Victoria Day Long Weekend -5 Tips for Eating Healthy...and Enjoying it!

1) Don't forget to go grocery shopping ahead of time! Seems like a no-brainer, but making sure your fridge and pantry are full of nutritious food BEFORE your busy weekend begins, will help you stay on track!

2) Prepare meals and snacks ahead of time. Again, seems simple enough, but it's important you make time in your schedule to do so. Having meals and/or snacks ready ahead of time enables you to enjoy more of your long weekend and still get the nutrition your body deserves!

3)Get Outside and Enjoy Nature! How will this help you eat healthy you ask? Nature provides us with both mood boosting and relaxing effects. The positive psychological effects of nature While you're out in nature, you won't be tempted to eat unhealthy meals and snacks that offer little to no nutrition. Instead, you'll be enjoying the healthy snacks that you've prepared ahead of time! If you have young children, create a simple game in which you try to find and name plants you come across, and which animals would eat that plant. Alternatively, for the adults, you may be able to go on a 'mushroom hunt' with knowledgeable professionals where you can search for edible mushroom which you can take home and incorporate into a delicious meal.

4) Put on some relaxing music and truly enjoy your meal. Set aside enough time to truly enjoy your meal - no rushing, no multi-tasking and no swallowing bites of food whole!! Sit out on the patio, or around the table and talk, laugh and enjoy the experience! Savour each bite and be thankful for being able to enjoy your healthy & delicious meal with whoever you're sharing it with - even if it's just your cat. 

5)Drink lots of water! Water plays a big role in a healthy diet. Not only does it assist in digesting and assimilating  the nutrients in food, but it helps to protect your tissues & joints and assists in removing toxins and waste. Recommendations for water intake vary, but I like to follow the 'drink half your body weight (in pounds) of water (in ounces) each day'; with body weight being measure in pounds and water being measure in ounces. So, for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of water/day. Since you're likely planning on spending time outside this weekend, you're water needs will likely be increased as the body becomes dehydrated quicker when we're active or as the body works to cool us down. Make sure to bring your glass or stainless steel water bottle with you where ever you go so that you can easily meet your daily requirements.