Ways to help slim for swimsuit season

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DALLAS, June 21 (UPI) -- The most effective way to slim down for swimsuit season is to exercise and make some lower-calorie food substitutions, a U.S. nutritionist suggests.

Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said exercise has the biggest impact, but unsweetened iced tea for soda can help trim calories and waistlines.

Other food substitutions Sandon recommended are:

-- Switch fruit juice for whole fruit.

-- If you can't get going without 10 ounces of orange juice, dilute 8 ounces of juice with 2 ounces of water.

-- Top green salads with a sliced hard-cooked egg for protein that will keep you feeling full longer and it is only 75 calories per egg.

-- Start the day with a 100 percent whole-grain breakfast -- oatmeal made with skim milk.

-- Keep the cheese but omit the mayonnaise on sandwiches.

-- Enjoy an open-faced sandwich with only one slice of bread to cut about 100 calories.