Wide Awake

I'm channeling my inner Katy Perry and feel 'wide awake' to my health this week after reading this book. 

I'm sort of a big fan of Dr. Mark Hyman.  He's the doctor who wrote all of the Ultraprevention and UltraMetabolism books.  Now I'm reading his latest book The Blood Sugar Solution.  If you've never read any of his books, give them a try.  His healthy living programs are easy to incorporate into a busy lifestyle and make sense for preventing disease, losing weight and feeling your best.

Besides cleaning out all of my kitchen cabinets of sugary crap, questioning the wine I drank over the last few weeks (hello sugar belly)....he's reminding me how dangerous inflammation can be in the body and how imbalances throughout the body can effect your overall health. 

With this in mind,  I thought I'd give you a list of Dr. Hyman's top ten anti-inflammatory foods.   And we'd kick off August with this easy summer salad using a few of the ingredients from our list.  Are you with me? Here's to a healthier you for this last month of summer. 

So here's what should land in your shopping basket this week:

1.  Blueberries
2.  Broccoli
3.  Sweet Potatoes
4.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5.  Papaya
6.  Green Tea
7.  Shiitake Mushrooms
8.  Wild Caught Salmon
9.  Turmeric
10.  Kelp

I always try to rotate different fruits and vegetables throughout the week and eat as seasonally as I can.  The first three on this list are super easy to find during summer. 

Here's a few of the ways I try to get in some foods from our list. 

Lunch in minutes: sometimes lunch needs to happen fast or be able to be packed the night before.  Here's an easy summer spinach salad using last night leftovers (corn on the cob and broccoli) and some fresh lemon juice and olive oil. One side of the plate:

Then the other:

Roasted chickpeas and broccoli...and together they make this:

Healthy summer salad lunch in minutes! This filled me up and made me feel terrific.  It always feels great to get all those different colors in my body.  Ended with a sweet, ripe peach and lunch was perfect! I wish summer could last a lot longer. 

Are you reading anything good this summer? What colors are making there way onto your lunch plate?  Have you listened to Katy Perry's song 'Wide Awake'?....I'm a little obsessed. 

Be well and have a healthy day!