Summer calls for a healthy gut
Many of us may feel in need of restoring intestinal health or wiping out some tiredness. Explore our nutritionists’ tips about plant-based food to filling you with energy and balance this summer. Eating a plant-based diet can help us balance our body fluids and fight inflammation, improving our sleep and ultimately boosting our immune system.
Summer diet gets even better once you toss in a handful of walnuts or cashews
Nuts fit in on the barbecue table too! Eating food containing a lot of saturated fats can leave us feeling low in energy. For better brain performance, we need to feed our bodies the good quality fats found in plants such as oils, seeds and nuts – for example walnuts and cashews. They can be added into marinades, seasoning, salads and even drinks. These essential nutrients will aid in reducing the inflammatory process, reinforcing our immune system and cardiovascular protection, boosting body energy, and acting on restoring digestive function and intestinal health.
Banish that bloated feeling with probiotics, green tea and pomegranate
An imbalanced lifestyle can deeply affect our microbiota dynamics – the living bacterial eco-system that has a protective and metabolic role in our body – leaving us feeling bloated. To restore intestinal health and tackle that bloated feeling, try foods which contain probiotics, and fermented foods such as kombucha, water-based kefir, sauerkraut, fermented plant yoghurt and prebiotics such as cocoa, green tea, pomegranate, and berries. Including these ingredients in your diet will not only improve your digestive system but will also improve your defensive immunity.
Turmeric and broccoli are powerhouses of nutrients
Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, and Vitamin D all activate crucial enzymes in our immune defense mechanism and may help with digestion and weight loss… Eat foods containing these crucial nutrients, such as legumes, whole grains, chia seeds, flaxseeds, nuts, guava, blackcurrant, broccoli, turmeric, and wild mushrooms.
Keep your cool throughout the warmer months
As much as most of us dream of relaxing summers and slowing down with family and friends, in reality, summer sometimes can become a busy time. One of the best strategies to reduce stress and control anxiety is making sure that you are getting not only enough hours of sleep, but also good quality sleep. To tackle stress with nutrition, try foods containing good sources of tryptophan such as cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, edamame, tofu, sweet potato, mango, and pineapple. To boost sleep, also try natural melatonin sources like walnuts and pistachios – the richest sources of melatonin among all the food we eat. Additionally, avoid coffee consumption after 3pm. Caffeine is the chemical that blocks the receptors of adenosine, the real neuromodulator of sleep, and it takes around 6 hours to get rid of the caffeine contained in one single espresso, hot or iced shaken likewise!
More energy to live the summer
To get that extra boost you may need, consider reaching for a science-backed supplement.