Summertime is my favorite season! I love the extended daylight hours and the opportunities it presents to spend more time outdoors enjoying things like hiking, kayaking, and swimming. Then there are the outdoor concerts, festivals, and family cookouts. To me, summer spells f-u-n!
As much as I love summer, it can also be a challenging season to stay focused on wellness because there are so many festivities involving food and we tend to spend more time on the go. But it IS possible to stay “on point” during the season if you follow these quick tips.

Coach Tam’s Top 7 Tips for Summer

1. Move more. Don’t miss out on the festivities because you are “on a diet” but do offset your indulgences with regular physical activity. It can be as simple as taking a walk after work, playing ball with the neighborhood kids, or choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. Drink up – H20 that is. Rather than grabbing a sweet tea, soda, or juice, opt for water. You’ll save 150-400 calories per meal just by making this swap. Save the calories for something more enjoyable, like a healthy dessert!
3. Get fruity. Summertime is the best time of year to enjoy fruit. Strawberries, watermelon, and kiwi provide nutritional value while taming your tooth.
4. Eat chocolate. Yep, chocolate. It can be a part of a healthy diet, you will just want to choose the right variety. Instead of milk chocolate which is loaded with sugar and additives, opt for dark chocolate. The “darker” variety, with a higher % of cocoa content, the better.
5. Get your grill on. It’s no secret that grilled foods (prepared properly) are better for us than fried foods. Take advantage of the warm weather and grill some lean protein – fish, chicken breast, turkey, and some cuts of beef. Grilled veggies make a great side item, providing a good dose of healthy carbs.
6. Practice portion control. Even if you’re eating the right foods, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Try to limit lean meats to the size of the palm of your hand, sweet potatoes to the size of a computer mouse, and wheat pasta or brown rice to a rounded handful. One serving of veggies is about the size of your fist, but it’s okay to eat several servings of this food group.
7. Sweeten with Stevia. Stevia is a natural, zero calorie sweetener. One packet of stevia, which is equivalent to 2 tsp. of sugar, provides 5 calories and 1 g of carbohydrates compared with 30 calories and 8 g of carbohydrates for 2 tsp of sugar. Because stevia is derived from a plant, it is superior to artificial sweeteners like Sweet-N-Low and Splenda.
I pray that these tips empower you to enjoy summer’s joys while building stamina for many seasons to come.

Tamara “Coach Tam” Jackson is a health and fitness expert determined to change the alarming statistic that churchgoers tend to be more overweight and have a higher risk for heart disease than non-church goers.

Once weighing in at 265 pounds, Tamara has released over 100 pounds by standing on Matthew 19:26 daily: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The perfect combination of expertise and experience, Tamara is an ACE Certified Health Coach and ACSM Certified Group Exercise Instructor who has maintained her goal weight for nearly 10 years through daily mindset management, regular exercise, and proper nutrition. She uses this same strategy to help her clients reach their goals. For more information about Coach Tam, visit her website at www.265point.com.

You can also connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

CLICK HERE to discover more of the “Joy to the Soul Summer” series!