Here are some healthy summer plant-based foods and facts!
Do you ever feel as if you are gaining weight during the summer months because of all the BBQs and social events? If so, I would like to show you a way to actually lose weight and maintain a happy outlook as you enjoy healthy summer plant-based foods!
Healthy Summer Plant-Based Foods and Facts!
The following are my favorite Healthy Summer Plant-Based Foods:
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Berries
- Tomatoes are beginning to harvest big time right now; and you can find the juiciest, most flavorful tomatoes at your local farmers market! Currently, my home garden is thriving with Cherry, Celebrity, and Roma tomatoes, and I find it very exciting to go outside and pick them off the vine. Tomatoes are well known for their high antioxidant properties; such as lycopene. Lycopene has been directly correlated with regulating fat in the blood, which helps maintain heart health. In recent studies, tomato lycopene has been correlated with bone health as well, and are known to be high in Vitamins A and C. Start your meal with a tomato salad to give you a raw, water based, flavorful appetizer full of nutrients. Eating raw foods, at the start of your meals, is a smart way to provide your body with enzymes that will help in the efficient digestion of your entire meal without taxing your body!
- Avocados offer incredibly healthy fat. Avocados are a staple in my daily salad and green shake. They help curb cravings and make me feel totally satiated. I also enjoy them sliced with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of celtic salt.
- Cucumbers are oh so delicious and may be served plain as a healthy snack, added to your water for that spa-like experience, chopped up in to a salad, or enjoyed as a chip for your guacamole! Cucumbers offer valuable antioxidant and anti- inflammatory benefits from their phytonutrients. I really enjoy how cucumbers are a refreshing and high water content veggie; perfect for hot summer days. Toss cucumber slices in your tomato salad for another variation of a raw appetizer to prepare you for your main meal! You will feel more satisfied and less likely to over-eat.
- Eggplant is one of my favorite Healthy Summer Plant-Based Foods. It contains the antioxidant rich phytonutrient, Nasunin, which plays a big role in protecting brain cell membranes from free radical damage and enabling transportation of nutrients into the cell and toxins out of the cell! Besides that interesting little fact, additional antioxidants found in eggplant offer antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Eggplant is great for weight control as it is low in calories and high in fiber, making it filling as well as healthy for the digestive system. I love it on the grill or in a curry!
- Berries are the best fruit because they are low in sugar and high in antioxidants. Most fruit are high in sugar so you have to be careful with how much fruit you eat. Berries are very healthy, especially in the summertime when they are in season!
Of course, always buy organic because we don’t want all these incredibly healthy properties with a side of genetically modified organisms, pesticides or other chemicals!
The best way to experience Healthy Summer Plant-Based Foods that are fresh and ripe is to grow your own organic garden (if I can do it, so can you!), subscribe to an organic fruit and vegetable delivery service, or go the your local farmers market on a regular basis.
Indulge in these Healthy Summer Plant-Based Foods to satisfy hunger and curb sugar cravings.
Disclaimer: Please check with your doctor and have it cleared before beginning any new exercise or diet program. I am in no way a doctor, nutritionist, or registered dietician, my blog is opinion based and I do not claim to diagnose, treat, or cure any cause, condition or disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only; it is not medical advice and has not been approved by the FTC or FDA. Please always communicate with your doctor to make any decisions or changes regarding your health, as your doctor is the only one who knows what is right for you.