One of the many gifts of the summer season is that it provides us so many ways to easily adopt healthy lifestyle habits!

1. With the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies available it’s incredibly easy to get our 7 – 10 daily servings. Farmer’s markets and produce aisles showcase every colour of the rainbow of delicious veggies and juicy fruits and berries! Buy local and organic whenever it’s available. Try the healthy delicious summer recipes from the Sanoviv kitchen at the end of this article.

2. In summer, we naturally tend to be more active. Gardening, yard work, golfing, tennis, biking, taking the kids to the park or swimming. And it’s so easy to incorporate something as simple as a brisk morning or after dinner walk into your day. Brisk walking raises our serotonin levels (our happy feel good hormone) and neopheniphrine (which contributes to mental clarity). Get moving and feel great!

3. Sunshine! Our Cells are Solar Powered! Vitamin D is actually a hormone, rather than a true vitamin. It is the only nutrient to be manufactured by the body in direct reaction to sunlight. Vitamin D is made in our bodies when specific wavelengths of sunlight hit the skin, converting already present vitamin D precursors into a form of the vitamin our cells can use. Fifteen to thirty minutes exposure when the sun is high in the sky is the equivalent of taking 15,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D in supplement form. Vitamin D is critically important for calcium metabolism, bone health, glucose metabolism and weight management, cardiovascular health and immune function. Research has indicated that populations that live further from the equatorial zone, have a higher incidence of immune disorders and related diseases. It’s currently estimated that more than 1 billion people worldwide suffer from vitamin D deficiency. So let’s take advantage of those healthy rays. Just 10 – 15 minutes of direct sun a day is enough. If you are going to be in direct sun longer than that, make sure you wear sunscreen – sun burn in linked to cancer.

Thank you Sanoviv for the following healthy delicious summer recipe ideas:

Grilled Salsa Chicken (2 servings)

One whole organic hormone free chicken breast cut in half
½ cup fresh salsa
Mexican Vinaigrette

Preparation
Trim all visible fat and skin off the chicken breasts
Marinate in Mexican Vinaigrette for at least 1 hour (longer will bring out more flavours)
Cook on grill till tender
Remove and top with fresh salsa
Serve on a bed of organic baby greens

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Mexican Vinaigrette

½ cup cold pressed olive oil
3 tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp diced jalapeno pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. minced onion
1 clove minced garlic (about 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp. Celtic sea salt
2 pitted dates (or 2 tsp. raw honey)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
Use as a marinade or as a dressing.

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Sweet Potato Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

For Salad
2 lbs organic sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1” chunks. Boil for 7 – 10 minutes, drain and place in a large glass bowl to cool.
1 medium organic sweet red bell pepper
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

For Dressing
4 tbs. Organic olive oil
2 tbs. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Preparation

Mix dressing ingredients
Toss the potatoes and vegetables in a large bowl with the dressing

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Walnut-Bean Spread

1 – 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
1 cup chopped raw walnuts
1 cup lightly packed basil leaves
¼ cup organic cold pressed olive oil
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp each salt and pepper

1. Drain beans reserving liquid.
2. In food processor, combine ¼ cup of the reserved liquid with remaining ingredients. Cover and process scraping down sides of bowl and adding liquid as needed to make a smooth mixture.
3. Serve with raw veggies and/or organic rice crackers

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Mango or Peach Dessert

Purée fresh peaches or mango.
Freeze in popsicle moulds OR freeze in small fruit cups and serve as fresh sorbet.

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