Diet Plan For Summer

Summer is the time to shed excess pounds. Diet Plan For Summer can help you stay fit and healthy through your summer vacations by revealing an optimum diet plan. I looked for a diet plan for summer and found one that made a lot of sense. This is a very balanced diet plan for weight loss…[more]

Healthy Summer Diet Plan

The temperature is at its highest point of the summer and rising every day. Even more reasons exist because of the sweltering sun to continually seek out foods that are calming and cooling. This time of year, when you perspire excessively and easily become dehydrated, is when you should grab for something cold, like soda, a cold beverage, or even cold water. This is where we make a mistake since anything that is excessively cold can actually force our blood vessels to contract and alter how our bodies lose heat. You should bear in mind the following advice to stay calm:

1. Increase your water intake: In high humidity conditions, you do not sweat adequately due to which you cannot release heat efficiently from your body. That is the reason why you need to drink enough water at regular intervals even if you are not thirsty to cool your system.
2. Have eatables high in water content: Eat a lot of fresh fruits, raw salads and lightly spiced foods. Fruits and veggies are easy to digest and high in water content and hence help in hydration. Avoid fried and junk foods as they take time to digest and require a lot of water. Spicy foods can also increase body heat.
3. Grab naturally cooling drinks: Drink naturally cooling beverages like coconut water, lemon juice, buttermilk and sugarcane juice, etc. Rather than aerated soft drinks, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages as they contain sugar and other preservatives which act as diuretics and can cause loss of water from the body. You can add sabja (tulsi seeds) to drinks as it has a cooling effect on the body.
4. Have curd: Curd is excellent as it increases friendly bacteria in the gut and improves digestion and boosts immunity.
5. Include veggies in diet: Add veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, beet etc to add to the extra water in your diet.
6. Small meals: avoid heavy meals at one time as it can cause acidity and affect digestion. Rather eat small meals to feel light and keep your system active.
7. Don’t forget raw mango: In the summer season, raw mango is a special fruit and is extremely good to prevent sunstrokes and weakness. Raw mango juice also known as aam panna can help balance electrolytes in the body. You can also have raw mango in any form like adding it in bhel, salads or making a dish out of it.

You can divide your day’s meals as per regular timings like:

Breakfast: 2-3 fresh fruits (this can help to neutralize your stomach acids and make you feel light and active as they are natural sources of energy).

• Mid morning: a glass of buttermilk/ coconut water (to refresh you).
• Lunch: salads + 1-2 rotis + veggies + thin dals (you can add or subtract the rotis as per your appetite and requirement).
• Evening: fruit yoghurt/fruit smoothie (they are filling, nourishing and cooling).
• Dinner: stir fried veggies/ chilled soups + grilled chicken/ steamed fish/ low fat paneer/ tofu + jaljeera/ lemon juice (to keep your dinner light and help you wake up afresh).

The Ideal Summer Diet For Weight Loss

With all the sweating, summer is a terrific season to try to reduce weight, but it may also be very difficult. While your body is losing electrolytes due to the heat, you must make sure to maintain a calorie deficit, where your body burns more calories than it consumes. Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, Co-Founder, Fitness & Nutritional Scientist – Food Darzee, claims that burning calories in the heat is more challenging due to lower stamina. So, maintaining a nutritious diet is the best approach to lose weight. Bhargava has provided a summer diet plan for you to follow in order to keep in shape. (Please note that each person’s diet varies depending on their age, height, level of physical activity, etc.)

The Ideal Summer Diet For Weight Loss

For best results, combine your weight-loss diet with a four times per week exercise routine. Bhargava advises you to exercise your cardiovascular system for one day and your muscles for three days. “Since you are on a diet, you are more likely to lose muscle, so you strength train more frequently to assist build or keep muscle mass. As a result, strength training is crucial. Once a week, the cardio is for a full-out calorie burn. The diet is designed to have fewer carbohydrates, more protein, moderate amounts of fat, and more water and electrolytes than usual.

Duration of the meal plan: 2 months

No. of cheat days permitted: 4

Breakfast: Two whole eggs cooked in avocado oil with a large serving of spinach and cucumber and one slice of buckwheat bread. Top this up with a handful of berries.

Mid-morning snack: One orange/ some strawberries (about 6-7)/ one kiwi / 3-4 slices papaya / one cucumber (have two pinches of Himalayan pink salt).

