It seems as if summer is always coming. Based on the life expectancy of 78 years, we can expect to see 78 summers in our lifetime. Here’s what you can do to put your best self forward for the next summer in the form of diet tips for summer shape.
1. Drink Water Before and During Your Meal
For this particular diet tip, you can drink before a meal, during a meal, or both. This scientific paper summarizes the results of several studies.
The first study focused on older adults. The group that didn’t drink water before meals consumed 8.6 to 14.8% more calories. This is true for obese and non-obese individuals. On the other hand, many people prefer to drink alcoholic or sugary beverage during meals. Substituting these beverages with water can make you eat over 10% fewer calories (not counting the caloric difference between water and other beverages). It is however not as conclusive with diet drinks. The same publication shows studies with insignificant difference except one that found 13.8% fewer calories when replacing diet lemonade with water.
2. Chew Thoroughly Before Swallowing
As we can see, the focus here is not diet tips for summer shape that require big commitments. Chewing thoroughly means eating slower, and it can be beneficial. This 2014 study found that it can reduce appetite and calorie intake by as much as 14.8%.
3. Eat Carbs Only if They Contain Fiber
It’s easy to gain weight from eating too many carbs but not realistic to eliminate them. A good compromise is to eat carbs only if the food is also high in fiber. The obvious ones are fruits like apples and pears and vegetables like broccoli and squash. Also, there are also sweet potatoes and legumes like beans, lentils, and peas – these are so hip that they have become the staples of grain-free pet food.
3.1 Plan Ahead
This is the bonus tip. If you plan ahead what to eat (say, for tomorrow), you are more likely to stick to your plan and less likely to binge or succumb to temptations.
