Intuitive Eating Summer Edition
Summer is right around the corner, and those fears in your brain might start to increase. This can be very scary, and the desire to change what we are eating, or exercise habits might be high. I am here to normalize this, this fear is real and scary! But we don’t have to change our food, or our exercise habits to “prepare for summer!”
Continuing to listen to your body, follow your meal plan, and leaning into our hunger and fullness cues, and talk with your providers when it gets tough! However, some things do kind of change- especially if you live in Arizona as I do- the summers are brutal! Let’s dive into some of the normal shifts and how to still honor your body during this season.
Your appetite might honestly shift, and that is okay! When it’s 120 degrees outside eating some foods might not be as appealing. Sometimes it seems like eating foods that are higher in hydration might be more appealing, thinking fruit, salads, smoothies, etc. These can and should be incorporated into your meal plan, as you desire. This is where some intuitive eating practices come into play: being able to choose foods for you that sounds good, but still meet our body’s needs. The important thing is to make sure that we are providing a variety of all foods to our bodies. Ensuring each meal has, protein, grains, fats, and fruits and veggies is the key. Even with appetite shifting, we know our bodies still need to follow the same structure of eating to provide nourishment.
Speaking of foods that are more hydrating sounding good, we also need to make sure that we are getting enough fluids in throughout the day! How do we even know if we are hydrated? I like to consider my urine color and ensuring that it is light yellow is a good starting place. Thirst is a poor indicator or hydration; thirst can be a sign that we are already dehydrated. So, keep a water bottle on you, to sip and enjoy throughout the day. I like to toss a lemon, mint, and cucumber in my water to keep it flavorful and fun. If you are in Arizona and spend time outside in the summer, considering replacing some electrolytes with an electrolyte drink might be important, to maintain adequate hydration. If you are considered about your fluid intake, please reach out to your dietitian, and have this discussion about what is enough for me and my activity?
Those thoughts might also be saying “I need to work out more to fit into my summer body.” Exercise can be incorporated in this time, but checking in with your intent of why I am doing exercise is always a great start. With temperatures soaring it might not feel as good to go for a walk. But if those thoughts are telling you must go for that walk- maybe we could challenge that thought. Sometimes exercise might shift a bit in the summer, maybe we take a step back from our weekly walks to spend some time inside with friends. Maybe it’s more time in the pool where we can play with loved ones and stay cooler. And that’s okay, we can’t be asking our bodies to push to their limits all the time. Tuning into that innate wisdom of our bodies can be hard, but start by asking yourself: Am I enjoying this activity right now?
Summer can lead to a lot of changes, but knowing that if you listen to your body, lean into what it’s saying, trust in nourishing your body, and allow exercise that you enjoy into your routines is enough. This summer my challenge to you is to go have fun, find a new hobby, meet someone new, go explore this beautiful world we live in!
