One of my goals as a nutritionist is to move people away from diet mentality, to have them stop chasing diets, counting calories and thinking about food only as a means to lose weight. When it comes to weight loss it is important to trust the wisdom of the body and use the natural rhythms of the seasons to our advantage.

Spring was all about taking in the bitter, astringent and pungent foods to help detox, stimulate metabolic fire and flush excess water from the body. We begin the fat burning cycle in spring and we really turn it on in summer. As summer begins, so too does our metabolic burn. In terms of weight loss, nature is powerfully on our side in the summer. Everything melts and changes form with heat. So, too, do our bodies. Our metabolic energy increases with heat. Our ability to burn fat, eliminate toxins, increase muscle mass and burn calories is highest in warmer weather.

In the summer our appetite lessens and we naturally eat less food. Food creates heat in the body, so we need to eat more in the colder months. But as the temperature heats up outside, our desire to eat big and heavy meals naturally wanes. The key is to tune into this, be conscious of this so you can naturally regulate your appetite.

It is also wise to eat your largest meal at the hottest time of the day. Between 12-1:30 the sun is highest and our digestive fire is the strongest. We have the ability to burn more calories at mid-day than we do in the evening.

The warmth of the summer also reinvigorates us, inspires us to play, have fun and be outdoors. We naturally recharge and renew in the summer. When we let go, play, lighten up and relax we are in the optimum state to burn body fat. When we’re stressed, worked up, intense and stagnant, the body can’t burn efficiently, in fact, the body stores more body fat. So summer is really an excellent opportunity to reshape the body naturally.

Summer is an excellent opportunity to do some emotional shedding as well. What do you want to let go of? Where can you lighten up? These are some questions to explore because our inner shifts affect our outer shifts.

Mother nature also gives us the perfect cooling foods to prevent us from overheating so that we maintain balance. Enjoy all the amazing summer fruits (apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, berries). Eat tons of salads and asparagus, celery, peas and cucumber. Lighter and leaner proteins like chicken and turkey breast and white fish are preferred and keep cool with aloe vera juice and coconut water. And of course ice cream must always be taken in during the summer months, so for a great treat try So Delicious coconut ice cream (available at health food stores and Superstore). They couldn’t have chosen a better name!

So this summer, let nature do its work. Relax and surrender to the weight loss process and trust your body’s wisdom to shed the unserving pounds naturally.

Related posts:

1. Community blog: The message your weight holds by Amy Bondar
2. Community blog: In transition by Amy Bondar
3. Community blog: Late night eating by Amy Bondar
4. Community blog: Winter, nature’s season of rest by Amy Bondar
5. Community blog: Spring cleansing by Amy Bondar