Well, after what feels like an extended winter, summer has well and truly arrived.

It didn’t really creep in though did it? I feel like I opened the door on May 28 and BAM, summer punched me in the face. I do love the summer though!

A big congratulations to all those who ran the Bermuda Half Marathon Derby. It’s not easy running 13 miles at the best of times, let alone without the option of heat-training.

I always think that half marathon prep (for this particular race) is 50 per cent endurance training, 25 per cent hydration training and 25 per cent heat training too. To feel comfortable running in the heat, you have to have practised running in the heat – and that just wasn’t really an option this year!

With the summer comes lighter eating as it’s just too hot for heavy meals. That’s a good thing for your waistline so long as you don’t overcompensate with lots of wine. We all know that summertime in Bermuda isn’t great for the liver. Happy hour, boat days, beach days … there are lots of excuses for daytime drinking.

And over and above the alcohol content, have you noticed how your healthy-eating resolve fades as the drinks stack up? It’s easy to find yourself elbow-deep in a bag of potato chips, despite your best intentions.

A couple of tips for you! If you do drink, aim to have a 72-hour alcohol-free window every week (continuous). This provides a decent amount of time for your liver to recover. Don’t binge-drink on your drinking days though … try and keep it to a couple. Don’t drink alcohol because you’re thirsty; quench your thirst with water and sip your alcoholic drinks instead.

Make wine spritzers, alternate your alcoholic drinks with water, pack your drinks with ice, avoid the sodas and sugary mixers (use Spindrift or Waterloo instead). There’s a lot of damage control you can do!

Of course, one of the problems with drinking too much is the hangover. It’s such a waste of a day and a major trigger for carb overload. The traditional “kill or cure” breakfast of bacon, sausages and eggs usually comes with hash browns and toast. Add to that beans, OJ and the sugar in your coffee and you’re prolifically overlapping your carbs!

It might feel good in the moment, but it won’t feel great long term.

If you do fancy a cooked breakfast the morning after, then try these zucchini and sweet potato hash browns. They provide all the feel-good feelings of a cooked breakfast but with half the carbs. Try serving them with eggs and avocado as these help to mop up free radical production triggered by excess alcohol. Enjoy – hungover or not!

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Hash Browns (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

2 zucchini, grated

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 sweet potato, peeled and grated

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 tbsp light olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Any other herbs/spices to taste: try paprika, chilli, ginger, cinnamon, Italian herbs.

Method:

In a large mesh colander, mix the grated zucchini with the sea salt. Place a dish underneath the colander and set aside for 10 minutes. The salt will draw the liquid from the zucchini.

Place the grated sweet potato and diced onion in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Squeeze the excess liquid from the zucchini so it's very dry. (I use my hands to do this. Just grab a handful of it and squeeze the excess liquid right into the sink to discard the liquid and then blot with paper towels.) Next, place it in the bowl with the sweet potato and onion; mix well. Taste and add more salt, fresh ground black pepper and any other herbs/spices if desired.

Preheat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once the pan is hot, add the hash browns. Use the back of a spatula to press the hash browns down into the pan. Allow the hash browns to cook for 3 to 6 minutes undisturbed. When the hash browns are slightly golden, flip them over in sections. Use the back of your spatula, again, to press them down into the pan. Cook another 3 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: www.natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram