Spring Has Arrived – Tailor Your Diet

In Israel, people often say, "We don't have spring or autumn, only summer and winter." While it’s true that the seasons in Israel, especially in recent years, are quite extreme compared to other parts of the world, spring certainly exists here, and it's very important for us.

After the cold and confined winter, where many of us tend to "fatten up" on carbohydrates to keep warm, the warm spring arrives offering us a pause (even if short) before the summer. This is precisely the time to create a lighter menu, add physical activity—which can now be done outside in the open air—and even start a diet, which may be much easier to maintain in the spring season when we feel more comfortable physically and mentally.

We have gathered some useful tips for healthier behavior during the spring season.

In the spring, the weather begins to warm up as summer approaches. However, the evenings can still be quite cool. Therefore, it's advisable to plan your meals so that at noon you eat a light, cool meal, and save the hotter meal for the evening. This way, you will maintain a logical balance in food and temperature.

On the other hand, it is important to remember: even though spring is not as hot as summer, drinking plenty of fluids is still very important. Be sure to drink at least 2 liters of water a day. You can refresh the water by adding mint leaves, lemon, lemongrass, or luiza. Try to minimize fruit juices, which are high in sugar, and of course, sweet soft drinks.

If you decide to take advantage of the pleasant weather and start a diet, don't force yourself to completely avoid sweets and snacks. Instead of avoiding them entirely, replace sweets with those you make yourself at home. This way, you can incorporate healthy ingredients into your snacks and avoid industrial and unhealthy substances.

The spring season and the summer that follows bring not only blooms but also a variety of tasty and especially healthy fruits. It is highly recommended to replace sweet snacks with equally sweet—but much healthier—fruits. A fruit smoothie can even serve as a fresh and healthy breakfast. However, it is advisable to consume up to 4 servings of fruit per day. That is, it’s also not advisable to overdo it with fruits.

Most of us invest in soups primarily during the winter, and rightly so—chicken, meat, and vegetable soups are very warming and suited to cold weather. But there’s no reason to avoid soups in the spring. You can choose lighter soups or even cold soups and continue enjoying the many benefits of soups and the healthy vegetables within them.

Another highly recommended food, especially in spring, is nuts and almonds. Research shows that consuming nuts and almonds daily (in moderation, of course. One shouldn’t exaggerate anything) aids weight loss processes, maintains muscle mass, and generally impacts health positively. Various nuts are rich in unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat, full of calcium, magnesium, and also vitamin E, thus they are very important for maintaining health—and as mentioned, for the diet.

When it comes to spices, turmeric is a healthy and always recommended spice, especially in spring. Spring is a transitional season and often brings colds, sinusitis, and similar illnesses. Turmeric warms the body and tends to dry mucus, making it suitable for these cases. It greatly strengthens the body and prepares it for a healthy summer. And all this, of course, before mentioning the beautiful color of turmeric and the wonderful flavor it adds to food.

Spring is a beautiful season, and wherever you look during this time, you see the dominant green color. This color can and should dominate your plate as well. Green vegetables are the most important vegetables in the daily menu, especially if you are interested in a weight-loss diet. Green vegetables are low in calories, yet filling. They are rich in quality, healthy substances that the body needs, and if all this still hasn’t convinced you, there's a wide selection! Most people who hear "green vegetables" immediately think of lettuce, at most a cucumber. However, you can also eat green cabbage, broccoli, celery, spinach, beet leaves, asparagus, green peppers, parsley, and a wide variety of green and tasty vegetables and leaves. Green vegetables also blend well in a variety of dishes—from basic salads to casseroles, soups, omelets, and more and more...

In addition to the menu, it is, as always, important to also maintain physical activity. In spring, it is easier to do so—rather than being locked in a gym or exercising at home in front of a mirror, take advantage of the pleasant weather and go for a walk or run, cycling, and so on. The fact that there are more daylight hours also helps exercise outside more easily.

Many people find it difficult to maintain physical activity because they do not enjoy it. Make an effort to find a physical activity that suits you and brings you joy or find a way to make a specific activity more enjoyable so you can maintain it more easily.

To conclude, or actually to start, here’s a particularly delicious recipe for a refreshing green salad, perfect for the spring season and encouraging you to build a healthy and suitable menu for yourself.

Spring Green Salad

2 heads of Romaine lettuce

1 cup of green grapes

1 bunch of arugula leaves

1/2 head of iceberg lettuce

1/2 cup of roasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. You can also mix)

Optional: 50g of crumbled Roquefort cheese

For the dressing (enough for two salad servings):

1 clove of crushed garlic

1 tablespoon of sugar (can be replaced with a tablespoon of honey, silan, or maple syrup)

1 teaspoon of mustard, preferably Dijon

2/3 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

How to prepare?

Remove the lettuce and arugula leaves, wash and dry them well. Place them in a bowl with the other salad ingredients.

Mix the dressing ingredients well and pour an appropriate amount over the salad just before serving.