Eat Your Way to Your Summer Beach Body
For a lot of guys, the summer is something that is met either with dread or excitement. Those who are fit and trim see it as an excuse to show off their physique, while others hide inside in fear of their flab seeing the light of day. Even if you’ve got a spare tire at the moment, there’s no reason to believe that you can’t do anything about it. While exercise is an important part of any healthy individual’s life, proper nutrition may be even more essential to getting a summer beach body. After all, it doesn’t matter how often you get to the gym if your diet consists of twinkies and soda. Fortunately, incorporating proper nutrition into your lifestyle is something that doesn’t have to be even remotely difficult, so long as you take the following tips into consideration. Here are some nutrition tips that will get you on track for your summer beach body, our first segment out of our 10-part Health, Fitness, & Fashion Series
Switch to Healthy Fats
One of the most common misconceptions in the world of nutrition is that fat makes you fat. This couldn’t be any further from the truth, as people get fat simply by consuming more calories than they burn in a day’s time. Fat is actually an essential nutrient, and should not be outright avoided. That said, saturated fats should be limited, and ideally replaced with unsaturated fats. Butter, for example, is loaded with saturated fat, and is best replaced with olive oil for cooking. Instead of slathering a sandwich with mayonnaise (also high in saturated fat), consider slicing up an avocado and adding it to your meal. Healthy fats are also abundant in nuts; almonds are the perfect midday snack, and won’t bog you down the way foods that are heavy in saturated fat will. Quick tip: Avoid (or limit) fats found in animal products (exception: Fish)
Don’t Skip Breakfast
When people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they’re truly onto something. A healthy, complete and balanced breakfast will help to ensure that you have the energy you need to get through the day, and will keep you from giving into the urge to snack all day long. Oatmeal, toast and a hard-boiled egg, for example is the perfect breakfast for those who have a busy day’s worth of work to get to, and will ensure that you don’t need to gorge on a massive lunch or dinner later in the day. Avoid sugary breakfast cereals, however, which won’t do you or your body any favors.
Avoid Alcohol
This is the hardest part for most people. Alcohol is loaded with simple carbohydrates, which are converted into simple sugars once they enter the body. A few drinks every here and there won’t hurt, but drinking more than 2 drinks per day can quickly lead to the dreaded “beer belly.” If you view alcohol as a treat rather than a daily habit, however, you can quickly eliminate this issue and keep the belly at bay. Also, strive to stay away from drinks that contain a great deal of sugar; mudslides and other, similar drinks come to mind, and are extremely rich in calories. Wine is your best bet, and a glass or two of red wine per day actually comes with a great deal of cardiovascular benefits.
Other Related Articles:
Mens Spring Fashion 2012
What to Wear with Skinny Jeans
Your Mens-Ties.com Team