Are you excited about the Fourth of July weekend? It’s just around the corner and many of us are busy making plans to celebrate with friends and family, perhaps with a cookout or a party of some kind. 

If you’re anything like me, your memories of Fourth of July are centered around fireworks, flags, and of course hot dogs.

But here’s the thing. If you’re planning on socializing around food, it can understandably cause some anxiety for people trying to meet specific health goals, or just generally trying to lose weight. 

Read on for my tips on how to enjoy this Fourth of July without compromising your health goals. 

But first, how are you planning to celebrate the long weekend? Let me know, and reply to me, I’d love to hear about your experiences! 

Okay let’s get into it…

I understand, you don’t want to be the weird one at the barbecue eating iceberg lettuce while everyone else enjoys a hot dog or two, not to mention potato salad, chips and dip, icecream etc. 

The good news is you don’t have to. 

With some simple tweaks, you can enjoy the traditional celebrations without causing your blood sugar to spike, or your friends to comment or criticize your actions.

Here are my tips for a healthy July 4th holiday: 

Keep it Balanced: Include lots of vegetables, particularly those which are nutrient dense such as spinach, bell peppers, zucchini, kale, and cauliflower.

Add in healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, or wild salmon and healthy protein and you will be sure to fill up without indulging in anything too processed and laden with sodium and unhealthy fats. 

When your diet is balanced, you ensure that your digestion is slower and your glucose levels will rise in a stable, steady way.

Keep Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and limit alcohol intake, making sure you drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have. Don’t include sugary mixers.

If you want to make a simple drink of water more interesting, add cucumber, lemon, mint and ice. 

Make Healthy Swaps: It’s so easy to transform a traditionally more unhealthy plate into something bursting with nutrients and low in calories. 

Try the following:

• Potato Salad with lemon juice and olive oil instead of processed mayo.
  
• Grilled chicken breasts, fish, shrimp or veggies like corn on the cob, mushrooms, asparagus, and squash instead of processed hot dogs or burgers.
  
  
• Crudites of carrots, cucumbers and bell peppers with hummus or guacamole, instead of chips and blue cheese or ranch dip.
  
  
• Banana ‘nice’ cream instead of traditional vanilla or chocolate. Simply blend bananas with other frozen fruit, like blueberries or strawberries, and add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
  
  
• Red White and Blue salad of blueberries, strawberries, and feta cheese crumbles, instead of coleslaw drenched in mayo.
  
  

Keep Active: Get some movement into your day and involve everyone in a fun game of volley ball, or go on a hike together, or turn up the tunes and get everyone dancing. 

When you incorporate some kind of physical activity, you not only burn calories, you feel better, you will have fun with those around you and you make the day not only about eating hotdogs!

And finally…

Be Present: What do I mean by that? Well, try to enjoy the day with your social circle or family, whatever and however you spend it. Don’t ruin a memorable time by worrying too much about your diet or your glucose levels or your waist line. 

Seriously, these are the moments we look back on later in life. You don’t want to miss out on creating memories because you were so anxious about what you were eating or drinking. 

By being mindful, checking in with yourself and keeping yourself in an attitude of gratitude and appreciation, you can actually kick back and enjoy the experience no matter what. 

Happy Fourth of July folks! I hope it’s awesome for you all.