Summer means a lot of things: tanning, day parties, bikinis, vacations and a lot of food at BBQ’s, cookouts, and/or a boozy brunch. Unfortunately, a lot of these food options probably aren’t conducive to your bikini and vacation plans. Lucky for you (as opposed to my clients who go on their honeymoons never to return *ahem*), you have me. Here are some of my best food swaps for the summer so you can stick to your fitness goals but still enjoy yourself.
So instead of…
1. Ice Cream
Make banana soft serve with frozen bananas in a food processor. You also have the option to add in peanut butter if you want a nuttier taste—and I’ll even let you keep all your toppings.
2. Hot Dogs
Go for chicken or turkey dogs instead of pork or beef (it’s way leaner), and if you want the extra credit, do a naked dog and nix the bun. Go crazy on the mustard, be careful with the ketchup, and ditch the mayo completely.
3. Burgers
The easiest thing to do is to lose one or both buns. If you’re eating out, maybe places will do a lettuce wrap instead of the buns (if you’re in a city with In-n-Out, the protein-style burgers are my jam). This way you could split a serving of fries without the carb overload.
4. Soda
Be a bougie betch and pick sparkling water. Throw in a slice or two of lime/lemon and you get all the fizz, with none of the sugar (even the fake one in diet sodas, they’re equally bad for you).
5. Chips And Dip
Okay, this is a rough one. Swap corn chips for bean chips for added fiber and protein, and stick to salsa and yogurt dips. Steer clear of like… those 7-layer dips (I know that you know that already sounds crazy, girl), buffalo chicken dips, artichoke dips, spinach dips, etc. I mean, you know those are full of fat. Just because they have a vegetable in the name does not mean you can eat it; their main ingredients are mayo and cream.
6. Popcorn Shrimp
Ok, so I don’t know if this is summer food to anyone, but I love me some popcorn shrimp, so I’ll just add it to this list. Popcorn shrimp would be fine if we can stop at like, five pieces, but who can really do that? Instead of this breaded diet grenade, grill up some well-seasoned shrimp and focus on making super flavorful dips for your shrimp instead, such as a spicy chili-lime dipping sauce made with lime juice, chopped peppers, salt and ground pepper.
7. Margaritas
I have never met a margarita I didn’t drink (this is not limited to summertime, btw). But here’s the thing: a margarita is a sugar bomb. So my thing is, do a super-skinny margarita. I add tequila, a lot of fresh lime juice (fresh is key) and an optional splash of agave nectar (I skip this). I cut up jalapeños into my margarita as well.
Making these healthy food swaps will slowly become second nature over time; the key is to stay consistent with your changes and make the best choices for your body and fitness journey. It’s all about balance and keeping nutrition first. So many times we focus on food and it’s either all or nothing: either we’re super strict and don’t even eat at the family BBQ or we’re going in and trying to eat off Aunt Edna’s plate. Remember that the main objective of these social gatherings is time with family and friends—it’s not really about the food. Make the most nourishing aspect of any of these events about the time with people you love. Food will always be there, this isn’t your last supper. This way, you get to eat a little and still feel hot enough to change into your bikini.
Images: Valerian KOo, Peter Secan, Louis Hansel, bradley, Sean McClintock, Anthony Espinosa, tanialee Gonzalez / Unsplash
Yikes. Not sure about everyone else out there, but I’d say a fair majority of the population is nursing a hangover today. This is what happens when you put a holiday dedicated to alcohol and blowing things up in the middle of the week. How could we have avoided these splitting headaches which are being nursed with copious amounts of water and pizza today? We could have eaten the right shit while drinking yesterday. Luckily, I researched (a day too late) what to eat before day drinking to help you immensely the next day in terms of not feeling like shit.
Next time a daytime bender is on the radar (I see you, Saturday Labor Day), here’s what to eat before day drinking so you don’t die.
1. Pears
Yep, according to Spoon University, Asian pear juice has been shown to reduce the shittiness you experience after drinking by about 20 percent. Eating a shitload of pears before day drinking helps your body get rid of the alcohol more quickly later, so you won’t be captain of the struggle bus. Also, Rick Ross credits eating pears to his massive weight loss, so I mean, if it’s good enough for the bawss it’s good enough for me.
2. Green Juice
Since you’re already planning on having nothing but a smoothie for breakfast before your day drinking adventure, make it a green juice instead. Eating things like broccoli and kale before drinking will give your liver an extra boost, and mixing those into a green juice can help boost your electrolytes, which will be depleted after your take four to ten shots.
3. Avocado
God, is there anything avocado CAN’T do? Since these trendy bitches are full of healthy fats and B vitamins, they can help stave off the spins tomorrow morning. Add some to a smoothie, eat some guacamole, or just embrace your basic bitch and nom on some avocado toast.
