Alhamdulillah it's summer!

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. It’s officially summer and in the UK, this means a little bit of sunshine every now and then mixed in with rainfall, so not much of a different from spring apart from the fact that the summer solstice was a few days ago. Is it just me or are several babies born around this time of the year? Well, whether or not its baby season, let me give you some tips on staying fit this season. It’s not crash dieting because I don’t believe they work. The problem with diets is that once you stop, it’s back to square one.

Walk, walk and keep walking
Seriously, just simply walk everywhere. Walking is something you don’t have to think of as exercise as you do it without realising. You can stay fit simply by getting up a little earlier and walking rather than taking the bus or driving. If you’re taking the bus, try to walk to the next bus stop along. To make this work, increase your pace- as you’re probably not going to lose any calories by dragging yourself along the pavement whilst sipping Mcflurry. Interval training is increasing the pace of any exercise you’re doing for 30-60 seconds every 5 minutes and it can increase calories burnt by up to 30%. If you’ve ever had the joy of running late for anything, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Of course it is a lot easier to walk everywhere if you live in a small town. An alternative is to go to a fitness centre or start jogging. To do this you need to be pretty disciplined otherwise, you may as well pour the money down the drain.

Stairs vs. Lift
Taking the stairs lowers your body fat, reduces your blood pressure and increases your aerobic capacity if you persist with it. It may even be quicker and you’ll be contributing to planet earth in your own way by reducing your carbon foot print. I realise this may not be reasonable if you live on floor 20 but you can still try climbing one flight of stairs and using the lift for the rest. Increase the flight of stairs by one every couple of weeks-trust me, you’ll feel really good with yourself!

Smoothie vs. Milkshake
If you’re out and about on a hot day, you may feel like you need either one of the above. Generally speaking, a smoothie contains less fat than a milkshake and can be made healthier (as long as it’s made with real fruits) but they both will do in helping to keep you going until you can have a proper meal. Having said this, if you’re going to have any one of this, why don’t you make your own at home. That way, you know what’s gone into the mix and ensure they’re real fresh fruits.

Yoghurt vs. Ice-cream
Ice creams usually look very appealing –and in fact it looks way cooler than yoghurt. But it also carries a lot more calories with it. And with many different yoghurt flavours, coming in different sizes and shapes, some even claiming health benefits (probiotic), I wonder how the ice-cream companies haven’t gone into liquidation yet. Throw some fruits in your yoghurts, freeze it and you have yourself ‘homemade’ frozen yoghurt or light ice cream as some call them. You may disagree with me but ice creams are treats that should be taken at most once a month during the cold season and maximum once a week in the summer. Just because Magnum has a refreshingly thin lady in their advertisement does not mean you can get away with it-I doubt she even knows what it tastes like.

Water vs. Soda
When out and about, you’re at risk of getting dehydrated so drink water or herbal teas and ditch the cola, mochas and juices; you’ll be a few hundred calories better and you’ll stay better hydrated. You can even save yourself some money if you drink tap water. If you must, then go for real fruit juice rather than the zero calorie sodas – that is just a definite no no! If you’re going to be travelling using the central line in London, then definitely carry a bottle of water or you’re at risk of angry commuters hating you for causing “minor delays” on the line for passing out!

For completion, only eat when you’re hungry and cut out deserts if you can. If you need a snack, then go for nuts, fruits or low fat yoghurts. And if you’re struggling to keep with this, just remember the people who only have just enough for once a day and are not even sure where the next meal for tomorrow will come from. I will leave you with the recipe of one of the deserts I make but be warned as deserts are not my thing.

Fruit layered desert

What you’ll need
1 pot low fat natural/fruit yoghurt
A glass bowl
A biscuit made from rye (alternatively, muesli)
Seedless grapes (red and or / green)
Strawberries
Black/blueberries
Sliced bananas (sliced)
½ a glass real fruit juice (optional)

Preparation
Put a layer of the biscuit in the bowl. Then add one layer of fruit (any one), put the yoghurt on top of the fruit. Repeat to form layers until you fill the bowl. If using juice. Pour the juice on all layers. Cover with cling film and put in fridge for a few hours. It can then be served in slices (almost like a cheese cake but healthier). If using natural yoghurt, you may want to add a teaspoon of runny honey to help sweeten a little. As you see, you can use any type of fruit to suit your taste and different things to create an interesting layer.