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The hours of light they reach their peak and there is no shortage of the former sunbathing at the beach. The month of June provides a colorful diet rich in antioxidant foods to prepare and protect the skin in the sun. But that’s not all: this is the month in which the desire to lose those centimeters grows the most belly, buttocks and thighs accumulated during the winter months.
Expert advice? “Make five meals a day, consume five servings of fruits and vegetables Seasonal, hire more fish and pay attention to foods that cause blood sugar to rise too quickly resulting in insulin production – suggests the dr. Corrado Pierantoni, specialist in endocrinology and metabolic diseases and clinical nutritionist in Lanciano (Ch) – but without ever eliminating them completely so as not to fall into ketosis ”.
Five portions of fruit and vegetables
Apricots, black cherries, watermelons, beets, chickpeas, cucumbers, cherries, green beans, figs, prickly pears, courgette flowers, raspberries, lentils, almonds, eggplant, melons, blueberries, mulberry blackberries, walnuts, potatoes, green chillies, peppers, peaches, tomatoes, plums, radishes, currants, rocket, shallots, courgettes… And so on and so forth. Nature, in June, gives us colorful vegetables rich in water. “All these pigments – explains Dr. Pierantoni – they are nothing but healthy antioxidants for our body, useful for combating the increased production of oxygen free radicals which, with exposure to sunlight, increases in summer “. Let’s not miss them on the table since the morning, also because each of these can help us improve not only health, but also the silhouette.
Just think of all the vegetables of Red, which facilitate the drainage of liquids and the vascular and lymphatic circulation. “Useful, therefore, for all the people who, with the arrival of the heat, suffer from swollen legs and slowed circulation, ”says the doctor. “In this case, the advice is to combine them with blue / purple foods such as aubergines, blueberries, plums, grapes, blackberries, currants, figs and plums, which contain anthocyanidins is polyphenols precious for improving microcirculation and counteracting varicose veins “.
Instead lettuce, green peppers, courgettes, green apples, beets, rocket, courgettes, parsley, basil and other green colour also contain chlorophyll, increasing the oxygenation of the organism “.
In short, it is no coincidence that nature gives us foods rich in vitamin C in the winter to support the immune system against seasonal ailments and plants rich in antioxidants and water in summer to moisturize the skin and protect it from UV rays.
Green light to fish
The arrival of summer provides us with sea products very fresh and also cheap. “One more reason to increase the consumption of fish in our diet – advises the doctor – bringing it to the table at least 4 times a week. In this period there is no shortage of anchovies, mussels, cod, sea bream, swordfish, plaice, octopus, bream, sardines, sole, tuna, squid ”. The choice is really wide. “That light blue, typical of the Mediterranean – adds Dr. Pierantoni – is also rich in valuable fatty acids Omega 3, of the substances that we know above all for the health of the cardiovascular system, important because they help to fight inflammation and they also play a role on the nervous system and even on weight loss ”.
Carbohydrates: which one to choose
And if you want lose some weight, it is good to check the quantities of carbohydrates and bring the right ones to the table. The carbohydrates that raise blood sugar the most are those considered to be “high glycemic index“(Such as bread, pasta, pizza, sweets and baked goods in general). As soon as the brain detects the presence of excess glucose in the blood, it sends a signal to the pancreas, which begins to secrete insulin, the hormone that has the function of allowing the blood sugar to remain stable since it manages to lower it. One of the most telling symptoms of this situation is feeling strong feeling hungry after eating instead of feeling full. While the pancreas controls insulin production, other organs, especially the liver, use it to convert blood sugar into energy. The liver absorbs glucose and converts it into glycogen, storing it. Residual sugar that is not absorbed by liver cells or other organs such as the heart and brain or muscles is converted into fat stored in fat cells.
“Yes to a portion of pasta, if consumed every 4 days, about 80 grams weighed raw. Preferably eaten in the evening to promote sleep at night – suggests the nutritionist – and topped with vegetable or fish-based sauces. Let’s not forget, however, that pasta is not the only source of carbohydrates. There are i legumes and cereals such as brown rice, spelled, barley, buckwheat and pseudo-cereals such as quinoa. These foods – says the expert – have a lower glycemic index of pasta and therefore cause a lower glycemic response “.
