7 Nutrition Mistakes You Should Avoid This Summer
5 min
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When the summer heat arrives, there are plenty of pitfalls that could creep into your diet. Maybe you’ve caught yourself eating almost nothing but Popsicles on a particularly hot day. Or perhaps an after-work beer is your daily companion this time of year. We’ll show you 7 common eating mistakes that we all make in the summer and give you tips on how to avoid them this year.
For a healthy body, not only is the right diet crucial during the summer, exercise is too. The perfect summer fitness routine will help you do just that.
#1 Ice cream at every turn
Sure, summer is ice cream season. But if you go to the ice cream shop every day to cool off, you’ll quickly notice the extra calories . Too much ice cream in your diet isn’t ideal for your health either. As delicious as it is, ice cream contains a lot of fat and sugar. It’s better if you opt for a sherbet or sorbet, as they are made without cream and egg. However, these options are also laden with sugar. Are Popsicles the solution? Unfortunately, they aren’t, as they also have plenty of sugar in them, as well as artificial colors and flavorings. This doesn’t mean that ice cream is taboo in the summer — it’s just that you should be mindful of how often you enjoy it. In other words, it shouldn’t be every day.
If you make your own ice cream, you can decide how much sugar is included. Need some inspiration? Then try a raspberry yogurt protein ice cream on a stick.
#2 Sweet fruit
Fruit is healthy, light and just the right food for summer. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t overdo it with strawberries, watermelon and other fruits: They contain fructose, which our bodies can only absorb up to their individual limit. If we eat too much of this sugar, it gets into the deeper parts of our intestines, where intestinal bacteria digest it. This can cause flatulence, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Our individual limits can be quickly exceeded. For example, in one day you can have a smoothie for breakfast, a fruit salad with cottage cheese for lunch, trail mix with raisins for a snack and watermelon for dessert in the evening. Just this seemingly healthy diet would be too much for many people. But there’s also hidden fructose in soft drinks, sweets and convenience products. This is because inexpensive fructose-glucose syrup is being used more and more frequently in industrially processed products.
#3 Don”t forget protein
It’s no secret that without protein, building and maintaining muscle becomes difficult. But in the summer, many people neglect this nutrient in their diet. This is because we do a lot of our eating outside or on the road. And by the outdoor pool, you’re more likely to be able to buy French fries than a low-fat protein-filled meal. The hot temperatures often make us lose our appetite too. But with some small tips and tricks, you too can take in enough energy and protein in the summer. For example, our Clear Whey is light, refreshing and high and protein. It tastes as delicious as your favorite soda, but without any of the sugar, and is also great for drinking on the go.
The type of proteins we consume during hot weather is also crucial.. Animal protein really heats up the body.. So if you’re already losing a lot of fluids through sweat anyway, it’s better to switch to plant-based options for your next BBQ. A great side effect of this decision is that you’re also doing something for the climate.
#4 Sparkling refreshment
Whether it’s a beer when you’re having a barbecue, a sparkling wine on a girls’ night out or an shandy after a bike ride — in the summer, there are so many occasions for a refreshing alcoholic beverage. But it’s worth passing on them more often. This is because alcohol is known to damage the liver, contains lots of calories and can slow down muscle building. For these reasons, water remains probably the best drink for the summer.
Learn about the effects of alcohol on your muscle building goals here.
Why exactly is alcohol especially unsuitable in the summer?
- Alcohol stimulates the metabolism → you start sweating
- When it’s very hot out, the body reacts more, and faster, to alcohol → this may cause circulatory problems
- Alcoholic beverages are not useful as thirst quenchers, as they deprive the body of fluids and minerals → dehydration becomes more likely
- Another thing to keep in mind: bathing in an ocean, lake or swimming pool while drinking alcohol→ greater risk of injury and drowning
#5 Cool drinks make you sweat
If you’re not going to drink a beer, then at least have a refreshing soda to beat the heat! This is another of the common nutritional mistakes that people make in the summer. Because no matter how hot it is outside, your body’s core always remains the same temperature. As a result, everything you eat is heated up or cooled down to match your body temperature. If you drink an ice-cold water, for example, your body produces heat to bring the liquid to the right temperature. This makes you sweat and even lose fluid. In other words, it’s the exact opposite of a refreshing cool-down. Drinks that are too cold can also irritate the stomach. This may trigger heartburn or abdominal pain,
so a drink at room temperature or even a tea are better options. For one thing, warm drinks cause your blood vessels to dilate, making it easier for the body to absorb the liquid.
# 6 Microbes thrive in summer temperatures
Summer is peak season for gastrointestinal infections. For pathogens such as salmonella, warm temperatures are ideal breeding grounds. They are often transmitted to humans through contaminated or spoiled food. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people are especially at risk. However, there are ways to help you avoid food-borne infections:
- Keep the cooling chain in mind, especially when it comes to perishable foods such as meat. It’s best to go shopping with a cooler bag and ice packs.
- Do not refreeze frozen foods after thawing or defrosting. This happens quickly with large containers of ice cream.
- Do not eat meat and fish raw. It’s better to eat sushi and other types of seafood in the winter. Be careful with BBQ food that’s not completely cooked through.
- If you’re eating outside, then afterwards the leftovers need to be quickly brought out of the sun and put back into the refrigerator.
- Be careful with mayonnaise made with raw eggs; it may be worth trying the vegan version in the summer.
- If you eat a piece of cake in a café, some fish while you’re out, or ice cream from an ice cream truck, take a closer look. If the business seems a bit unhygienic to you, it may be better to opt for someplace else.
#7 Heavy meals in the evening
During the summer, it’s only late in the evening that the heat becomes bearable, and it’s light outside for a long time, so it’s only logical that many people postpone their dinner by a few hours. If you prepare something light like a vegetable stir-fry , that won’t be a problem, but heavy food will deprive you of your restful sleep. So in the evening, you should either eat a little earlier or only a light dish.
If you don’t have much of an appetite during the day because of the heat, you may get downright ravenous toward the evening. But chips and sweets at that time of day are not a good idea. Instead, try a high-protein shake.
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