Eat Your Medicine: 4 Tips To Keep You Feeling And Looking Your Best This Summer
We're still enjoying the summer sun, and when it comes to having a healthy, balanced diet, it is best to “eat with the seasons.” Common words associated with summer are fresh, warm, vibrant, breezy, laid-back, tropical, bright and fun. The foods we eat during the summer should reflect the season and the weather, filling our plates with vibrant colors, cooling fruits and vegetables and lighter meals that are easily digested.
Eat Raw And Stay Cool
Summertime meals should include a variety of raw foods: smoothies, vegetable juices, salads, cold soups and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Keep It light
To feel and look your best during the hotter season avoid heavy foods like lasagna, chili, and root vegetables. By eating lighter meals you will be fueled with energy that you can quickly burn with outdoor activities, keeping you fit and lean throughout the season.
Go Seasonal
What is the best way to know what’s in season? Visit your local farmers market or join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group. By eating locally grown foods that are in season, you are not only supporting your community but you will also receive the freshest and highest quality food containing the maximum nutrient density possible.
Get the most out of your fruits and veggies
Below is a list of five fruits and vegetables that are in season this summer. Make your meals fun and exciting by trying new recipes each week using some of these ingredients.
Strawberries possess anti-inflammatory properties that may help with symptoms of allergies such as runny nose, watery eyes and hives.
Shitake mushrooms help lower cholesterol and possess antiviral and anticancer effects.
Watermelon contains nutrients such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is also made up of 92% water, making it a great summertime snack to avoid dehydration.
Just one cup of any color bell pepper chopped up for a snack provides more than 100 percent of your Vitamin C intake, a vitamin that encourages tissure health and immunity.
Arugula is full of Vitamin K, keeping bones healthy and strong, and just 3 cups of arugula a day gives you more than 100 percent your daily value.
Buy local, eat light and for more summer tips and recipes visit Shanna Mota, Holistic Nutritionist on Facebook.
About the Author:
Shanna Mota, is a Holistic Nutritionist and founder of Live Love Detox. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of food. Her dream is to eradicate preventable diseases using food as medicine and to educate the population on the impact of the foods that they eat.