A properly balanced diet provides all the necessary components of theóin nutrients, needed for the proper functioning of the body. It also changes depending on the season occurring. In autumn and winter, the body demands warm, warming foods and productsów rich in vitamin C, które will increase the body's immunity. On the other hand, when the frost disappears and the first harbingers of the coming spring appear, the body needs cleansing and regeneration after the winter. During this period, it demands light nutrition, based on fruits and vegetables, whichóre abundant in vitamins and minerals, primarily present in seasonal products. It is proper nutrition during the summer that will provide the necessary ingredientsóin nutrients and will help the body to survive the hot days.
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The spring-summer period is a time when an assortment of fruitów and vegetables is extremely rich. That's why it's a good idea to base your diet on seasonal products, as they have the highest nutritional value right now. They are the first to appear rósorts of lettuces, chives, radishes, asparagus, carrots, peas, beans, tomatoes, potatoes. However, when it comes to summer fruits, these are mainly strawberries, cherries, blueberries, boronówki and cherries. It is worthwhile to enjoy the novelties from the beginning, because the season of someóThe taste of the frozen counterparts of theów, unfortunately it is not the same.
Proper hydration
When temperatures rise the body not only needs a proper, healthy diet, but róalso more water. With sweat we lose a lot of fluidów and valuable mineral salts, and it is not difficult to get dehydrated in such a period. The amount of water you drink should increase by about 30-40%, and ideally it should be medium or highly mineralized water. It is recommended to regularly reach for water in small quantities, as this will help provide the body with the right amount of electrolytes that are important during this periodów. Together with sweat, the body gets rid of sodium and potassium, so it is worthwhile to pay attention to theócicion on them especiallyóln particular. It is extremely important that the water is not flavored or sweetened, as unfortunately it does not hydrate in an adequate wayób, and increases the amount of calories consumed and causes disorders in carbohydrate metabolism. People whoódrinking water is difficult for them, so they can drink it in moderationóadd lemon and mint, fruit or slices of cucumber to the wateróThe following are the most importantóre at the same time act refreshing and give water a taste.
Regularity and róVariety of mealsów
The most important principle, whichóra should apply in a properly balanced diet, regardless of the season, is regularity and róa variety of mealsów. During the warm months, when the body itself demands less quantity and frequency of food, it is worth taking advantage of the principle of eating smaller, but more frequent and more róFlavorful foodsów. This will avoidób the feeling of heaviness, while providing the energy necessary at this time, as well as preventing possible deficiencies. Smaller meals and their regularity will allow you to take care of your figure and reduce weight without much effort. For this reason, the spring-summer period is the best time for reducing diets due to the availability of productsów and ease of following calorie-reduced diets throughout the day.
Precious vegetables best for summer
Vegetables during the warm months should be the basis of all mealsóin, and not just a supplement. Primarily due to its high vitamin content, the ingredientów minerals and fiber, whichóry m.in. Improves intestinal function, removes toxins from the body, helps lower glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood, which is why its consumption is especially importantólily important in the proper functioning of the body. If health permits, it is best to choose vegetables in raw or lightly blanched form to preserve as much of their nutritional value as possible. It is important to combine vegetables with healthy fats in the form of olive oil or flaxseed oil, because vitamins A, D, E, K dissolve in fats and thanks to them can be best utilized by the body. During the warm months, well-composed summer salads, containing sources of róa balance of protein, fat and carbohydratesów, can replace the mainówne meals and be the basis of the summer diet at this time. An example of this is a light salad with spinach, tomatoes and grilled salmon, topped with olive oil and served with barley pearl groats. An alternative to salads can be light lunches for the summer, którities based on processed vegetables, for example in the form of light vegetable soups, cream soupsóin or refreshing coolerów. An example is a soup of cream of roasted tomatoesów prepared on garlic stewed in olive oil and sprinkled with sunflower seeds, whichóWe serve it with toasted wholemeal bread. RóAnother tasty option is a custard with aóThe meal should be prepared with garlic stewed in olive oil and sprinkled with sunflower seeds.
Fruits in the daily diet
An assortment of fruitóIn the summer season there is such a wide range of products that everyone will find something for themselves, taking into account taste and health issues. Nevertheless, fruits should occur in smaller amounts throughout the day than vegetables. This is because they contain simple sugars in their composition, so it is worth keeping their consumption in moderation. It is worth reaching for summer seasonal fruits, as this is when they contain the most vitamins and ingredientsóin mineral. In summer, you certainly can't forget about fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, borówki and currants, due to their incredible nutritional value, resulting from the content of vitamins C, B, E, magnesium and potassium. In addition, they are a source ofódłem of antioxidants, whichóre in the human body perform defensive functions, as well as prevent the aging process skóry. It is, of course, worth reaching for all fruits found in the summer season. Fruits, like vegetables, oprócz vitamins and componentsóMinerals contain fiber. We can consume them in rótion in various forms m.in. in the form of fruit salads, fruit cocktails, fruit and vegetable cocktails, smoothies, juiceów, and also as an element of variety in vegetable salads. Examples include a strawberry smoothie on kefir with freshly ground flaxseed or a salad with smoked salmon and boronówek, poured with olive oil.
