It's finally here: Summer. It's hot, it's sunny, and you want to enjoy it while it's here. And EVERYONE is having or going to  barbecue. Barbecues are awesome, usually. A nice, restful afternoon with friends and/or family, food, drink, the works. But it's ALSO a time to be VERY careful as there are several things that can trip you up and send you into the Winter heavier than you came out of it. I've had several clients asking for pointers; so, here are my DOs and DONTs for barbecue season. Please also note my NEW monthly workshops here in Astoria, starting Saturday, August 2, high noon, and every first Saturday thereafter. Details below. Enjoy!

DO make sure to wear sunscreen and insect repellent. As non-toxic as possible. That's a given. Protect your head from prolonged direct sunlight. You know this.

DO enjoy yourself. DON'T get so hungup on trying to be healthy that you ruin your own good time.

DO take a sample of anything offered that looks good. It's OK to let down your guard and enjoy yourself. However, DONT finish an entire bag of chips.

DO enjoy grilled meats; however, DONT have a bun on everything. That extra bread REALLY stacks on calories and fat QUICKLY.

DO be careful with which types of carbs you ingest. White bread, pasta, potatoes will all spike your blood sugar and make you feel crappy later. Not to mention your adrenal glands will release cortisol as a result, and as you know from late night TV, cortisol makes you fat.

DO choose leaner cuts of meat or ground meat. DONT eat processed meats if you can avoid them. Like anything, if you don't know for sure what's in it, try not to eat it. Hotdogs, this means you.

In beverage choices, DO choose lite beer or a mixed drink with ice and some form of water (seltzer, club soda, etc). Lite beer is good for stamina, and ice/water, well, you know. Hydration. Also DO try to match every drink with the same amount of water if you can. This helps with hangovers too. And be very careful with wine. I had one of the worst hangovers of my life from drinking just 2 glasses of wine on a hot day out in the sun. Learn from my mistake.

DO go wild with grilled veg and fruit salads. DONT eat too much potato or macaroni salad. Again, sample. These are also things that stack on calories and fat quickly.

DO be very careful with desserts. Something that works for me is, I ask myself: 1) Am I hungry? and 2) Would I be having dessert if I was at home? I usually answer no. But smores or pie can be very tempting. So, again, sample. DONT finish that whole pie or carton of ice cream.

And socially, DO talk to at least one person you do not know. Break out of your comfort zone. You never know who you'll meet! There could be a potential spouse, a new job, or maybe just a new friend to go see a movie or show with.

That's about it. Enjoy your Summer! I'm gonna go watch a zombie movie.

-Liz