Let’s Talk Summer Bodies
LETS START WITH FOOD!
We are halfway into summer, a time for beaches and barbecues, cookouts and cut-offs! Although this time of the year is hands down my favorite for festivals surrounding and celebrating cultures through food, summer unfortunately is also my least favorite season. Popular culture dictates that summertime is for washboard abs and yogi arms, a reality that is far from true for most.
I like anything cooked on an open flame, from s’mores, to BBQ beef ribs. There is just something about the smokey char on some bass or chicken you marinated overnight. The thought of roasted peppers on the grill begets instant salivation. Grilled foods with fresh fruits and vegetables yielded in the summertime, sound like heaven to me. We all have our own special relationship with food and fitness. ‘Recently, summer has been identified as a period of excess weight gain and reduced physical fitness.’ Some people eat for fuel, others eat for comfort, and then there are those who eat out of sheer boredom, for no reason at all.
Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, one thing this pandemic has shown us is the power of food. I am almost embarrassed to admit the amount of Tik Tok recipes I’ve tried! But let’s get real. With hot girl summer in full effect, it is kind of hard to indulge the way I would like when it comes to summer eats. That being said, this entire notion of “summer bodies” and “hot girl summer” has, to, go! It belongs right in the trash, right next to 2020.
Your body isn’t for a season nor is it solely for other people’s gawking pleasures. For me, the term “hot girl summer” elicits getting fit for a season to show it off! Before the hounds come for me, let me clarify. Most people show off their bodies in the summertime, whether they want to or not. It’s hot outside. Alright now here’s an angle.
“Our bodies are just that - ours! Let’s try to remember that and love the skin we are in #all-year-round!”
Our bodies are just that - ours! Let’s try to remember that and love the skin we are in #all-year-round! Easier said, in this Kardashian-Jenner sexbot body-obsessed world we live in, but thankfully people are waking up. This notion of “summer bodies” is so dangerous because it promotes unhealthy lifestyles founded in instant gratification, and this chase for a “quick fix” heir on the side of addiction.
While writing, I went to a longtime friend, Aunt Google, for more insight on the conversation around summer bodies. What I found proves how detrimental this ridiculous phrase is. Some of the top search results included: “Can I get a summer body in 3 weeks?”, “How can I get a beach body in 5 days?”, “Which body shape is best for female?” and my favorite “How do you get a flat tummy overnight?” The absurdities don’t stop there but I have to. We have all been there, crash dieting for whatever occasion, but personally, I am choosing to be done with it. Summer bodies may come and go but here is a mantra for a lifetime:
Love Yourself.
Norah Wanda, guest writer and entrepreneur.
