7 Summer “Must-Do"
1. Go Raw. Incorporating raw or live food (uncooked vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds) into
your diet is a superb idea during the hot summer months. This will give your digestion a much
needed rest from animal fats and processed food. Try and eat at least one live food meal a day.
Salads are a summertime favorite and the following is a list of ingredients which are high in
*antioxidants and add variety to your diet.
Spinach
Alfalfa sprouts
Broccoli
Strawberries
Beets
Red bell peppers
Onions
garlic (in salad dressing)
Salad dressing: Olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon and a bit of parmesean cheese.
In addition, Dandelion greens thrown in a salad, is an excellent source of
calcium, iron and other important vitamins and minerals. And, remember to look
for certified organic products. (To find out more on what certified organic means,
view our video interview with Nell Newman from Newman’s Own Organics on
Episode #2).
2. Subsitute white table sugar: Typically, more liquid consumption is done in the summer.
Seconds on ice-tea, lemonade and other summer beverages, means more added sugar. And
more unwanted added pounds! A smart sugar substitute can be found in the natural sweetner,
Stevia, which is derived from an herb and has zero calories! With zero calories and known for
balancing blood sugar – this is my personal favorite natural sweetner to use on hot and cold
beverages, and some baking and cooking receipes. Try the “Elecrolyte Beverage” which is a
great de-tox drink with stevia in it. To watch a video go to Episode #3.
*note: Stevia is a required taste, but keep using it and you will soon love it.
3. Use a Great Herb: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Labiatae, Mint Family. Also known as
Melissa, balm, honeyplant. This is one of my favorite herbs to grown in my garden and use in
culinary dishes, drinks and of course hot tea. Pink and white flowers bloom from June to
September and the leaves give off a lemony scent that is so delicious your senses will instantly
feel great and uplifted. To make my favorite summertime Herbal Ice-Tea, I infuse the leaves in a
tea pot filled with hot water and let it sit until it cools, then I transfer to an ice-tea pitcher, add
fresh peppermin leaves, lemon slices, ice cubes and stevia for an excellent ice-tea! Excellent for
digestive upset, nausea, gas, nervousness, and mild insomnia.
4. Reduce alcholol consumption. Out-door barbeques often mean bringing out the blender
for margaritas and other alcoholic drinks. Instead, making smoothies for yourself and guests is a
better choice for healing our bodies, mind and spirit. Here’s a favorite cooling smoothie from the
Pat Crocker, author of The Smooth Bible (Robert Rose, 2003).
Combine in *Vita-Mix (or blender) ¼ cup orange juice; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 1 cup chopped,
seeded watermelon; and 2 nectarines, peeled, pitted and chopped. Process until well-blended,
then pour into glasses and enjoy. Serves 2.
5. Walk Barefoot: According to one of the principles of the Macrobiotic path, is to walk
barefoot and let your feet breath. Stretch your toes and enjoy the feel of cut grass.
6. Try my 5-minute Yoga exercise. When the lazy days of summer make you skip those
jaunts to the gym – try my 5-minute Yoga exercise three times a day for a great healing
effect on your nervous system and to control stress related eating.
a. Before you sit down to a meal, position yourself either in a seated or standing position.
Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose (using your diaphragm instead of just nasal
passage) as you raise your arms straight up in the air. Exhale through your mouth encircling your
arms back down again. Each inhale and exhale should be on a silent count of four, being mindful
of quieting your mind by letting your thoughts drift away and stay focused on your breathing. Do
this four or five times.
b. Point and flex your toes (one foot at a time if your standing lol) several times,
then circle your feet clockwise, counter-clockwise and really loosen up toes and ankles releasing
tension and getting circulation going.
c. Take a deep breath in and after you completely exhale, holding your breath, contract and
expand your stomach a dozen times. In essence, you’re massaging your stomach muscles
creating a great healing environment in preparation for digestion of the food you are about to eat!
d. Strecth your neck forward by touching your chin to your chest. Then stretch your neck
backwards. Holding each position for a few seconds. Then stretch your neck to the right side by
looking over your right shoulder, then to the left side over the left shoulder (hold each position a
few seconds). Now raise both shoulders up to your ears and shrug deeply up and down for a few
seconds to loosen your shoulders.
Finally, take a few moments in silence to give thanks for the food you are about to eat.
Now that you are completely calm, chances are you will be more mindful of the amount of food
you take in, eat in a slow manner chewing well and feel an overall great eating
experience.
7. Laugh more! As Norman Cousins conveyed in his book "Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived
by the Patient", laughter is the best medicine. And most of us grown ups need a reminder of the
joy that summer brought us as youngsters shouting, “School’s out for summer!” Here are my tips
and ideas for bringing more laughter into your life.
Get the famous song, blast it and rock on with your kids, or even by yourself for a great
childhood high.
Log on to AOL television and watch some vintage t.v. episodes of “F-Troop” and other classic
comedies that are sure to make you chuckle. And sit down with your children and introduce them
to the funny shows of your youth. A great healing and bonding experience with your little ones
they will look forward to.
Buy some comedy tapes to add to your media collection and kick back and enjoy the humor of
great comedians. See below for Mel Brook's classic collection, sure to bring you a night of
nostalgic laughter.
1. Go Raw. Incorporating raw or live food (uncooked vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds) into
your diet is a superb idea during the hot summer months. This will give your digestion a much
needed rest from animal fats and processed food. Try and eat at least one live food meal a day.
Salads are a summertime favorite and the following is a list of ingredients which are high in
*antioxidants and add variety to your diet.
Spinach
Alfalfa sprouts
Broccoli
Strawberries
Beets
Red bell peppers
Onions
garlic (in salad dressing)
Salad dressing: Olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon and a bit of parmesean cheese.