4. Cucumbers
Yay! Cucumbers are literally on all of our lists for healthy this or that, but they’re especially helpful for those of us who are not all about that hangover life. Since they’re about 95 percent water, cucumbers will keep you super hydrated AND help flush out toxins hanging out in your bod. According to Men’s Journal, “cucumbers also contain small amounts of sugar, B vitamins, and electrolytes, which could help prevent or lessen the intensity of your headache the next day.”
5. Salmon
Like our good friend the avocado, salmon has a shitton of healthy fats and vitamins that can prevent you from, like, dying after drinking all day. Nutritionist Marina Chaparro, MPH, RDN, CDE, LD (fuck, that’s a lot of letters), says that the B vitamins in salmon help replenish or keep up the ones you’ll lose when chugging beer through a funnel (I paraphrase that last part a bit). Eating salmon can also promote short term memory and general brain function, so maybe you’ll have a better chance at remembering who you texted.
6. Pickles
Sounds weird, but it’s totally true. Eating a handful of pickles before drinking will save you some pain later. Why? According to USA Today, drinking causes us to fuck up our water balance (duh), but pickles are rich in electrolytes and help maintain that water balance. In other words, it’s like a vinegary Gatorade that’ll prevent that head-exploding feeling the next day.
7. Quinoa
Thanks to the fiber and protein in this ancient grain, eating quinoa before drinking can slow down alcohol’s effect on your body. In other words, because fiber fills you up, you’re less likely to become a lightweight and get drunk in record time if you eat some black, red, or white quinoa before that game of pong.
8. Eggs
Obv, if you’re day drinking, you need a hearty, healthy breakfast. While you’re chugging your green juice and nomming your avocado toast, fry up some eggs, too. They’re a bitchin’ source of protein and are rich in cysteine, an essential amino acid that’ll give your liver a much-needed boost.
Bottom line, make sure you’re eating SOMETHING before you day drink, even if it isn’t on this list. And, it goes without saying, but chugging a few bottles of water before playing Stump or Pong or Power Hour is going to help a lot, too.
Images: Tom Masat, Unsplash; Giphy (4)
The pursuit of fucking amazing skin is (I assume) at the top of every betch’s list (that, and being skinny without trying). Like, being able to roll out of bed, throw on some mascara, and head out the door is every betch’s dream. Caking on makeup to hide zits and blah skin is on the low end of everyone’s want list. Fun fact: There’s a list of veggies and fruits you should totally be working into your diet if you want amazing, glowing, Giselle-ish skin. We’re not saying eat these veggies and fruits exclusively, because your bod, like, needs other shit (like water, salmon, almonds, and fucking Starbucks) to function. But you might want to start incorporating these foods for glowing skin into your diet. I mean, you should do it for your general health because these are all fruits and veggies, but the added beauty benefits don’t hurt.
1. Tomatoes
Turns out that eating a tomato with mayonnaise on bread during the heat of summer may actually be NOT bad for you. The antioxidant lycopene in this red bitch can actually protect you from the sun, according to Prevention, since it improves skin’s natural SPF. And we all know that laying around in the sun causes wrinkles, so eat tomatoes to like, not get burned and look younger. Oh but wear sunscreen, also.
2. Blueberries
Thanks to a metric shit-ton of antioxidants, blueberries are literally amazing if you don’t want to age prematurely and also want great skin. Add them to your yogurt, smoothie, or eat them fresh to make use of this berry’s benefits.
3. Avocados
Healthy fats—namely, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (ever heard of them?) act as a giant natural moisturizer for your skin. According to BBC Good Food, veggies like avocados (is it a fruit? idfk) not only have these amazing-for-your-face fats, but they also provide lots of vitamin E, which will protect you from gross free radicals. Some celebs put avocados directly on their face, but like, I will not advocate for wasting potential guacamole and will stick to eating foods for glowing skin.
4. Kale
Kale, superfood of the 2000’s and hipster-worshipped green thing, is full of lutein and zeaxanthin—both nutrients that absorb and neutralize UV light free radicals, according to Prevention. It’s also full of vitamins C and A, both of which can boost the firmness of your skin.
5. Yellow Bell Peppers
If you dislike the idea of crow’s feet hanging out around your eyes, you’d best get to eating some fucking yellow bell peppers. According to a super scientific study, the antioxidants that fight aging were found to be in super high doses in green and yellow veggies—preventing wrinkles on and around your face.
6. Kiwi
Brown, fuzzy, and v strange looking are not the adjectives usually used to describe something that’s great for your skin. But kiwis have tons of vitamin C and antioxidants that help keep your skin firm, prevent wrinkles, and do other awesome stuff to your bod. So eat these weirdos.
7. Carrots
Turns out all that beta carotene is good for something. Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A in your body, and carrots are fucking full of it. Not only will it help make your skin glow, but it’ll also fight wrinkles. Yay, carrots.
Images: Rakicevic Nenad / Unsplash; Giphy (4)
