set guidelines for summer eating (your gut will thank you)

The summer is a time for fun. The weather’s warm. The skies are blue. Everyone is out and about.

As you go on vacation, attend graduation parties, and make your way from one backyard barbecue to another, it’s important to consider how you’ll eat.

The best way to do this is to proactively come up with a set of guidelines to help guide your eating decisions on a regular basis. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

prioritize water

Hydration is the number one digestive concern at all times in all places. There’s no time like the hot summer weather to feel the importance of water, though. Spending some time in the sun or working up a sweat while playing volleyball can quickly highlight how much you need to drink to stay hydrated.

The suggested daily dose of water depends on a few different factors. For instance, you should generally have:

• 15.5 cups of fluids if you’re a man.
• 11.5 cups of fluids if you’re a woman.

The “8 cups of water a day” rule is a good general guideline to keep you drinking throughout the day, as well.

However, things like your environment can change that number. Hot or humid weather is specifically a time when you may need to drink more to avoid dehydration. Keep that water flowing this summer.

use portion control

The size of your meals can change in the summer. In the winter, you spend more time at home and tend to stay in certain rhythms and routines.

In comparison, the summer is full of trips, events, and other unique circumstances. These are fun, but they are also interruptions to your daily flow.

This can lower inhibitions and make it easier to heap your plate full of food. You might make choices you normally would avoid, and it becomes all too easy to get a helping of seconds …and even thirds.

You can avoid this issue by establishing portion control measures for yourself, such as:

• Using smaller plates on purpose.
• Drinking water before you eat.
• Eating slowly and take breaks.
• Starting with half of what you want to eat.

There are also ways to use your hand size and plate as portion guides. The important thing is to have some kind of filter to help you avoid overeating.

bring enzyme supplements with you

No matter how careful you are, there are going to be times when you can’t control what you’re eating.

You might find yourself at a friend’s barbecue or a grad party where you have limited food choices. And, of course, you don’t want to be the person asking the host to pull out containers so you can read a dozen labels as you fill up your plate.

When that happens, it’s good to have a quality digestive supplement on hand.

Intoleran has a variety of digestive enzymes that help with different food intolerances. This gives your body a leg up as it digests different foods that you might not consume on a regular basis.

eating healthy this summer

There are challenges that come with eating a healthy diet at any time of the year. Nevertheless, it’s notoriously difficult to stay on track during the warmer weather months.

Take the time to create some guidelines and equip yourself with the best tools to keep your digestive tract healthy and strong as you take in all of the fun times that the summer has to offer.