Akron Life June 2022

HEALTH & WELLNESS

by Kelly Petryszyn

Fresh Approach Eat healthy during summer with these tips.

Abigail Czekaj, a regis tered dietician at Celebrate Vitamins in Wadsworth, won the national Registered Dietician Nutritionist Day contest this year, and her winning entry offers great advice on maintaining a healthy diet by making small, attainable changes. “I think of it as, What can I add to make my lifestyle more nutritious, healthier? ” she says. Our summer social calendars are often filled with cookouts, weddings, birthday parties and festivals. And food served at those events is often fried, drenched in sauce or packaged, so sticking to a healthy diet becomes a struggle.

foods, you’re only going to make yourself want more,” she says. Instead, she advises having an 80/20 approach to your diet, with 80 percent nutritious selections and 20 percent more indulgent selections. When you indulge, do so in modera tion. So rather than eating a plate packed with cookies and cakes, select a couple small desserts with some fruit.

She gives the example of someone who doesn’t eat breakfast. Instead of recom mending they prep a huge meal for the week, they can grab a yogurt cup and some fruit or fry an egg to have with whole-grain toast. Czekaj shares tips on how to make small changes while at summer gatherings and at home.

PARTY PLATES

Cheeseburgers, funnel cakes, daiquiris, chips, cookies — the tempting options are plentiful at summer events. While you might have been told to avoid these unhealthy foods, Czekaj says that might be a barrier to success. “When you restrict yourself from having these enjoyable

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