Get the Most out of Your Summer with Mindful Nourishment

Get the most out of your summer and any season by incorporating mindful nourishment into your daily routine. Nourishment is not only about the food you eat but also about how you feed your mental and emotional health.

Engage Your Senses

Fully engage your senses during the delightful summer months by becoming more aware of your surroundings; the sight, taste, smell, and sensations that abound can promote physical, mental, and emotional health in many ways.

The original definition of the word diet was, “to lead one’s life” and a “way of living,” which opens the question of how your current choices are defining your way of living. Are there things you would like to change? Would you like to create a more healthy, sensuous, and soulful life experience? Summer is a perfect time to begin a mindful, nourishing practice.

S.O.U.L. Food

We start by exploring the concept of S.O.U.L. foods. Seasonal, Organic, Unadulterated and Local food as well as soulful foods that connect us with our roots, our community, and our wellbeing.

S – Seasonal foods are at the height of freshness and contain the most nutrients.

O – Organic or unsprayed foods are low in toxins and higher in nutrients.

U – Unadulterated foods are unprocessed or very minimally processed and retain more of their natural nutrients.

L – Local produce is higher in the nutrients needed to support the inhabitants of the area where they are grown.

Shopping at your local Framer’s Market supports not only your quest to eat locally and healthfully but also supports your local farmers. Find a market near you: National Farmers Market Directory

Cultural and ethnic foods tend to be whole food based and reflect the abundance of what was, and still is, traditionally available in  many parts of the world. How connected are you with your roots? Has the Standard American Diet become your dietary norm? Would you like to reconnect with your ancestors through food? Here is a great website with tips on reconnecting with your roots: How to Rediscover Your Roots and Rock Your Cultural Identity

Eating soulfully includes what you eat and how you eat it. Mindful eating engages all the senses and triggers the brain/body responses required for good digestion. Eating mindfully is also one of life’s greatest pleasures.

The Five Tastes

Too often we are caught up in what we “shouldn’t” eat rather than fully enjoying what we are eating. I know I have been caught in that trap; have you? Our state of mind plays a significant role in how well we digest and utilize the foods we eat. Next time you sit down for a meal, think about relaxing, fully engaging and enjoying every bite.

Our nose and mouth are partners in telling our brain what we taste. Take time to smell and savor the food while chewing and before swallowing. Dr. Ed Bauman suggests “drink your food and chew your fluids” meaning to keep food and beverages in your mouth chewing and savoring to enhance the sensory experience while breaking them down to begin the process of digestion.

Your tongue tells you the primary tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (the Five Tastes). Your nose is what discerns the nuances between an apple and a peach, cilantro and basil, or kale and radicchio, for example. Like eating the rainbow for a variety of nutrients, when all the tastes are represented in a meal, you are getting a full range of nutrients. Here is a recipe that has them all. Try it and see if you can identify the foods that provide each taste.

Susan’s Delicious Summer Salad

Any combination of the Five Tastes will do

I love recipes that allow for variety to accommodate different regions, accessibility, affordability, and flavor preferences. Notice how this recipe combines the tastes and the colors of the rainbow and a variety of textures to create a multisensory meal.

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• Arugula
• Radicchio
• Carrot
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Radish
• Jicama
• Bell peppers

Toppings

• Berries or citrus of your choice
• Lightly toasted raw pepitas (Pumpkin seeds)
• Sliced avocado
• Garbanzo beans (cooked or canned)
• Feta or goat cheese crumbles
• Sardines
• Roasted Beets
• Slivered almonds
• Tomatoes
• Olives

Miso Tahini Dressing

• 1/3 cup light miso
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• To suit your taste: ¼ – ¾ tsps. cayenne pepper.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water, as needed, for a thinner dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start with a base of arugula and radiccio leaves along with grated carrot. Mix in any combination of the remaining crunchy items:
   • Celery
   • Cucumber
   • Radish
   • Jicama
   • Bell peppers
2. Top with any or all of the delicious and nutrient packed selections from the “toppings” list
3. Add the miso tahini dressing to taste and ENJOY!

NOTE: This dressing is great for cooked vegetables and fish as well