Ugh, bathing suit season is here!!!! No matter what I do, I’ll always think my body isn’t ready for it. But that’s a whole other blog post! 🙂 So instead of worrying so much on what our bodies look like on the outside, I want to focus on how we feel on the inside.
Food is integral to our lives that what we eat can enhance our lives or hurt them. I’ve learned so much about the effects of food on our bodies in the past few months…see I have a body that doesn’t really like food. Before I figured out what I could eat, I was slowing killing my gut by eating foods it was rejecting. So the cycle became eat, pain, fatigue, eat, pain, fatigue which resulted in low energy, weight gain and lack of presence in life.
So now I eat a lot of the same things over and over…the “safe” foods that I know won’t have me doubled over in pain all of the time. And now, I am a big believer in food as a healing source for our bodies. If you think about what you eat in one day (write it down sometime) and how each meal made you feel, you might be surprised! And be sparked to make some changes, because really who wants to go through life feeling sluggish and tired all of the time?!
I have a new fire in my belly (not a food related fire..ha, ha) to help my friends and family find better choices when they select foods and supplements (because let’s face it, we can’t get every single vitamin from our food) so they live more fulfilling lives. It’s amazing how much better I feel and honestly, I can look at cheese now and say “I don’t miss you.” 🙂
In my constant quest for more information on foods that heal, I came across this great blog post (from Integrative Nutrition) that talks about eating with the seasons which I thought was really cool. Seasonal eating helps give us a variety of new foods to try…you never know, you just might fall in love with beets. Ha! I’m still working on that one!
Here’s what the post shares about summer foods…
Beets
Beets come is several varieties, including golden, Chioggia (candy cane), and red. They’re a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber and packed with antioxidants. Roasting beets helps bring out their sweet flavor, but they can be prepared in multiple ways, including sliced thin and baked into chips, boiled and tossed into a salad, or grated and added to cakes and brownies. Red beets tend to have an earthier taste, whereas golden beets tend to be a little milder, but including a few varieties on the same dish makes for a striking presentation.
Peaches
Peach cobbler is a summer season staple, but peaches pair great with a variety of flavors and ingredients, like blueberries, arugula, cinnamon, oats, pecans, basil, and lemon. If you’re used to peaches in sweet dishes, experiment with adding them as an accent to more savory dishes, like salads or flatbreads. For a twist on a classic caprese salad, try peaches instead of tomatoes!
Cabbage
This humble cruciferous vegetable goes a long way in the kitchen and is high in sulforaphane, known to have powerful anti-cancer properties. Cabbages have a long growing season and store well, so they’re used in many traditional cold-weather dishes, but they’re delicious this time of year, too. For some summer dishes, try grilling cabbage wedges, adding to stir-fries, or pickling.
Corn
Corn is an amazing source of fiber and simple to prepare. Conventionally produced corn is mostly genetically modified, so if you’re avoiding GMOs, be sure to opt for organic. Ears of corn can be grilled, steamed, boiled, or even roasted. Once it’s cooked, check out this great tip for slicing off the kernels without making a mess so you can easily add them to everything from salads to dips to fritters.
Tomatoes
If you think tomatoes have lost their flavor, try an heirloom tomato in the heat of summer – it might just change your mind. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and low in calories, and they lend themselves well to both raw and cooked dishes. Interestingly, lycopene, a main antioxidant found in tomatoes, may be more bio-available after cooking.
To make flavorful summer tomatoes last year-round, try canning them (be sure to follow the proper preservation techniques so they stay safe to eat). You can also slice them thin and roast on a low temperature to create your own sundried tomatoes, which can last in the freezer for months and add a great flavor boost to weekday meals.
the whole me 