By Josh Weiner
Spring is officially here, so now is the time to fight back against winter weight gain and shed a few pounds. Nutritionists in Northern Virginia recognize the springtime as a period of healthier lifestyles, with people exercising outside and preparing for beach season.
Taylor Wallace, a nutrition professor at George Mason University, says the spring weather opens the door to a wide variety of healthy food options, including fresh fruits and vegetables and more locally sourced food, as well as healthier cooking practices like outdoor grilling.
“Most of the time when you grill foods, a lot of fat is lost in the grill,” he says. “Spices are more frequently used when people are cooking outdoors, and that’s really healthy.”
Conversely, many springtime rituals are not so diet-friendly. Mary Hunt, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Fairfax, says healthy eating can be compromised at social events such as sports games and graduation ceremonies, where fruits and vegetables are not readily provided. Warmer weather also produces thirst, but the go-to options are often full of empty calories.
“The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar for a woman and 9 for a man,” she says. “The average American is consuming 20 teaspoons of sugar a day, mainly from soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened iced tea, lemonade and fruit drinks.”
Cheryl Harris, founder of Harris Whole Health in Alexandria, adds that people often consume these drinks outside of the context of exercise, resulting in excessive intakes of sugar.
“If you’ve been exercising for 90 minutes, that’s fine,” she says. “But that is not the case for the majority of people who consume those beverages.”
Hunt says people also usually underestimate how many calories they consume and overestimate how many calories they burn while they are exercising.
“Playing golf while walking and carrying your clubs for one hour burns approximately 350 calories,” she says. “Two slices of pepperoni pizza may have between 500 and 800 calories.”
Therefore it is imperative to pay close attention to food choices and portion sizes. One alternative that Nour Zibdeh, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Herndon, recommends is homemade smoothies. They provide the refreshment the warmer weather demands, while avoiding more sugary or nonorganic options from retail stores.
“Making smoothies at home only takes five to 10 minutes,” she says. “Vegetables such as spinach, kale, ginger, cilantro and cucumbers can all be used to make healthy smoothies.”
In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, Hunt says that people should aim to include lean protein, whole grains and healthy fats like nuts, seeds and avocados in their springtime eating patterns. Whenever they are aware that they will be straying from their healthy eating patterns, such as when they go out to parties, Hunt urges people to handle the event sensibly.
“My advice is not to go out to social events overly hungry,” Hunt says. “Your body does not take vacations. You can take a meal off, but then try to refocus on healthy eating the next meal.”
Wallace adds that as athletes become increasingly active during the springtime, they should mind their eating habits and mineral intake accordingly.
“During periods of high physical activity, you need foods with potassium, like bananas, to keep your muscles from being sore,” he says. “Protein is also important to help build muscle and maintain muscle mass if you’re exercising a lot.”