Fatty and hard-to-digest foods are better to limit
During the warm months, it is best to give up hard to digest, fatty and processed productsów. In the first place, it is worth limiting animal fats, such as fatty meats e.g. bacon, neckówka or pork fat, primarily because these products are hard to digest and cause a feeling of heaviness. In addition, they prolong the digestive process and require a lot of energy, which is associated with an increase in heat generation in the body. The situation is similar with fast food, whichór should be avoided all year round, as they are products containing very high amounts of harmful fatsóIn, as róThey are also abundant in simple sugars, whichóre disrupt carbohydrate metabolism and can cause drowsiness and irritability.
Black list of diet for summer
During the summer, and not only, it is worth giving up sweets, sweet snacks and sugary drinksów. The heat itself weakens the body, and the simple sugars found in these products further aggravate this feeling due to the disruption of carbohydrate metabolism after their consumption. They can cause an increase in blood glucose and insulin levels, and often after consuming them there can be a róAlso reactive hypoglycemia, that is, a rapid decline in glucose, whichóprotein causes problems with concentration and a feeling of drowsiness.
In summer, proper hydration of the body comes first, so it is also worth mentioning products thatówhich can have a dehydrating effect. These primarily include alcohol and caffeine. During hot weatheróIt is worth giving up or at least limiting the amount of such foods. Coffee additionally has a diuretic effect and thus flushes magnesium and potassium out of the body, which disrupts the electrolyte balance that is extremely important in this period. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect, negatively affects water balance, and additionally leads to pressure fluctuations, as it affects the dilation of blood vessels. If it is difficult to completely give up a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, always remember to róEarly replenishment of water to avoid dehydration.
Diet affects energy levels
Although during the summer we have access to plenty of fresh vegetables and fruitsów, then you should not forget about whole-grain cereal products, good sources ofóprotein sources and healthy vegetable fats. Only then can you provide the body with all the necessary ingredientsów. Proteins primarily have a building function in the body, but rócarbohydrates also affect immunity and provide many compoundsów nutritional. To good sources ofóProtein sources include lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy products, as well as eggs and pulses. It is worth mentioning that in summer it is better to choose easily digestible products, so if the side dish is to be meat or fish, it is worth focusing on the method of their preparation and choose stewing or boiling in place of frying. Carbohydrates primarily provide energy, as róThey are also a source ofódfollowingóGood nutritional sources, including e.g. B vitamins. A well-balanced diet should contain about 50-60% carbohydratesóIn summer we have access to a large amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, mainlyóIt is also recommended to use complex carbohydrates, as they are the mainóA well-balanced dietóThey give you energy and make you feel satiated. Therefore, even despite the heatów, it is worth providing an adequate amount of them in the form of an addition to light soups or smoothies. In the diet, the best source ofócarbohydrate mealsów are whole-grain products, i.e. wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, dark rice, coarse-grain groats, oatmeal, bran, but also vegetables, such as lentils, soybeans, beans and peas. Fats have many important functions in the human body, but one of the most important is that, together with carbohydrates, they are the mainóThe main sources ofódło of energy and allow it to accumulate in the form of subskinsórnej body fat, whichóThe body can use it in times of hunger and shortage ofów. In addition, they allow the absorption of vitamins A,D,E,K. A properly balanced diet should provide approx. 30% fatóTherefore, it is necessary to ensure an adequate amount of healthy fatsóin the diet, while limiting saturated fats found primarily in products of animal origin. It is worth adding that too much consumption of fatów can promote the intake of too many calories, which leads to the storage of excessive fat as spare material, and this can cause obesity and many diseasesób and many disease entities. During the warm months, it's a good idea to add vegetable fats along with complex carbohydrates to salads, light soups and smoothies, thus changing themób into wholesome meals, which are a source ofódłem energii, whichóre will effectively satisfy the hungeród. The best source ofófatów are fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, olive oil and flaxseed.
Quick lunch for summer
In the era of the twenty-first century, most peopleób unfortunately has very little free time. Living on the run often results in an unbalanced diet that is loaded with simple sugars and high amounts of fatów, mainlyównie saturated. Most often, improper diet is not a deliberate act, but results from a lack of ideas for quick meals or lack of knowledge about rational nutrition. Certainly, nutrition and preparation time must be individually tailored to the person, as everyone has different expectations and time capabilities, nevertheless, a healthy diet does not have to be time-consuming at all.A good solution is to prepare mealsów requiring more work with a reserve for two days. In addition, the increasing availability of good productsów causes that everything can be bought and consumed practically without preparation. A good example would be cherry tomatoes with mini mozzarella topped with olive oil or oil, followed by aóre we reach for as a snack. As awareness of healthy eating increases, food manufacturers are beginning to meet the expectations of consumersóin bringing more and more products to the marketóin, and even prepared meals with good ingredients, in which theórich are free of simple sugars and harmful fats. Therefore, people whoóre have very limited time for meal preparationów can use such ready-made solutions, but they must first of all read the label of the product. – The line of soups and chilled dishes is an ideal option for a quick and filling meal, whichóry will fill the gaps in the daily menu caused by lack of time to prepare a home-cooked meal. Composition based only on natural ingredients, refined recipes, the addition of aromatic spices and subjecting the final product to pasteurization mean that they can be included in the menu of os without fearób caring about rational nutrition – móAnna Jackowicz from Profi.
A warm meal is important
Warm meals in the summer are often overlooked, but despite higher air temperatures, they are worth including in the diet róalso at this time. Eating only cold mealsów causes that the body must first heat them before digestion, which increases energy expenditure and contributes to a faster feeling of hunger. Warm meals provide satiety and more quickly satisfy the hungryód which results in this wayób the amount of calories consumed is reduced and there is no craving for snacking.
