Oh no! Summer is here and you're not ready? It is no surprise that you aren't as fit and ready for your bikini as you'd hoped you might be; we are all so busy and tired, the diet or new fitness regime gets put back until the next week, then the next, then summer is here and well it's time for the summer dresses and bikinis to come out. So what can you do in a short amount of time with virtually no effort that will make a difference? Here are seven tips that may help you...
- Drink water! Simple and free but very effective. Drink lots of it, 2 to 3 litres per day in hot weather or if exercising. What will it do? Remove toxins, cleansing your body making you feel brighter, have more energy, hydrate your skin removing fine lines so you look younger, improve circulation to get rid of dark circles.
- No wheat and dairy. Cut these out of your diet and you will reduce inflammation and bloating throughout your body so you will feel slimmer and look leaner and your tummy will be flatter. Puffiness will be reduced and your skin will be clearer and brighter.
- Reduce red and processed meat. Keep these to once per week for a while or cut out completely. Your saturated fat intake will reduce and your digestion will improve, therefore reducing bloating.
- Increase vegetables (and a little fruit). Recommendations say '5 a-day' but we actually need 7 to 13 portions of vegetables and fruit per day. Upping your salad intake in summer is easy to try and build into your weekly plan or maybe some vegetable kebabs on the barbeque. How about a breakfast smoothie with a vegetable and fruit added! Vegetables (and fruit) will help your digestion and detoxification, reducing bloating, plus provide vital phytonutrients to give you a healthy glow. Fruit is still important but keep to 2 to 3 portions per day as they have a high sugar content - aim for more vegetables.
- Reduce alcohol and coffee. Both these drinks are diuretics, so they cause your body to get rid of more water and therefore working against point 1 - adding in more water!
- Move more. Increase your daily activity to at least 30 minutes per day, so that you get your heart beating faster than a normal rate. You can split this up into 3 lots of 10 minutes, so it doesn't have to be all at once. Exercise is great for reducing inflammation in your body and also improving your blood circulation and getting rid of toxins from your body. You also release 'feel good' hormones, so you will feel good and look brighter. Ideas could include fast paced walking or a light jog for 15 minutes; 3 X 10 pressups; 3 X 10 star jumps; 3 X 10 squats; and 3 X bicycle crunches.
- Sleep. The value of sleep is very underestimated. If we aren't getting enough our bodies do not repair themselves and rid themselves of toxins stored in the night. We should be aiming for 7 to 8 hours everynight in order for this process to do its job properly. So if you're wanting to look good for the summer aim to get some solid shut eye.
If you like your results, then all these tips can be incorporated into yor daily routine forever, then you'll never have the last minute rush to get ready for summer again! Enjoy the holidays!