A Guide to Eating During the Summer Season

Summer is the best time to pull out your best bathing suits, sandals, and your outdoor furniture. It’s the time of socialization, cookouts, and straight up fun in the sun! You’re outdoors swimming, tanning, or taking walks, and although these are staple activities for summer time, they can put your health at risk for conditions such as, dehydration, skin sensitivities, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Summer is the time when most of your favorite fruits and vegetables are fresh- the perfect time to stop by your local farmers market to grab some blueberries, cherries, cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes, and summer squash. These are just a few summer staples that will fill you with so many nutritional benefits. Avoid dehydration and other deficiencies you may face with eating nutrient filled seasonal whole foods! The ice cream on the board walk and the yummy desserts bloggers and bakers post on Facebook and Pinterest are tempting, delicious, and they look incredible. We get it! But, there’s nothing tastier and more satisfying than a nice bowl of fresh and juicy fruit on a hot summer day.

Here are some amazing fruits and vegetables you’ll love this summer..

Our Summer Seasonal Shopping List

FRUIT:

• Apricots
• Asian Pear
• Blackberries
• Cantaloupe
• Cherries
• Elderberries
• Figs
• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Honeydew Melons
• Jackfruit
• Key Limes
• Limes
• Passion Fruit
• Peaches
• Plums
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Watermelon

VEGETABLES:

• Beets
• Bell Peppers
• Butter Lettuce
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Endive
• Green Beans
• Lima Beans
• Okra
• Peas
• Radishes
• Shallots
• Sugar Snap Pears
• Summer Squash
• Tomatoes
• Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Zucchini

More on Your Digestive System and Staying Hydrated in the Summer

Most people are active and always out in the hot and draining sun during the summer months. Who can blame us? A break from cold weather is what we all love when the weather starts warming up. There are two things you should make sure to pay attention to this summer when it comes to your own digestive health, as well as remaining healthy and hydrated. Because of the harsh heat we experience in the summer, although we are always on the go, we can tend to feel sluggish and slow.

This can lead to affecting your food decisions, which may lead to the more unhealthy or dehydrating options. Your digestive system changes in the summer. Your internal furnace is turning off and changing because it’s basically protecting itself, leading to your digestive system becoming weaker, causing it to not work as smoothly as it once may have. A way to help your digestion out is to eat lighter, yet fresh and filling foods as well as eating smaller portions for each meal. Doing this will allow your body to feel cooler, as well as giving it enough energy throughout the day!

Some great fresh fruits and vegetables that are easily digestible as well as refreshing and filling are cucumbers, melons, summer squash, and zucchini. Of course, it’s also important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water in the summer. Squeezing sweet and fresh fruits into your water can help cool your body down as well as replenish electrolytes that you will lose in the sun and heat.

When someone tells you or suggests for you to eat less, it can usually cause you to become concerned and your mind may wonder to, “Well, why do I have to eat less?”

Most people tend to eat less when they’re hot and constantly active. This is what happens in the summer. Even though it’s just warmer out and you may be doing your normal day-to-day work duties and other activities, the heat itself can do a number on you and your digestion. You may find yourself not hungry, not wanting to eat multiple meals a day, or even crave heavier meals that you’re used to in the winter and fall months. By eating less than usual, you may find your body feeling cooler and more energetic. Of course, you should eat when you’re hungry. But, if you are having dehydration and digestive issues, eating less at each meal may certainly help you out. Don’t skip meals, eat every meal you’d like, just in smaller portions!

Cooling and easy-to-digest foods are key to staying hydrated and happy over the summer. Semi-liquid foods like soup and some fruit will sit better in you rather than, let's say, a steak or heavier meal that may fill you up with carbs and other foods that may not digest as easily while your internal furnace or thermostat is off. Most people may associate some spices with warmer foods and heavier meals. But, there are so many that enhance your digestive system, which can help you out so much in the warmer months.

SPICES & HERBS:

• Dill
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Cilantro
• Coriander
• Cardamom
• Fennel Seeds
• Mint
• Saffron

It’s inevitable that someone has told you once or twice in your life to watch your salt intake and to not have too much of it, which is true! Salty foods are never the best option for you, thought a sufficient amount of sodium in your diet is important. Since you can lose a lot of your own body salts though sweating in the summer heat, it is important to replenish. Add a little bit to your salad or fresh vegetables as a delicious addition. You can add so many of these spices and herbs to your meals in the summer and they will help keep everything hydrated and flowing!

Although you may crave those delicious hamburgers and slices of pizza this summer, make sure to remain hydrated before and after eating foods that are heavier and contain more carbs, sugar, and salt. Drink a glass of water with your heavier meals, before and after, and add a bowl of fresh and juicy fruit that will aid in keeping you hydrated, as well as assist in easier and smoother digestion.

In health,
The OWL Fam