Lunch: One serving of protein (chicken, fish, soy) with half a serving of carbohydrate (wheat, rice, sweet potato, grain, pulses) cooked in a non-vegetable oil (use either ghee or olive oil or flaxseed oil or avocado oil) with two servings of vegetable (non-starchy).

Mid-evening (pre-workout): Handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts) + one serving fruit, if needed for energy + two pinches of pink Himalayan salt.

Post workout (of any manner): Coconut water + one serving protein (could be eggs or meat or protein supplement).

Dinner: One serving of protein (chicken, fish, soy) with half a serving of carbohydrate (wheat, rice, sweet potato, grain, pulses) OR half an avocado replacing the carbs cooked in a non-vegetable oil (use either ghee or olive oil or flaxseed oil or avocado oil) with two servings of vegetable (non-starchy)

The actual calories will be different for each individual but this is an image of the macronutrient breakdown. Remember that staying in a caloric deficit is the key. Bhargava explains that pink salt and coconut water is added to the diet to balance out the electrolytes lost while sweating during summer. This helps keep your energy levels intact throughout the day and especially post workout.

Things To Keep In Mind During Summer

Carlyne Remedios, group manager of clinical practices, nutrition & product development at Digestive Health Institute by Dr. Muffi has a quick summer guide to keep you fit:

1. Keep hydrated through the day – carry a bottle of water added with chia seeds or infused water (mint + lemon or oranges or basil).

2. Have small and frequent meals rather than having 3 large meals.

3. Do not skip your breakfast.

4. Include probiotics daily in your diet as it will ease your digestion. Better the digestion, better will be your gut e.g. – yoghurts, chaas, dahi etc.

5. Avoid spicy and oily foods and trans fats from highly processed foods, vanaspati ghee, refined oils, butter etc.

6. Strictly avoid aerated drinks, fruit juices and stimulants like coffee and energy drinks, as it will dehydrate your body and it will add on more sugars.

Healthy Meal Plan For Summer

SUMMER! THE SEASON OF LUSCIOUS FRUIT AND OTHER PRODUCE. MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

This easy summer meal plan is packed with fresh fruit! They are stuffed with of nutrients. Additionally, they have a low calorie density, making them ideal for weight loss.

You may find a ton of dishes by searching for “healthy summer recipes.” But really, how healthy are they?

Is there a quarter cup of olive oil listed under ingredients? Half a cup? Is that beneficial to you? No, we believe.

Although olive oil is referred to as a “healthy” fat, how can something be healthy when only a quarter cup of it contains a staggering 477 calories? The amount is the same as 10 cups of strawberries. or three complete cantaloupes. or 4 corn ears.

The Pritikin Eating Plan focuses on whole, natural foods, which are what you’ll find in the 3-day sample meal plan for summer that is provided below. These foods include strawberries, cantaloupes, and corn. It honors the season’s delicious and remarkably healthful fruits and vegetables.

Whole foods that are high in fiber and water also have low calorie densities, which means that they provide around 5% fewer calories per serving than foods like olive oil that have a very high calorie density. As a result, we can eat a lot more without consuming too many calories.

Additionally, it means we can truly eat our fill, which reduces the urge to stop at a drive-through fast food restaurant or throw candy bars into the shopping cart.

The excessive amounts of salt used in many “healthy” meals is another factor that is literally lethal. We are instructed to shake “generous portions,” but excessive salt consumption can cause our arteries to stiffen, raise our blood pressure, and increase our risk of heart attacks, strokes, dementia, and other debilitating illnesses. In actuality, the main factor for strokes is hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Flavors of Summer

Not only is our meal plan healthy—high in whole foods and low in salt and calorie-dense items—but it’s also delicious, because what’s better than the pure and strong flavors of summer? Peaches at their ripest? Tomatoes straight from the vine? Big plump blueberries? Sweet juicy corn on the cob?

We have more good news. For the most part, we’ve kept this summer plan real simple. No 18-ingredient sauces simmering on the stove for three hours. It’s minimal time in the kitchen, and maximum flavor and summertime fun.

