{"id":1171,"date":"2017-06-01T06:54:27","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T13:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/?p=1171"},"modified":"2020-03-04T11:56:29","modified_gmt":"2020-03-04T19:56:29","slug":"summer-wellness-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/summer-wellness-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Enjoy Summer Without Compromising Wellness Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Natasha
Natasha Asselstine, R.H.N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bout of heat and sunshine we\u2019ve been enjoying is a much-welcomed sign that summer is on its way!<\/p>\n

But with food truck festivals and craft beer markets popping up every weekend, and ice cream parlours and fish & chips stands extending their hours, there are many opportunities to indulge a little too often, and we may end up unintentionally compromising our health goals.
\n<\/p>\n

To avoid this from happening, I recommend setting an intention for a balanced summer, and identifying ahead of time some healthy summer treats and activities that you truly enjoy, and can make up the majority of your leisure time. Here are my favourites:<\/p>\n

1. Reserve fruit for summer<\/h3>\n

Because summer fruit<\/strong> is available to us all year round, it\u2019s hard to see it as a treat anymore. By avoiding it at other times of the year, these fruit become extra tasty when we enjoy them in the summer only. So indulge away on all the local cherries, berries, peaches and watermelon that are coming our way. (They\u2019re also a great option to satisfy a sweet tooth!)<\/p>\n

One of my favourite summer activities is berry-picking<\/strong> as it is relaxing, outdoors, meditative, affordable and something that can be enjoyed solo or with others. Take the kids, too, for a fun and healthful family activity!<\/p>\n

2. Cool down wisely<\/h3>\n

It is easy to opt for too many ice cream cones, cold beers or pop slurpies to combat the heat. But, there are some great alternatives that we can plan for ahead of time!
\n\"\"
\nMy favourite alternative to ice cream is a smoothie<\/strong>. These can easily be made at home for a breakfast, snack or sweet option in the evening, or, can be purchased on-the-go at a juice bar! For beer and cocktail lovers, kombucha<\/strong> is a refreshing alternative (just be sure to read the label and avoid those with added sugar), and because it\u2019s fermented and full of good bacteria, it can support gut health while we\u2019re indulging more than usual.<\/p>\n

Also, it is essential \u2013 especially at this time of the year \u2013 to stay hydrated by keeping your water intake up! There are ways to fancy-up this daily routine by infusing a jug of water<\/strong> with fresh fruits and herbs like blueberries and basil, or lemon and thyme.<\/p>\n

3. Focus on the setting<\/h3>\n

If you have any dietary restrictions or simply want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it can be a challenge to socialize with others who may not have the same health goals or guidelines. My recommendation is to focus on the environment \u2013 the setting and the company \u2013 so that the food becomes secondary.<\/p>\n

For example, if you\u2019re dining out, opt for the patio<\/strong> and take in summer breeze and lively energy. Choose a salad with a protein<\/strong> for dinner rather than the share plates. For an alcoholic beverage, choose vodka<\/strong> or a dry white wine<\/strong> if you would like a low sugar option.<\/p>\n

Another idea is to host a barbeque<\/strong> or picnic<\/strong>, where people can eat whatever they like! On the barbecue, I recommend grilling a freshly caught wild salmon alongside local corn on the cob and skewers of peppers, onions, zucchini and tomatoes! Simply marinate the salmon and skewers in a little bit of good quality olive oil, unrefined salt and pepper for an hour before firing it up. Mmm!<\/p>\n

My all-time favourite picnic is enjoyed post a farmers market shop. I make sure to carry a pocketknife, napkins and blanket, and then select some fresh fruit, cheese and bread, and park myself with a loved one, a pillow or a good book. Often all three. The Trout Lake Farmers Market<\/strong> is definitely top of mind for this kind of picnic. <\/p>\n

By being in the beauty of nature and immersed in the company of good friends or soulful hobby, it\u2019s hard to feel deprived. So plan ahead for a summer full of healthy pleasures\u2013 and reserve a little time for those not-as-healthy indulgences, too.<\/p>\n

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The bout of heat and sunshine we\u2019ve been enjoying is a much-welcomed sign that summer is on its way! But with food truck festivals and craft beer markets popping up … Continue reading Enjoy Summer Without Compromising Wellness Goals<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,20,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","category-health","category-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1171"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2233,"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1171\/revisions\/2233"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vitaliahealthcare.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}