The advice, when eating foods that cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, is to consume them along with a serving of fibers. “The glycemic index, in fact, can be influenced by various factors that cause a certain variability. For example, the presence of fats, proteins and fibers contained in the meal could lower the glycemic index of the preparation ”.
The important is don’t rule them out entirely from the diet. “The risk – warns the doctor – is to activate a metabolic condition called ‘ketosis’, which should instead be avoided in order to have a good state of health”.
Foods that protect you from UV rays
A special attention should then be dedicated to skin. And nature helps us this month: “Food yellow and orange that nature makes available to us in this period – explains Dr. Pierantoni – they behave like real people anti-aging cosmetics for our skin: carrots, corn, yellow peppers, melons, peaches, apricots, lemons, mangoes and papaya, as well as persimmons and prickly pears that we find towards the end of the season, share the presence of carotenoids. For absorb them better, it is important that they are paired with a certain amount of fat / triglycerides, so do not eat unsalted vegetables but add them extra virgin olive oil, and consume them cooked (briefly, otherwise the vitamin C they contain is neutralized), concludes the doctor ”.
MONDAY
JUST WAKE UP: 1 drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: Green tea or coffee 1 low-fat white yogurt HD (lactose-free); 1 small cup of strawberries 1 tablespoon of rolled oats
MORNING SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit
LUNCH: Sardinian pie with tomato; grilled zucchini; 1 slice of toasted wholemeal bread
AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit; 1 cup of green tea
DINNER: Lettuce salad; brown rice with avocado, cherry tomatoes and tuna
AFTER DINNER: 1 herbal tea
TUESDAY
JUST WAKE UP: 1 drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: Green tea or coffee 1 glass of oat milk and 1 slice of toast with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
MORNING SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit
LUNCH: Baked chicken thighs; 2 potatoes; mixed salad
SNACK AFTERNOON: 1 seasonal fruit; 3 walnuts
DINNER: Radicchio and carrot salad; tagliatelle with lemon pesto
AFTER DINNER: 1 seasonal fruit
WEDNESDAY
JUST WAKE UP: 1 drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: Green tea or coffee; 1 low-fat white yogurt HD (lactose-free); 2 wholemeal rusks with a veil of honey
MORNING SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit
LUNCH: Mixed salad; toasted wholemeal bread croutons with scrambled eggs and spinach
AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit; 20 g of 80% dark chocolate
DINNER: Carrot, fennel and celery pinzimonio; quinoa with cherry tomatoes, avocado, black olives, artichokes and feta cubes
AFTER DINNER: 1 herbal tea
THURSDAY
JUST WAKE UP: 1 drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: Green tea or coffee; 1 yogurt; 1 slice of toast with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
MORNING SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit
LUNCH: Frisella with tomato, mozzarella, capers and basil
AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit; 1 tablespoon of unsalted peanuts
DINNER: Endive salad; brown rice with shrimps and chickpea cream
AFTER DINNER: 1 herbal tea
FRIDAY
JUST WAKE UP: 1 drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: Green tea or coffee; 1 glass of almond milk (or HD milk); 3 dry biscuits
MORNING SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit
LUNCH: Tuna with pistachio crust; chicory sautéed with garlic and chilli; 1 slice of toasted wholemeal bread
AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit; 1 cup of green tea
DINNER: Mixed salad; spelled alla nicoise (with green beans, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs and capers)
AFTER DINNER: 1 herbal tea
SATURDAY
JUST WAKE UP: 1 drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: Green tea or coffee; 1 omelette consisting of 2 egg whites and 1 yolk; 1 slice of toast
MORNING SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit
LUNCH: Grilled hamburger; steamed spinach; 1 slice of toasted wholemeal bread
AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit; 5 almonds
DINNER: Mixed salad; Pizza margherita
AFTER DINNER: 1 seasonal fruit
SUNDAY
JUST WAKE UP: 1 drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: Green tea or coffee; 1 portion of fresh ricotta; 1 slice of toast
MORNING SNACK: 1 seasonal fruit
LUNCH: Mixed salad; swordfish with tomato sauce
AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 mixed centrifuged; 20 g of 80% dark chocolate
DINNER: Radicchio and rocket salad; noodle soup with lentils
AFTER DINNER: 1 herbal tea
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