By: Lisa Tobias

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

For many of us Memorial Day is the official start of summer, which comes with celebratory gatherings and an abundance of burgers & hotdogs, heavy potato salads, and sprinkle covered sweets. All of which sometimes leaves us feeling..yuck!

As Christians we have become God's temple by having the Holy spirit live inside of us when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, your body is to be a place of holiness and reverence, and you should honor it. God expects you to present your body to him as a living and holy sacrifice, pleasing to Him. One important way to honor your body is to practice self control through better nutrition and eating habits.

Whether you are hosting a get together this summer or attending one, I want to offer you some simple, practical tips to kick off summer without completely getting off track with your health goals.

If your hosting, cover the basics with healthy options:

The beauty of being the host is you get to choose what to serve! You can cover the basics of a protein, side dish, and dessert with healthy options such as: grilled chicken, shrimp cocktail, vegetable skewers , and fruit salad. Your guests can offer to bring other sides including the heavy potato salads, pasta salads, chips, etc. You at least know you have some healthy options you can choose from.

If you’re attending, ask and then plan ahead:

Ask the hostess what they are serving and make your decision on what to bring based on that. If they are serving hamburgers and hotdogs maybe you can get away with a bunless hamburger but you see a gap to fill with a healthy side dish. Or maybe this is your opportunity to make that Gluten Free pinterest recipe you've been wanting to try.

Eat before you go:

I’m giving you permission to ruin your appetite before the barbecue! A healthy protein rich snack or small meal provides satiety so you don’t show up starving. Fasting until the party almost always ends up with overindulging, and usually in high fat and sugary food. 

Assess first and then fill your plate once:

Be patient and assess the food options before you start to fill your plate. Choose the leanest protein option and then fill the plate with vegetables and fruit. Eat slowly and when you finish your first plate it's time to stop eating. Put that self control to practice and enjoy the company around you. 

Enjoy without overindulging:

One of the biggest misconceptions about eating healthy is that you will feel deprived. That couldn't be further from the truth. A balanced meal that's not overly processed or high in fat and loaded with sugar will leave you feeling satiated without the bloating, the tired heaviness,.. the yuck! Then you can enjoy a small treat, or maybe even a sample of a few, without guilt.