Body:
Nature is amazing! I love to think about the seasons of the Earth and how food grows. While winter naturally inspires cooked foods to help keep our bodies warm, when hot weather hits, it’s time to indulge our natural cravings for lighter foods with high water content. When you increase your consumption of fresh salad greens, summer vegetables, fresh herbs and ripe juicy fruits you get great benefits:
- Less fat and calories
- More fiber – helps keep you fuller longer
- Plenty of antioxidants
- Vitamins, minerals and trace minerals
- Great variety; great taste
And you get water – so essential to life! We naturally crave cooler, juicier foods in the summer because we perspire a lot more from outdoor activities, work, play, exercise and even just relaxing in the heat. Did you know humans can live for about a month or longer with no food, but when it comes to water, a few days without it are about all we can last! Water makes up about 60 to 65% of our bodies — that’s a lot! The good news is that we get water from more than just what we drink. Food has water too! That means increasing our intake of cooling, water-filled foods helps keep our body temperature cooler and helps keep us feeling lighter and more refreshed. By some estimates, about 20% of our body’s need for water is satisfied through the foods we eat.
As you can imagine, fruits and vegetables generally have the highest water content, although you will find some water even in bread, meats and dairy products. By eating foods with high water content, we contribute to our body’s reservoir of water. High on the list are:
- Colorful bell peppers
- Radishes, tomatoes and cucumbers
Carrots and celery- Salad greens and other leafy greens such as spinach
- Broccoli, zucchini and yellow squash
- Melons, citrus fruits and cherries
- Papaya, apricots and apples
- Grapes and strawberries
Add a side of salad to a sandwich. Here’s an irresistible Apricot and Feta Green Salad and a yummy Carrot, Red Onion and Cilantro Salad.- Add fresh fruit salad to breakfast or enjoy for dessert. This Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a cool way to do just that.
Serve sliced multi-colored bell peppers as a side dish or with a dip like hummus or bean dip. Try this Festive Jicama Salad — the peppers make it delicious!- Marinate cucumber slices in yogurt with chives and parsley; serve with lunch or dinner. Here’s a recipe for Summer Cucumber and Dill Salad.
Add melon chunks to your smoothie or make a soup! This recipe for Chilled Minted Melon Soup will keep you cool and happy.- Try a tropical smoothie with pineapple or papayas. Here’s a Peach Papaya Shake.
- Snack on radish slices with a sliver of goat cheese or a sprinkling of pine nuts. Or temp yourself with this Crisp Fennel and Radish Salad.
Freeze grapes and enjoy for a snack or dessert. Like grapes? You’re going to LOVE these Double Grape Slushies.- Blend up a fresh gazpacho soup. Try our Tropical Gazpacho or a Pineapple Cucumber Gazpacho.
- Experiment with adding less familar greens to your salads. Try this tasty Kale Salad.
Explore fun fruit and veggie combinations, like this Orange and Fennel Salad and this Summer Fruit and Spinach Salad.- Add rinsed, canned beans to fresh foods for a satisfying meal. I like this Mango and Avocado Salad with Black Beans and Lime Vinaigrette.
- Fresh berries make a delicious dessert for any meal. If you like, dress them up a bit like in this Raw Berry Crisp.