the ones that are less important to you. And, also, allow yourself to enjoy specialty foods guilt-free. This can prevent you from entering a cycle of restriction and overindulgence.”
READ MORE | Avoid year-end burnout with these tips for less stress
Manage hydration on hot days
One of the biggest nutritional challenges in the summer is actually staying hydrated. The combination of increased physical activity and higher temperatures means that we sweat more, losing not only fluids but also electrolytes.
“Staying well hydrated is essential to feeling your best in the summer months,” says Retha.
“While the common recommendation is eight glasses of pure water a day, your needs may be higher in the summer. Listen to your body’s signals and adjust accordingly. There are many smartphone apps that can help you track your daily water intake and send reminders.”
Retha’s practical tips for hydration include:
- Make water more appealing by infusing it with natural flavor. Add citrus slices, berries, cucumber or fresh herbs like mint to your water for a subtle flavor boost.
- Enjoy iced herbal, fruit and flavored teas as a refreshing way to increase your fluid intake without added sugars or caffeine.
- Beware of dehydrating drinks by limiting alcohol and caffeine, which can have diuretic effects, leading to increased fluid loss. If you consume them, then balance it with extra water.
- Hydrate around physical activity, including drinking water about 30 minutes before being active. taking regular sips of water during exercise, especially if you are active for more than an hour, and rehydrating after exercise by drinking water or a natural electrolyte drink.
- Enjoy hydrating fruits and vegetables as snacks such as watermelon, honeydew melon, peaches, nectarines, celery and cucumber sticks.
- Monitor signs of hydration by checking urine color. Light-colored urine usually indicates good hydration, while darker urine can be a sign that you’re drinking more fluids. Watch for signs such as dry mouth, fatigue, headaches or dizziness, which may indicate dehydration.
Overall, you’ll get the most out of the holiday season by focusing holistically on your well-being and not just on food. Getting plenty of exercise, sleeping well, and focusing on the quality of our social relationships are all integral aspects of maintaining a healthy lifestyle while enjoying summer to the fullest.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sports or health and fitness, Pedro is most likely out training for his next marathon or ultramarathon. She has worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms specialist. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
