by Joanne Eglash ( Celebrity Weight Loss Examiner)

Gotta love the traditional Fourth of July celebrations! A lazy morning, followed by a bring-it-on BBQ:

• Potato chips and corn chips with plenty of sour cream mixed with onion dip mixture, then a choice of fat, sizzling hot dogs or hamburgers slapped onto oversize white hot dog or hamburger buns. Slather on the mayonnaise, and pile into that potato salad and coleslaw.
• There’s plenty of soda pop to drink, of course. And what could be more traditional for dessert than chocolate-coated ice cream bars, with chocolate chip cookies and thickly frosted cupcakes? Yum.
• Just before the firecrackers go off, it’s time to bring out more food: sandwiches composed of bologna, cheese, mayonnaise, and other goodies; more chips and dip, assorted salads with plenty of rich thousand island salad dressing, and more ice cream for dessert.

The next day, you experience a vicious food hangover, have trouble getting into your slacks, and wish you’d followed your virtuous diet plan.

Halt! It’s not too late to re-think that fourth of July celebration…and subsequent summer picnics as well.  How about celebrating the summer holidays and sunny days the celebrity way?

• Set aside the soda pop and substitute zero-calorie water.  If you hate plain water, try HINT Essence Water from www.drinkhint.com, a favorite of celebrities such as Blake Lively, Kristen Stewart, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cryrus, Lauren Conrad, and Victoria Beckham. Available in such fabulous flavors as strawberry kiwi, pear, and watermelon, HINT is calorie-free and carb-free, contains no preservatives, and actually tastes like real fruit (instead of chemicals mixed up in a lab).
• Corn chips, potato chips, and high calorie, high fat dips get tossed. Instead, try assorted raw veggies dunked into low-fat or fat-free salad dressing. Lots of crunch and munch value without the cost to your diet!
• Cancel those big fat buns slathered with mayonnaise adorned with greasy hamburgers and hot dogs!  Try low-fat tofu dogs or lean ground beef, and enjoy fresh sliced tomatoes, thin slices of purple onion, romaine lettuce, and grilled mushrooms and zucchini.  Satisfying and will fill you up, not out!  Check out the typical photos of slim celebrities on a picnic — odds are that you’ll see lots of veggies and very few mayonnaise-coated potato salads or hot dogs.
• As for dessert: hey, it’s summer! Dive into those summer fruits: fresh peaches, strawberries, nectarines, watermelon…and don’t forget the sugar-free popsicles, only 10 to 15 calories each.

Now, get ready for your celebrity-worthy close-up!

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