Summer Well-being

After a winter and spring that were more than challenging, let's try to regain well-being with a suitable and light summer diet.

Freshness, colors, and movement are the three fundamental ingredients that we need right away, so we can even lose some extra pounds that weigh us down. Let's avoid punitive or eliminating attitudes and dedicate ourselves to seeking balance and consistency in our daily lives.

Adequate Hydration

Hydrate properly by drinking at least 2 liters of water, still or naturally sparkling, preferably away from meals.

Avoid flavorings and instant drink powders, which contain sweeteners like acesulfame K, sucralose, aspartame.

For those who need to give water a flavor, they can use fresh orange, lemon, or grapefruit juice.

Supplementing with herbal teas and infusions, consumed fresh or cold, helps improve some metabolic functions.

Chamomile, fennel, and anise can promote physiological gastrointestinal motility and gas elimination.

Green tea is a powerful antioxidant and has a tonic effect that positively impacts physical and mental fatigue.

Birch, orthosiphon, and pineapple promote fluid drainage; milk thistle, rhubarb, and artichoke have a purifying function.

Passionflower can improve relaxation and is also useful in case of stress; lemon balm promotes mental well-being; both act on nighttime rest.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Fiber

Essential nutrients for the body need to be supplemented daily through fresh seasonal vegetables and vegetables, colorful fruits, and whole grains.

2-3 servings of vegetables a day correspond to about 500 g; they can be consumed as a side dish to a protein (fish, white meats, eggs) or integrated into a single dish based on whole grains and/or legumes.

Salads and cold one-dish meals can be prepared with quinoa, barley, spelt, wheat, chickpeas, rice, or whole couscous and tomatoes, rocket, various salads, steamed or grilled vegetables, and dressed with extra virgin olive oil, very little salt and spices, fresh herbs. Small amounts of dried fruits - walnuts, cashews, almonds, pine nuts - and seeds - sesame, pumpkin, sunflower - complete the dish making it tasty and perfectly balanced in nutrients. In this way, we ensure a proper intake of minerals and fiber without exceeding in calories and fats.

Summer fruits are a riot of colors, full of vitamins and functional substances: it's hard to resist! They represent the beneficial sweetness of the warm season. Cherries, apricots, peaches, watermelon, plums, berries. Blueberries and all purple fruits, for example, being very rich in anthocyanins, are useful for microcirculation (heavy legs). Plums can contribute to intestinal regularity.

Daily Physical Activity

Now that the temperatures allow it, the ideal would be to practice it every day, outdoors, in green, pollution-free places that promote good breathing and relaxation.

In general, it's good to avoid sedentary and lazy attitudes: let's try to walk whenever we can, to take the stairs, to use the bike instead of the car when possible.

Devoting yourself to your favorite sport at least 3 times a week is a panacea for mind and body: it protects the heart and prevents cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, improves breathing and lung ventilation, is useful in weight control and promotes weight loss, has beneficial effects on the brain by reducing stress and improving mood.

Dr. Concetta Mauriello