Healthy Meal Plan for Summer

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DAY 1

Breakfast

• HALF A CANTALOUPE WITH 1 CUP OF VANILLA GREEK YOGURT (FAT FREE, NO SUGAR ADDED)Scoop out the cantaloupe’s seed-filled center, and drop in the yogurt.
• WHOLE-WHEAT ENGLISH MUFFIN (GOOD BRAND CHOICE IS FOOD FOR LIFE®) SPREAD WITH APPLESAUCE (NO-SUGAR-ADDED VARIETIES)Afraid this big-sized breakfast is big on calories? No way! It tallies up fewer calories than a single typical muffin at Starbucks and other coffeehouses, and that includes the low-fat muffins.
• ICED COFFEE OR TEA, IF DESIREDIf you’d like, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and/or a packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• 1 CUP OF SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND 1 OR 2 APRICOTSGo for peas and beans whenever you can! They’re filling, nutrient rich, low in calorie density, and packed with fiber. You’d have to eat about 6 slices of whole-wheat bread to get the same amount of fiber that’s in 1 cup of beans or peas.If you’d like to fire up your sugar snap peas a bit, dip them in a little wasabi (Japanese horseradish).

Lunch

• GIGANTIC CHOPPED SALAD WITH PRITIKIN-STYLE THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSINGThrow in just about any veggies already in the crisper, especially the crunchy ones. Here’s a combination that guests love at the Pritikin Longevity Center.Cauliflower florets
  Broccoli florets
  Carrots
  Red Onion
  Radishes
  Romaine lettuce greens
  Cucumber
  TomatoIn a large bowl, chop up all your veggies into bite-size pieces using a knife or salad chopper.Chill your veggies till ready to serve.Meanwhile, whip up your Pritikin-style Thousand Island Dressing (and watch the pounds disappear).Pritikin Thousand Island DressingTwo tablespoons of regular Thousand Island dressing packs in about 120 calories and 300 mg of sodium. Our tasty Pritikin Thousand Island Dressing has just 20 calories and 15 mg of sodium.ServingsPrep TimeCook Time162-tablespoon servings10minutes0minutesIngredients
  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt plain (fat-free)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, fat free
  • 3/4 cup ketchup (low-sugar, low-sodium) (Good choices are Heinz® No Salt Ketchup, Hunt’s® No-Salt-Added Ketchup, and Westbrae® Unsweetened UnKetchup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano (dry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powderServings: 2-tablespoon servings Units:MetricUS Imperial
  • Course Salad Dressing, Vegetarian
  • Cuisine American, Easy, Quick, Vegan, VegetarianInstructions
  1. Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
  2. Store in refrigerator for about 4 days, depending on the expiration dates of your dairy ingredients.
• ½ WHOLE-WHEAT BAGEL SMEARED WITH NONFAT RICOTTA CHEESE AND TOPPED WITH A SLICED PLUOTNever tried a pluot? You’re in for a treat! This yummy fruit (it starts arriving in markets in mid-summer) looks and tastes like a plum but with apricot overtones.

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• BOWL OF FRESH CHERRIES

Dinner

• BIG SALAD OF BABY GREENS, FRESH BASIL, AND STRAWBERRIESFor a dressing, blend up your own creation of fresh berries, champagne vinegar, and a teaspoon of apple juice concentrate.
• SEARED SALMON (4 OZ) WITH BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC BLISS AND WHOLE-WHEAT COUSCOUSOur Blueberry Balsamic Bliss is so easy to make. In a saucepan on the stove, simply bring to a boil ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar and 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Reduce heat and stir regularly until reduced by half. Ladle over your salmon. If you’d like, top with a few fresh blueberries.Whole-wheat couscous is real easy, too. For this delish whole grain, you don’t even need the stove. Just combine ½ cup of couscous with ½ cup water. Stir in onion flakes and your favorite salt-free seasoning, and microwave on high for about 3 minutes.

Dessert (enjoy only if hungry)

• WATERMELON SNOW CONEHere’s a fun version of a summer fruit favorite. The night before, puree about 6 cups of rough-chopped watermelon (seedless) in a blender until smooth. Pour into a shallow airtight container and freeze. Before serving, let it thaw a little, then mash with a fork and spoon into paper cones or cups.

