5 Ways To Be Healthier this Summer from Talk’s Wellness Expert

by Dave Tyler, Ridgefield Wellness

There is a path that many people walk when it comes to eating properly. For many readers, I realize that you are in the midst of a dietary yo-yo… salad one day, factory-bacon cheese burgers and fries the next… maybe you know how healthy things are — and really want to eat them, but get overwhelmed…maybe — maybe you LOVE healthy foods and want to get family and loved ones on your path…

All you have to do is start adding good stuff in… your body will look for more good stuff and you start a snowball of health and living life extraordinary! Our bodies crave what we give them… why not give them good stuff?

What’s a person to do? Here are some ways to get good stuff in your body, or the body of others…

Spike The Punch.
Check this out. It works a couple ways. Freeze coconut water as ice cubes and put them in cacao drinks, green smoothies, or make a lemon slushy! If you do drink, or are having a party, you can actually make a healthier margarita by using the coconut cubes instead of traditional ice. The electrolytes in the coconut water actually help keep you hydrated and the margarita tastes good. The flavor also goes well with rum.
Share The Cacao!
It’s hard for people to grasp the concept of real, unprocessed, raw, chocolate. This is the real deal, and when used in moderation and as a supplement in the diet it can be amazing! You can get some amazing bars at whole foods or your local healthfood store. This is NOT ORGANIC CHOCOLATE. This is raw chocolate. If you want to indulge, or share a special treat with some one, give them the good stuff. Some of my favorite chocolates are available in stores and online:
- Gnosis Chocolate
- The Chocolate Conspiracy (this company got its start in Ridgefield before moving to UT)
- NibMor
Blend It!
If you have been reading my Ridgefield Wellness blog, you know I’m a huge fan of the green smoothie. Simply put, blending makes all the good nutrients of fruit and veggies into your system faster. One great thing to do is take a bunch of fruit… banana, apple, strawberries, leftover fruit salad, put it in a blender and add a couple handfuls of spinach. The smoothie will turn out green. You can add water or ice to change the consistency, and children love the fact that it’s green…. Drink More Alien Juice!
Switch Out The Cow Liquid
Replace your morning coffee cream or cereal milk with a nut or seed milk. I’m a huge fan of almond milk and hemp milk. Other popular milks include soy (please only buy organic soy and use it in moderation) and rice milk. Most grocery stores now carry nut milks, and you can get creative and make your own nut milk – combine a bunch of different kind of nuts for a unique flavor!
Eat Old School
Swap out your baked potato, rice, or fries with some ancient grains. These include grains like kamut, quinoa (my personal favorite), millet, spelt etc. Each cooks a bit differently, but all are nutrient-rich starches to go with your meals. These are great staples to add to any diet and offer a healthier alternative to those blood sugar hell raisers our bodies are used to.