These five foods will supercharge your summer
From whey ice cream to watermelon chunks, this is what you should be eating to get through the hotter months
Words: Jonathan Wells
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It’s a well-known fact that we don’t get as hungry in hot weather. Why? That’s easy. The body needs to maintain its internal temperature — 37 degrees Celsius, if you were wondering — at all time, and during summer we don’t have to burn as many calories to get there.
But, coupled with our desire to keep our beach bodies trim, this can make it hard to stay in shape over summer. If we’re eating less, we must focus on what’s cooking — and we often get it wrong with ice cream, finger food and barbecue after barbecue of chargrilled meat.
Luckily, Gentleman’s Journal have turned to VITL’s in-house performance nutritionist, Gareth Nicholas, for five foods your should be incorporating into your summer diet. Check them out below and, to really make sure you’re not missing any essential nutrients, why not try a personalised vitamin pack? Take the free VITL consultation to find out which vitamins your body needs.
To keep your beach body — and cool off, try low fat whey ice cream
With all this hot weather, ice cream is high on the agenda, but if your willpower is strong enough the temptation is avoided, as you try and maintain that summer svelte look you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Typically, ice cream is relatively high in sugar and fat, with a small amount of protein.
Try a low-fat whey ice cream as an alternative, the fat and sugar content comes down, whilst the protein level increases. A great combination to keep that lean look while supporting muscle development.
To wake yourself up on those warm mornings, try a fruit smoothie
There’s no better way to get over those long warm nights than a refreshing fruit smoothie. Try adding banana, apple, kale, mint and ginger. A zingy hit with plenty of low glycaemic carbs, packed with dietary fibre, potassium, vitamin A, B6, C, magnesium, iron and zinc.
A great vitamin and mineral mix for any man. For a morning protein boost, add 1/2 a serving of protein powder, to help get your day off to the perfect start.
To get in on the grilling action — without the guilt, try BBQ salmon
You’ve opened the back door and all you can smell is the neighbours BBQ. Well as they say, if you can’t join them…beat them. Hmm something like that. Rather than racking up the calories with saturated fat and red meat, why not try a nice piece of salmon instead.
Tasty, light and bulging with protein, B vitamins, Vitamin D and those all important essential fatty acids – Omega 3s, the world’s natural nutrient to support heart and brain health. Try adding some sweet chilli sauce for a bit of extra flavour.
To maintain hydration during the heatwave, try watermelon chunks
Craving a light snack mid afternoon? Rather than heading over to the vending machine for a chocolate bar and a fizzy drink, why not tuck in to some mouth-watering watermelon. Naturally high in antioxidants such as vitamin C and citrulline to help combat those unwanted free radicals that cause illness and disease.
Citrulline has also been linked with supporting sexual health and improving blood flow, thanks to its conversion to arginine in the body. Watermelon is also 92% water and bursting with electrolytes, perfect to help maintain hydration on a sunny day.
For a light summer lunch packed with nutrients, try avocado
An avocado contains nearly 20 nutrients including potassium, vitamin B6, Vitamin C and a healthy serving of monosaturated fat. The healthy fats that form an essential part of any man’s diet. Avocado is also naturally sugar and salt free with a good source of magnesium – a nutrient that can be low in men. Try adding avocado into salads, sandwiches, smoothies; you can even spread it on toast.
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