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DAY 2

Breakfast

• OATMEAL WITH FRESH BERRIES AND NONFAT MILK OR SOYMILKWe know it’s summer, but for weight control, go for hot rather than cold cereal. That’s because cold dry cereals are far more calorically dense. Per bite, you’re taking in about three times the calories of cooked cereals like oatmeal.
• ICED COFFEE OR TEA, IF DESIREDIf you’d like, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and/or a packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• HEIRLOOM GAZPACHOWant to shed pounds? Enjoy soups, hot or cold. They tend to be low in calorie density, and research, particularly from Penn State University, has found they do a great job of filling you up.Heirloom Tomato GazpachoOur Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho is refreshing and so simple! Just combine the following ingredients and refrigerate for 20 minutes.ServingsPrep TimeCook Time4people25minutes0minutesIngredients
  • 2  heirloom tomatoes small diced, seeds removed
  • 2 cups veggie juice (very low-sodium) such as Knudsen’s Very Veggie Juice
  • 1 teaspoon coriander ground
  • 1 teaspoon Italian parsley leaves picked & chopped
  • 1/4 cup vidalia onions minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1/2  jalapeno pepper minced
  • 1/2 cup cucumber peeled, seeded, minced
  • 1/2  red bell pepper seeded, minced
  • 2 tablespoons purple basil (optional) If used, slice thinly.Servings: people Units:MetricUS Imperial
  • Course Lunch, Snack, Soup
  • Cuisine Easy, Latin American, Quick, Vegan, VegetarianInstructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except basil.
  2. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  3. Pour into serving bowls. Sprinkle ribbons of basil on top. 

Lunch

• TOMATO AND PEACH SALADThis exquisite summer salad was inspired by a recipe in a 19th century cookbook from Tuscany. If you can’t get good peaches, nectarines work well. All you do is slice up 2 peaches and 2 ripe but firm tomatoes. Combine in bowl and lightly drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of walnut oil, and fresh lemon juice. Add freshly ground black pepper and a small handful of chopped walnuts. (If weight loss is a goal, leave out the walnuts and oil because they’re very dense with calories.)
• 1 CORN ON THE COB

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• 1 CUP OF PLAIN NONFAT GREEK YOGURT WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES AND ½ BANANA
• FEELING THIRSTY?Lemonade’s always a summer favorite, but did you know that a 12-ounce glass of regular lemonade has about 150 calories? Drinking one every day could add up to a 15-pound weight gain in one year. Get 0 calories and lots of fresh lemon flavor by squeezing several wedges of lemon into a tall glass of ice water. Pour in a packet of Splenda, and stir.

Dinner

• COOK IT ALL ON THE OUTDOOR GRILL! VEGGIE BURGERS, WHOLE-WHEAT BUNS, GRILLED VEGGIESVeggie patties have only about half the calories of red meat patties, and 0 artery-clogging saturated fat. Good choices are Black Bean Burgers and Veggie Burgers. Both are available at Pritikin Foods.For whole-wheat buns, look for lower-sodium brands, such as Food For Life®. It’s so important to watch sodium intake. The more sodium, or salt, we eat, the greater our risk of hypertension. Having hypertension means we’re 4 times more likely to develop heart disease.Grilled vegetables have great smoky flavor. Cut up a bunch of summer veggies in thick, grillable slices. Spray very lightly with oil spray and sprinkle with Pritikin All-Purpose Seasoning.Make enough so that you have leftovers for egg white omelettes, sandwiches, or pasta the next day. Excellent veggie choices include bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, asparagus, red onions, and portobello mushrooms. Top your veggie burger with your grilled veggies along with crisp Romaine lettuce and a smear of low-sodium Dijon mustard, and enjoy a nice hefty serving of veggies on the side.

Dessert (enjoy only if hungry)

• USE THE GRILL FOR DESSERT, TOO! GRILLED PINEAPPLE SLICESSprinkle pineapple slices with cinnamon about a half hour before grilling. Grill about 5 minutes on medium-high heat on both sides. Top with a creamy dollop of fat-free sour cream mixed with a little vanilla extract.

DAY 3

Breakfast

• SCRAMBLED EGG WHITES WITH GRILLED VEGGIES AND NONFAT RICOTTA CHEESEUse the grilled veggies leftover from last night’s dinner. So easy! For a little kick, sprinkle on hot sauce. Good low-sodium choices are Pritikin varieties, Bone Suckin’® Sauce, Dave’s Gourmet, Tabasco, and Pukka.
• 
  1 OR 2 SLICES WHOLE-WHEAT TOASTIf you’re running late, make breakfast-in-a-bowl by breaking your toast into a bowl and topping with the egg whites, veggies, and cheese. You’re out the door!We don’t use yolks at Pritikin. Regardless of public relations campaigns saying “eggs are the perfect food,” yolks are far from perfect. They’re loaded with dietary cholesterol, which research has repeatedly found raises blood cholesterol.
• ICED COFFEE OR TEA, IF DESIREDIf you’d like, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and/or a packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• FRUIT SALSAUse whatever fruits you already have. Great choices are melons, mangos, and berries. Chop them up. Put them in a big bowl. Then add chopped onions, chopped fresh cilantro, and freshly squeezed lime, to taste. Enjoy alone as a snack, and if you have extras, use as a fat-free, no-salt salad dressing. It’s also fantastic spooned over grilled fish.Numerous studies have found that eating foods rich in water, like fruits, vegetables, hot cereals, and soups, helps keep you satisfied on fewer calories. Yes, they’re great weight-loss foods!

