Spring is the perfect time to refresh your training goals, eating habits, and embrace more nutritious foods to feel good and look good this Spring and Summer season.
Here are some clean eating tips tailored for you this spring season:
- Embrace Seasonal Produce: Take advantage of the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables available in spring. Incorporate colorful options like strawberries, asparagus, spinach, and artichokes into your meals for a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Aim to get your food locally, best option is your neighborhood farmers market!
- Focus on Lighter Meals: As the weather warms up, opt for lighter meals that are refreshing and hydrating. Choose salads, smoothie bowls, and grilled vegetables to keep you feeling energized without weighing you down.
- Minimize Processed Foods: Aim to reduce your intake of processed and packaged foods, which are often high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and preservatives. Instead, opt for whole, minimally processed ingredients to nourish your body.
- Hydrate with Water-rich Foods: Stay hydrated by consuming water-rich foods like cucumbers, watermelon, and citrus fruits. These foods not only help keep you hydrated but also provide essential vitamins and minerals.
- Incorporate Lean Protein: Include lean protein sources such as chicken breast, fish, tofu, and legumes in all of your meals to support muscle repair and growth while keeping you feeling full and satisfied.
- Choose Whole Grains: Opt for whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and barley instead of refined grains. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and they can help keep you feeling full and satisfied.
- Mindful Eating: You can practice mindful eating by slowing down and paying attention to your food choices and hunger cues. Avoid distractions while eating, such as screens or working while eating, and try to savor each bite to fully appreciate the flavor of your food. Putting these tips into practice will ultimately allow you to enjoy your food while preventing overindulgence leading you to feel satisfied after each meal.
- Limit Added Sugars: Be mindful of your sugar intake and try to limit foods and beverages that are high in added sugars. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth with naturally sweet options like fresh fruit or homemade smoothies.
- Include Healthy Fats: Incorporate sources of healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil into your meals. Healthy fats are essential for supporting brain health, hormone production, and nutrient absorption.
- Meal Prep and Planning: Set yourself up for success by planning and prepping your meals ahead of time. Batch-cook your grains, proteins, and vegetables for easy assembly during the week, ensuring that you have nutritious options readily available.
Aim to get your food locally, best option is your neighborhood farmers market!
As spring emerges and the weather becomes more inviting, it’s a great time to revitalize or enhance your current fitness routine:
- Take Your Workouts Outdoors: Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine by moving your workouts outdoors. Try activities like running, hiking, biking, calisthenics, or even outdoor yoga to take advantage of the warming temperatures.
- Set Spring-specific Goals: Whether it’s training for a spring/summer-time race, improving your endurance, or learning/mastering a new outdoor sport, set specific fitness goals tailored to the season and get to work.
- Stay Hydrated: As the temperature rises, it’s crucial to stay hydrated during outdoor workouts. Carry a water bottle with you and drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercise.
- Vary Your Routine: Your body gets used to routines quite easily and when it does you get less out of it and miss some of the rewards of exercise. That’s why you should vary your workouts often by incorporating a variety of activities and exercises. Start mixing cardio, strength training, flexibility work, and outdoor sports to challenge your body in different ways.
- Join an Outdoor Fitness Class: Many fitness studios and trainers offer outdoor classes during the spring months. Joining a group fitness class or run club in the park can provide motivation, accountability, and a sense of community that will help skyrocket your progress.
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your body feels as you increase your activity level. Be mindful of any aches, pains, or signs of overexertion, and adjust your workouts accordingly to prevent injury. Sometimes resting is better for your overall health than doing more workouts. A good rule of thumb here is every 3 days of moderate to hard activity, you should include one rest or active rest day.
- Focus on Your Posture: With the transition to outdoor activities, pay attention to your posture and body alignment, especially if you’re running or biking on uneven terrain. Proper posture leads to better form which can help prevent injuries and improve your performance.
- Incorporate Interval Training: Boost your cardiovascular fitness and calorie burn by incorporating interval training into your workouts. Alternate between periods of high-intensity exercise and enough recovery to repeat at a high effort for an effective and time-efficient workout.
- Recover Well: Prioritize recovery after your workouts to support muscle repair and prevent burnout. Stretching, foam rolling, adequate sleep, and nutritious post-workout meals can all aid in recovery.
- Enjoy the Season: Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the season! Spring offers the perfect opportunity to explore new outdoor activities, connect with nature, and rejuvenate your mind and body through movement.
By incorporating these spring fitness and clean eating tips into your routine, you can nourish your body with wholesome foods to feel and look your best as you transition into the warmer months.