HEALTHY THOUGHTS … FOR A HEALTHY SUMMER!
Welcome to June! What a spectacular time of the year as the temperature is getting warmer, the winter coat is in the closet and the parks are bursting with energy. And yes, the morning…it is light in the morning now! My favorite thing is to be up bright and early, when all is still quiet and the possibilities of the day are full of wonder. This is where I like to take a deep breath, appreciate where I’ve been, welcome where I am going, and exhale!
With spring and summer come new changes in our surroundings: new life, new sounds, new smells, new commitments to health and life around us. If you are like me, you’ve found yourself noticing some changes within yourself, too. All of a sudden I have the desire to wear my flip-flops, eat outside at a café, and buy that bike I’ve always wanted – even though there is no room for it in my apartment!
You might be noticing your cravings for food are changing as well. I find myself ordering salad instead of soup, shrimp with lemon and avocado instead of beef with roasted vegetables, and yogurt topped with granola and berries instead of hot oatmeal with honey. Our bodies are AMAZING! They tell us what we need and when we need it. In the summer we want lighter, cooler foods. This is because the air temperature around us is high, so the body craves cooling foods to find homeostasis. (It’s the same with sweat, which is our body’s personal air conditioner!) So enjoy fresh seasonable cooling fruits and vegetables like watermelon, berries, cherries, peaches, leafy green lettuce, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and zucchini. Buy them at your local farm or farmer’s market for the highest nutritional value, and to support your local farms and sustainable living!
In the summertime, our bodies also crave movement!! Our bodies LOVE TO MOVE! The good news is, with the warm weather here, we naturally want to de-stress, and we crave social and family time. So take your friends or family to your favorite Core or Yoga class, then head outside for a pick-up basketball or volleyball game, go for a bike ride to the beach, take a swim, or hit the tennis court and GET YOUR SWEAT ON! Research shows that for every hour of vigorous exercise, you gain two hours of life expectancy! So why not decrease stress, enjoy your family and friends, and have a healthy mind and body all at the same time!
With great change comes the commitment to great awareness – mind, body and spirit.
Listening to our bodies and its natural desires will help set us up for a happy and healthy season. So this summer, take some time to enjoy nature’s summer foods, become more active, and don’t forget that being healthy means being good to yourself!
Catherine Hesse
Core Fusion Teacher
