Well, summer is finally here (and it is in full-swing here in KC). Below are my nutritional recommendations, and a few easy meal ides, to keep you healthy, light, and feeling awesome (and swim-suit ready) all summer long!

• Eat for 8 hours a day, so from 8-4 or 11-7 (or whatever works for your life!), if you can and it feels right for your body. This is an easy way to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting and give your digestive system time to rest and recover.
• In that 8 hour window, eat one or two large meals, and a few nutrient dense snacks.
• Eat the rainbow, and eat fresh and light. Fruits and veggies, especially things with a high water content (melons, mangoes, oranges, kiwis, peaches, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers and berries) to help you stay hydrated are abundant in the summer.
• Keep hydrated! I recommend 100 oz of liquid per day. Start every morning with a 20 oz glass of water with fresh squeezed lemon to re-hydrate after sleep. Drink all sorts of iced teas, and coconut water. As an added cooling benefit, you can add sabja (tulsi/basil seeds, they are similar to chia seeds) in your drink as they are very cooling to the body, according to Ayurveda. https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/7-surprising-health-benefits-of-sabja-seeds-1437915
• Eat plant-heavy whole foods. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer is ruled by the fire element, and during this time our body naturally craves cool, light foods, so honor that!

Some Of My Favorite Summer Meals: stir fried veggies and grilled salmon, shrimp and broccoli stir-fry, chilled soups (think gazpacho, ceviche, taco salad bowls, burgers (using 90%-95% lean ground beef, which saves you 170 calories and 19 grams of fat per burger) in a lettuce wrap with all the fixings, hard boiled eggs with a side of veggies and fresh fruit, overnight oats with fresh fruits and nut milk and a bit of stevia for added sweetness, chicken/salmon/egg salad in a lettuce wrap with fresh fruit and veggies on the side, chopped veggie salads with lots of fresh herbs and oil and vinegar dressing, summer plate (chilled meat of choice, chopped fresh veggies and hummus or guac, and fresh fruit), sweet potato fries sprinkled with fresh rosemary and turkey burgers, almond flour pancakes topped with fresh blueberries and a bit of maple syrup), low country boil (I just use potatoes and shrimp), kabobs, and grilled veggies/meats.

Some Of My Favorite Summer Snacks: hard boiled eggs, fresh fruits, fresh veggies (either plain or with guac/hummus), nuts, seeds, grass fed beef sticks, small salads, deviled eggs, protein balls (made with almond flour, nut butter, coconut oil and dates or honey), dates (especially in the evening when I’m craving sweets), sweet potato fries, apples and almond butter, nut “granola”, banana drizzled with almond butter with a few dark chocolate chips and coconut on top, carrot fries.

Well, I hope this list helps you stay cool, and fit all summer long! Come back next week, and I’ll share a few of my favorite summer recipes with you, and tell you about what’s new with me (holistic nutrition school, a book being published, and a new job!!).

What are your favorite summer-time tricks, tips, and healthy meal and snack ides? Please share them with me in the comments!

Till next time!

Naturally Liz