In May, during the glorious season of spring, many people restart their exercise regimens and begin new diets as they look forward to the summer. Getting into shape is easier if you incorporate the right seasonal foods into your diet. The combination of eating right and exercising will help you shed pounds this spring.

What is seasonal eating? By this I mean taking advantage of the unique foods that each season brings. For example, what we call spring eating can be summed up in three words: fresh, raw, and organic.

First of all, plan to eat fresh. Eat lots of fresh fruit (including fresh squeezed juice), fresh vegetables, and unprocessed foods. When we eat processed foods, we consume chemical preservatives, high levels of sodium, added sugars, and of course, many more calories. Choose fresh meats as well, including turkey breast and lean roast beef. Avoid cold cuts. Try steaming veggies until partially cooked, and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon. What could be fresher?

Consuming raw food is a great idea, because raw foods retain water, vitamins, and fiber. Let’s consider that when we cook healthy foods, we turn them into not so healthy foods due to the ingredients that we add. For instance, frying foods can take quite a toll on your weight.

In addition, raw foods take longer to chew, which can further assist you in your mission to lose weight. Start your spring diet by eating more raw fruits and more salads with veggies.

Let’s talk organic eating, which is not a new concept. (Isn’t that why Trader Joes is so popular?) Anyway, organic foods do not contain chemicals that may be harmful to our health and to our earth. They are not mass produced, and they do not contain pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Organic foods also do not contain artificial flavors and colors. Most of us are unlikely to eat organic foods all the time, but we can try to do so more often, especially when we choose our fresh fruit, produce, and meat. For example, we can purchase more organic meats free of hormones, and wild fish such as salmon.

With these tips in mind, go out and enjoy spring eating and plenty of exercise. Hopefully the pounds will come off easily.