In addition, Dandelion greens thrown in a salad, is an excellent source of
calcium, iron and other important vitamins and minerals. And, remember to look
for certified organic products. (To find out more on what certified organic means,
view our video interview with Nell Newman from Newman’s Own Organics on
Episode #2).
2. Subsitute white table sugar: Typically, more liquid consumption is done in the summer.
Seconds on ice-tea, lemonade and other summer beverages, means more added sugar. And
more unwanted added pounds! A smart sugar substitute can be found in the natural sweetner,
Stevia, which is derived from an herb and has zero calories! With zero calories and known for
balancing blood sugar – this is my personal favorite natural sweetner to use on hot and cold
beverages, and some baking and cooking receipes. Try the “Elecrolyte Beverage” which is a
great de-tox drink with stevia in it. To watch a video go to Episode #3.
*note: Stevia is a required taste, but keep using it and you will soon love it.
3. Use a Great Herb: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Labiatae, Mint Family. Also known as
Melissa, balm, honeyplant. This is one of my favorite herbs to grown in my garden and use in
culinary dishes, drinks and of course hot tea. Pink and white flowers bloom from June to
September and the leaves give off a lemony scent that is so delicious your senses will instantly
feel great and uplifted. To make my favorite summertime Herbal Ice-Tea, I infuse the leaves in a
tea pot filled with hot water and let it sit until it cools, then I transfer to an ice-tea pitcher, add
fresh peppermin leaves, lemon slices, ice cubes and stevia for an excellent ice-tea! Excellent for
digestive upset, nausea, gas, nervousness, and mild insomnia.
4. Reduce alcholol consumption. Out-door barbeques often mean bringing out the blender
for margaritas and other alcoholic drinks. Instead, making smoothies for yourself and guests is a
better choice for healing our bodies, mind and spirit. Here’s a favorite cooling smoothie from the
Pat Crocker, author of The Smooth Bible (Robert Rose, 2003).
Combine in *Vita-Mix (or blender) ¼ cup orange juice; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 1 cup chopped,
seeded watermelon; and 2 nectarines, peeled, pitted and chopped. Process until well-blended,
then pour into glasses and enjoy. Serves 2.
5. Walk Barefoot: According to one of the principles of the Macrobiotic path, is to walk
barefoot and let your feet breath. Stretch your toes and enjoy the feel of cut grass.
6. Try my 5-minute Yoga exercise. When the lazy days of summer make you skip those
jaunts to the gym – try my 5-minute Yoga exercise three times a day for a great healing
effect on your nervous system and to control stress related eating.
a. Before you sit down to a meal, position yourself either in a seated or standing position.
Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose (using your diaphragm instead of just nasal
passage) as you raise your arms straight up in the air. Exhale through your mouth encircling your
arms back down again. Each inhale and exhale should be on a silent count of four, being mindful
of quieting your mind by letting your thoughts drift away and stay focused on your breathing. Do
this four or five times.
b. Point and flex your toes (one foot at a time if your standing lol) several times,
then circle your feet clockwise, counter-clockwise and really loosen up toes and ankles releasing
tension and getting circulation going.
c. Take a deep breath in and after you completely exhale, holding your breath, contract and
expand your stomach a dozen times. In essence, you’re massaging your stomach muscles
creating a great healing environment in preparation for digestion of the food you are about to eat!
d. Strecth your neck forward by touching your chin to your chest. Then stretch your neck
backwards. Holding each position for a few seconds. Then stretch your neck to the right side by
looking over your right shoulder, then to the left side over the left shoulder (hold each position a
few seconds). Now raise both shoulders up to your ears and shrug deeply up and down for a few
seconds to loosen your shoulders.
Finally, take a few moments in silence to give thanks for the food you are about to eat.
Now that you are completely calm, chances are you will be more mindful of the amount of food
you take in, eat in a slow manner chewing well and feel an overall great eating
experience.
7. Laugh more! As Norman Cousins conveyed in his book "Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived
by the Patient", laughter is the best medicine. And most of us grown ups need a reminder of the
joy that summer brought us as youngsters shouting, “School’s out for summer!” Here are my tips
and ideas for bringing more laughter into your life.
Get the famous song, blast it and rock on with your kids, or even by yourself for a great
childhood high.
Log on to AOL television and watch some vintage t.v. episodes of “F-Troop” and other classic
comedies that are sure to make you chuckle. And sit down with your children and introduce them
to the funny shows of your youth. A great healing and bonding experience with your little ones
they will look forward to.
Buy some comedy tapes to add to your media collection and kick back and enjoy the humor of
great comedians. See below for Mel Brook's classic collection, sure to bring you a night of
nostalgic laughter.
*Terms To Know Free Radicals: When the body's oxygen molecules turn into nasty electrically charged ions called free radicals that become so highly chemically reactive that they damage our DNA. Antioxidants: Compounds known as antioxidants, repair and prevent free radical damage - vitamins A,C and E, and the mineral selenium. According to researchers at Tufts University (1999) U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers quantified the antioxidant content of fruits and vegetables. Here are the top 22 in descending order. Blueberries, Blackberries, Garlic, Kale, Strawberries, Spinach, Brussels sprouts, Plums and prunes, Alfalfa sprouts, Broccoli, Beets, Oranges, Red grapes and raisins, Red peppers, Cherries, Kiwis, Ruby grapefruits, Green grapes, Onions, Corn, Eggplants and Cauliflower. Eating these foods uncooked is always better for retaining the important nutrients an enzymes that cooking can destroy. For more on Raw Foods and receipe ideas go to Episode #3. |
| OFFERS Try this GREAT Smoothie Book. My Favorite Raw Food Book! Norman Cousins cured himself with laughter. |
| Try this Great Offer............. Mel's DVD collection of GREAT Comedic Films. |
Nili's Tips
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