Lunch

• BIG FARMER’S MARKET SALADThrow in a variety of fresh seasonal produce, veggies as well as fruit. For a dressing, enjoy the fruit salad you made for your mid-morning snack, or use really good balsamic vinegar. Our guests at Pritikin have found that with top-quality balsamic vinegar, they don’t need any oil on their salads. A brand they buy by the case is Roland Diamond Balsamic Vinegar. It’s expensive, they agree, but worth it.
• CURRY HUMMUS DIP AND CUCUMBERS IN A WHOLE-WHEAT PITAThis dip makes a fabulous spread for pitas and wraps. And what a difference for your waistline! A schmear has about one-seventh the calories of butter or mayo – and about 20 times less sodium than most store-bought hummus. Make up a batch (see recipe below) and refrigerate for enjoyment with fresh veggies all week long.Curry Hummus DipThis Curry Hummus Dip makes a fabulous spread for pitas and sandwiches. And what a difference for your waistline and blood pressure! A schmear has about one-seventh the calories of butter or mayo – and about 20 times less sodium than most store-bought hummus.Prep TimeCook Time20minutes17minutesIngredients
  • 1/4 cup onion chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
  • 1  tomato diced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander ground
  • 1 tablespoon Caribbean curry powder (no-salt-added varieties)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves picked and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Pritikin® All-Purpose Seasoning*
  • 2 cups garbanzo beans (no salt added) cooked and drainedServings: 1/4 cup per serving Units:MetricUS Imperial
  • Course Dip, Leftovers, Snack
  • Cuisine Easy, Middle Eastern, Vegan, VegetarianInstructions
  1. In a medium nonstick saucepan, sauté on medium heat for 3 minutes onion, garlic, and tomato.
  2. Add ginger, cumin, coriander, Caribbean curry powder, thyme, and Pritikin All-Purpose Seasoning. Cook over low heat for 8 minutes. (The consistency should be like paste.)
  3. Add garbanzo beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  4. While still hot, pour mixture into food processor and puree. Cool.
  5. Optional: Garnish with sliced apples.

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• ½ CUP COTTAGE CHEESE WITH SLICED NECTARINESFor cottage cheese, look for nonfat, low-sodium varieties, such as Friendship (1%, No Salt Added). A half-cup of many cottage cheeses contains nearly a third the sodium most of us should have for the entire day.

Dinner

• MAHI MAHI CEVICHENo need to heat up the stove! In a large glass bowl, simply combine 1 pound of mahi mahi (this dish serves 4) cut into short thin pieces, ½ cup lime juice, ½ cup chopped and seeded tomatoes, a seeded and finely minced habanero pepper, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well, and sprinkle a finely sliced small red onion on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then, stir to incorporate the onions, and refrigerate 1 hour more.
• WHOLE-WHEAT PASTA ALLA CHECCAAnother easy summer favorite! The only thing you have to cook is the pasta. In a big pasta serving bowl, toss in about 2 pounds of fresh, diced, richly flavored tomatoes, crushed garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and a big handful of torn fresh basil leaves. Add the cooked pasta. Stir. If desired, top each individual bowl with a little reduced-fat Parmesan cheese (Kraft®) or soy/veggie-based Parmesan (Galaxy Nutritional Foods®)

Dessert (enjoy only if hungry)

• PERFECTLY PRITIKIN “ICE CREAM”There’s a new counter-top appliance called Yonanas, sold at stores like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, that turns fruit into a frozen dessert that tastes like soft serve ice cream. You freeze really ripe bananas, let them thaw just slightly, then feed them into a Yonanas and add any other frozen fruit, like mango. “It’s perfectly Pritikin ice cream,” smiles Pritikin RD Kimberly Gomer. Top with fresh strawberries, and savor while watching the fireflies!