Just the thought of swimwear and summer attire is enough to encourage many of us to change what’s on our plate in the hope of looking and feeling our best during the summer months. Whilst aesthetic appeal is often the driver behind these changes, the food changes that help us to “look better naked” and benefit our health and wellbeing in a number of ways.
So how do you build your plate for greater health and a summer bod?
Eat Protein With Every Main Meal (especially breakfast)
Protein is the macronutrient of choice when it comes too long term weight management success, healthy aging and optimal metabolic wellbeing. Protein is responsible for nearly all of the work that is carried out in every cell in your body and is needed for the structure, function, and regulation of all your organs and tissues - especially your muscles. Muscle is the organ of longevity and the modifier of metabolic activity - the stronger and healthier your muscles are, the more calories, carbohydrates and fat your body burns. Combined with resistance based training and a palm-sized serving of protein at every meal can help us to look and feel our best at any age.
Find Your Fuel Type
Protein is structured whilst fats and carbohydrates are fuel. Dietary fat promotes satiety and fullness whilst whole food carbohydrates feed our microbiome, ward off sugar cravings, promote good gut health and nourish our body with antioxidants and phytonutrients. We each have a unique need for these fuel types and finding the right mix for you not only helps you look your best but also helps to balance your hormones, promote sleep, reduce hunger, soothe stress and keep your mood stable.
A great place to start to figure out your magic mix of fuel is to self experiment. Begin by consuming a thumb-sized serving of quality fat and a fist full of whole food carbohydrates at each main meal and see how full you are in 4-5 hours. Check in on your hunger, energy, mood and cravings across the day and if any of these are out of whack, play with the mix of carbohydrates and fats on your plate - swapping one out for the other.
Fibre
Whilst added dietary fibre has been shown to lead to greater satiety and weight loss success, it has benefits that reach far beyond our physical appeal. Adequate dietary fibre promotes greater blood sugar control, bowel regularity and optimal gut health. There are many types of dietary fibres we can consume from food - all of which come from plants. Some act like a broom, sweeping our bowels clean, whilst others promote the growth of the good bacteria that live within our gut - our microbiome.
When we eat a diverse array of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts, we foster the growth of the beneficial bugs that live in our gut - our microbiome. These good bugs love to nibble on special types of fibres called prebiotics and as a result produce health giving substances called probiotics. Whilst the science on prebiotics and probiotics is ever growing, what we know to date is that they have numerous benefits for our hormones, metabolic health, mental wellbeing, immunity and gut health.
The bottom line is - fibre matters and many of us are simply not getting the recommended 25-35 g of fibre we need each day to foster good health. Aim to include fruits and vegetables at every main meal to ensure you are feeding our microscopic friends within.
I hate to be the bearer of boring news but the solution to building long-term health and aesthetic appeal is simple and straight up - it lacks wow factor and works best when applied consistently across time. The solution for looking your best this summer is the same as the one that fosters vitality and overall well being long term. So forgo the latest fad diet and endlessly punishing yourself with exercise this summer - hold on to the notion that good things take time and choose a dietary approach that produces lasting results and promotes health now and in the future.
