Summer is here and it is Hot and Humid. The time of growth. Best to wake early and enjoy the first sun of the day. In your cooking it is best to add as much color from the fruits and veggies as possible. Making beautiful platefuls of fresh foods that is fun and enjoyable to sit down to will encourage stronger digestion and to eat healthier. Be careful to not over eat raw foods in the summer because of the extreme heat combined with raw could weaken the digestion. Icey drinks and cold foods stop the digestive process and can cause issues with your metabolism. Salads, sprouts, mung beans, soy, fruit and cucumber are naturally cooling foods to use. Spicey foods like red, green hot peppers, fresh ginger, horse radish and black pepper are ideal to warm the body slightly to bring the heat to the surface to be dispersed. Avoid heavy foods on hot days because it will cause sluggishness in the digestive tract. Eating less on hot bright days is natural and a healthy practice. Bitter foods in the summer helps to disperse the heat in the body. Bitter is not a taste people gravitate to. Romaine, arugula, white pepper, green onions, amaranth, papaya, quinoa, celery are all bitter. Coffee, chocolate and beer also are bitter but not aways a good idea to have. If you eat too much bitter you may get diarrhea and drying of the body fluids and skin. Bitters in famous alcohols include Campari, Aperol, Chartreuse, Vermouth all based on bitter herbs to help with the digestion. Small doses of bitter can help digestion in a big way. Pairing with sweet, salty, pungent and sour foods helps satisfy the palate and the organs of the body resulting in less cravings for the wrong foods after the meal.

The Salad dressing i share in the video is simply: Garlic, Lemon juice, Apple cider vinegar, Maple syrup, Miso, olive oil, tamari. Blend to taste. Top your favourite greens with fruit (strawberries, mango, or anything growing in your garden like my early cherries), goat feta, pine nuts, or sauteed chicken for a more heartier meal. Enjoy the healthy meals that are bountiful in our backyards.