I’m glad to say I’m feeling better. My journey back to wellness has given me many new insights.  But I’ll save those for another newsletter. Today I want to talk about enjoying the glorious foods of summer.

We are at the height of the Summer’s produce in the markets. Now is the time to embrace this wonderful time of year and take advantage of the bounty available.

Nature’s cooling foods are harvested at this time of the summer to help move excess heat out of our body.

This season’s gift of incredible fruits and veggies is nature’s way of supporting our body during the hot and dry weather.

Eating seasonally is eating in alignment with our True Self.

Do you know that the microbes in our digestive system change throughout the year? When we eat local seasonal foods our microbiome is connected to the intelligence of nature.

The microbes that live in our microbiome come from the soil that nourishes the plants we eat. These microbes attach themselves to the roots, stems and of each plant.

Each season the microbiology of the soil changes and different plants grow. These microbes create a microbial community inside our body which keeps our gut and immunity functioning optimally as we eat the seasonal foods.

In the summertime we have the right summer-food digesting microbes to digest the carbohydrates and starches from the sweet fruits and
vegetables available now.

The abundance of fruits and vegetables on the grocery shelves and at your local farmers markets are naturally cooling, cleansing, and supportive to the blood, skin and liver.

The summertime fruits and vegetables are “cooked” on the vine as they ripen. They are very easy to digest and don’t require much of the stomach’s digestive heat to process.

Watermelon, tomatoes, peaches and other fruits and vegetables are naturally cooling, cleansing, and supportive to our blood, skin and liver.

Food is love. Eating seasonal food is what our body wants. It connects us to our beautiful body and our magnificent planet. 

My 10 Favorite Summertime Salads

In today’s post I’ve put together a collection of my favorite summer salads for you to enjoy right now at the peak of the summer harvest.

Tomato Peach Avocado Salad | Eat Well Enjoy Life

This Tomato Peach and Avocado Salad is easy, fresh, colorful, vitamin rich and oh so delicious. Get the ingredients at your local farmers market now while they’re in season.

French-Style Summer Potato Salad with Corn | Eat Well Enjoy Life

This elegant French-Style Summer Potato Salad is made with scallions, fresh corn and a dill-infused mustard vinaigrette. It’s light and tangy, great for the beach, picnic or your summer BBQ’s.

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Orange Lime Dressing | Minimalist Baker

This salad is a meal full of protein from quinoa and black beans. I add strips of red and yellow pepper because they’re so fresh and beautiful.

Balancing Summer Caesar Salad | Eat Well Enjoy Life

In this Balancing Summer Caesar Salad the purifying bitter greens are balanced by the nourishing tastes of the tahini, pumpkin seeds and olive oil in the dressing. Adding fresh sweet corn makes this salad divine. These super healthy ingredients alkalize your body and reduce inflammation.

Antioxidant Summer Salad | Nutrition Stripped

 

What makes this salad special are a few key ingredients that are super rich in antioxidants. This includes blueberries, strawberries, beets, sprouts, and watercress.

Alkalizing Watermelon and Watercress Salad | Eat Well Enjoy Life

This colorful, refreshing salad is full of alkalizing watermelon, cucumbers, radishes, watercress, fragrant basil and a tangy honey-lemon dressing that hydrate your body and balance your pH.

Summer Squash Salad with Basil Vinaigrette and Crispy Prosciutto | Tasty Yummy’s

This fuss-free, raw salad from Tasty Yummies is ready in just a few minutes and there is a lovely crunch from the raw summer squash noodles, a beautiful peppery bite from the basil vinaigrette and the crispy prosciutto and the toasted pine nuts are the perfect topping. If you don’t eat prosciutto, the salad’s great without it too!

Energizing Grilled Summer Salad | Eat Well Enjoy Life

Your body will be super energized when you eat this salad of crisp romaine, grilled to bring out extra sweetness, along with grilled corn, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, radicchio and a cilantro avocado dressing. Top it with any protein you like for a complete meal. I love it!

Chopped Thai Salad | Pinch of Yum

This salad from my friends at Pinch of Yum is a good one with lots of sweet peppers, carrots and kale. I don’t eat much soy, so I switched the edamame to peas which are also high in protein. I used avocado oil instead of canola oil and rice vinegar instead of distilled white vinegar (less acidic). Enjoy the recipe.

Grilled Cole Slaw | New York Times Cooking

A recent NY Times article had multiple recipes for Grilled Cole Slaw. What a great idea! Giving the cabbage the barbecue treatment elevates the traditional cole slaw to a whole new level.

Enjoy the recipes. Food is love. Love the food you eat. Food connects us to each other, our body and our planet.