If you have sworn to keep fit, then summer presents an opportune season to lose excess weight, and follow a healthy diet to manage your energy and fitness levels. Here are some steps to a healthy summer diet.

Think Water, Drink Water: Summer can cause severe dehydration due to excessive sweating and faster metabolism. Hence, it is vital to continuously think, and drink more water. If you find it difficult to remember, then place a bottle or jug of cool water close by, to give you a visual reminder to take a refreshing drink. If you are trying to lose weight, the combined effort of sweating and replenishing with water helps you.

Go Bananas Over Fruits And Vegetables: Summer is the right time to enjoy fresh and juicy fruits such as blueberries, peaches and of course, the humble lemon. These are all rich in Vitamin-C and antioxidants. Various vegetables such as carrots also taste very good, when converted to a cool juice. During the summer, relish fresh fruit juices. Even melons provide sweet relief in cut or juice form. Replace cheese, butter, sugar, and other fattening foods with more of fresh fruit and vegetable salads sprinkled with lemon juice and even a dash of olive oil.  

Stay Away From Colas And Alcohol: While summer might tempt you to go in for ice creams, chilled fizzy colas and alcohol in various forms reduce their intake to the minimum. Replace them with fresh fruit and vegetable juices, green tea or even iced tea. While a cool glass of wine is all right, other hard alcoholic drinks might just make you feel even hotter and will end up dehydrating you even further.

Reduce Fried Stuff: If you are holidaying in the summer, you will come across high-calorie buffets loaded with fat filled, carbohydrate-rich foods, salt laden snacks and yummy desserts, remember to eat these foods in moderation. Balance unhealthy foods with an intake of fresh fruits and juices, and replace white bread with whole or bran wheat breads. Try roasted or shallow fry foods instead of deep-fried foodstuff. Replace heavy snacks such as pancakes and waffles with pretzels or popcorn with low salt levels. Cut down on fries and chips, since both contain high levels of fat and salt.

Exercise: Even though this is not a part of your summer diet, it is still a very important complementary activity with your summer diet. Summer offers you a chance of indulging in many outdoor activities like swimming, jogging, or just walking. If you want to start a fitness program, then exercise, and carry on with your newfound healthy diet. You could digest all your temptations and embark on a fitness cycle that you can maintain throughout your life.

Thus, by sticking to the above steps, you could turn your summer into a healthy excuse to stay fit throughout the hot season and even through the coming years.