Great Summer Foods
It’s kind of a myth that summer means more exercise and healthier food choices for everyone. One eye-opening study found that kids gain weight three times faster over summer than they do the rest of the school year, thanks to a steady diet of junk food and video games.
And while there’s no comparable stat on grown-ups and weight gain, barbecues, state fairs, and waterside food vendors offer plenty of temptation. Here are the summer foods you should always avoid, and healthier options you can feel free to enjoy.
1.Watermelon
Staying hydrated keeps your memory sharp and your mood stable. It also helps keep your body cool (by sweating) during hot summer months. The good news is that you don’t just have to drink water. You can eat it, too: in addition to delivering skin-protecting lycopene, watermelon is 92 percent water (hence the name). Another boon? Research shows that eating foods that are full of water helps keep you satisfied on fewer calories. (Interestingly enough, drinking water alongside foods doesn’t have the same effect.)
2.Ice cream sandwich
What’s better than two cookies sandwiching vanilla ice cream, especially when the cookies are chocolate chip? Well, actually, pretty much anything is better for you, because this treat usually packs nearly 500 calories and gets a whopping 60% of it’s melt-in-your mouth flavor from saturated fat.
3.Tomatoes
There’s no question that sunscreen should be your first line of defense against the blazing summer sun. But eating tomatoes could give you a little extra protection: consuming more lycopene—the carotenoid that makes tomatoes red—may protect your skin from sunburn. In one study, participants who were exposed to UV light had almost 50 percent less skin reddening after they ate 2 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste (or drank about 1 2/3 cups of carrot juice daily), in addition to their regular diet, for 10 to 12 weeks. Supplements, however, weren’t as effective: in the same study, those who received a lycopene supplement or synthetic lycopene weren’t significantly protected against sunburn.
4.Pineapple
When we think of summer, we also think of the tropical vacations and exotic fruits. Pineapples provide a good mix of vitamins, antioxidants and enzymes like bromelain that can protect your body against inflammation.
5.Tart Cherries
They deliver a host of health benefits. You may have heard that drinking tart cherry juice can help you get a better night’s sleep and quell post-workout pain (read more about that here). But did you know that compounds in tart cherries may also help you slim down and get leaner? When scientists at the University of Michigan Health System put rats on a high-fat diet supplemented with either a tart-cherry powder (equal to 1% of the weight of their total diet) or the same number of calories from carbohydrate, those that got the cherry powder gained less weight and body fat. Why? The anthocyanins in tart cherries activate a molecule that helps rev up fat burning and decrease fat storage.
6.Mango
Mangos (fresh or frozen) in yogurt, smoothies, salads, or on their own, add a nice topical kick to your summer fare. These fruits are packed with vitamin A and C, and have cancer-preventing beta-carotene.
7.Kiwi
Did you know green and yellow kiwi are packed with more vitamin C than oranges? "These are definitely a great choice when it comes to one of the summer fruits that offer excellent nutrition. Kiwis are giant berries that are packed with vitamin C and E, potassium, and fibre," Lee says.
8. Iced Coffee
An iced pick-me-up is a great way to start your summer mornings. Better yet: drinking a single cup of coffee daily may lower your risk of developing skin cancer. In one study of more than 93,000 women, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, those who drank one cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced their risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer by about 10 percent. And the more they drank—up to about 6 cups or so per day—the lower their risk. Decaf didn’t seem to offer the same protection.
9.Oranges
Squeeze! Nothing says summer like the smell of fresh citrus fruits. Oranges are rich in potassium and an essential nutrient and have enough potassium that can prevent against muscle cramps during workouts. On top of this, oranges also contain 80 per cent water so they will also keep you hydrated on the go.
10.Corn
Nothing says summer like fresh sweet corn. And did you know that two antioxidants—lutein and zeaxanthin—in corn may act like natural sunglasses, helping to form macular pigment that filters out some of the sun’s damaging rays? It’s true. The same antioxidants may also help lower your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60 (though much of the damage occurs decades earlier).
11.Peaches
Not only are these fruits juicy and tasty during the summer, but peaches also come with a healthy dose of vitamin C and A. If you're still worried about that beach body, peaches are low in calories and can help you manage your weight.
12.Starfruit
North Americans call this the starfruit, but in Asia it is known as carambola. Starfruits are low in calories and high in vitamin C and a good source of antioxidants. These fruits are usually in season from July through September.
13.Berries
Not only are these little gems delicious and sweet, but they are also packed with flavonoids that provide antioxidant benefits. "They can also promote increased blood flow to your skin and decrease your sensitivity to light to improve your skin’s appearance, structure and texture," Lee says.
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