Simona Stepancic BSc, RHN, ROHP

In August I like to invite friends to join me on a picnic, at the beach, on a farm or in my own garden.

A summer picnic is all about playing outdoors, laughing, relaxing and eating delicious food. As a host and nutritionist I feel a responsibility to provide the most nutritious food that will also satisfy every taste bud.

I create special recipes so that when my friends come they can’t wait to try my picnic-perfect ideas.

 

HEALTHY PICNIC – PERFECT IDEAS

1. Use colorful summer harvest

Take advantage of the fruits and vegetables that come into season gradually from June to August such as apricots, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries and plums. They are delicious in fruit salads or sliced and topped with seed sauces.

Asparagus, celery, carrots, red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes are excellent summer vegetables to give color and texture to your dish.

 

2. Quick and Easy vegan appetizers

Create an easy healthy food by using fresh, crisp vegetables such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, peppers, chopped fennel, cucumbers, radishes, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower and broccoli florets. 

Arrange sliced vegetables on a platter, and add home-made spreads or dips in the center such as parsley dip, hummus, white bean dip or spinach dip.  

Raw almond butter is yummy and delicious with celery sticks. Baked tortilla chips are healthier version of high fat corn chips and excellent with my home-made salsa. Try brown rice crackers – they go with everything.

I always serve nori vegetable rolls stuffed with sunflower or almond pate and veggies. They are filling and a perfect bite size appetizer.

 

3. Perfect Salads

Cool and crisp salads are always fabulous to eat during the hot summer days. Make your own salad with English cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, black olives, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. This salad is a perfect summer meal and one of my favourites.

For building your own salad use vegetables that you can prepare the day before, such as broccoli, celery, carrots, green cabbage, red cabbage, green onions, radishes, zucchini, cucumbers and olives. You can sprinkle them with walnuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds or almonds.

 

4. Delicious Fruit Salads

I use fruits as a sweet dessert. I like to mix strawberries, apples, bananas, peaches, grapefruits and oranges in the bowl. Watermelon is also very cooling on a hot summer day.

Prepare the fruit salad the evening before your picnic. Sprinkle fruit with lemon to prevent browning and cover the bowl with a clear plastic wrap. Store it over night in the refrigerator.

Serve the fruit salad as is or sprinkle it with cinnamon or coconut flakes. So good and refreshing!

 

5. Perfect Beverages

Pure water is of course the best for our body in the hot summer days. Drink at least 2 liters of water a day, especially if you are playing outdoors in a hot sun. You can add some freshly squeezed lemon to your water for flavour or you can make your own smoothie recipe with strawberries, banana and blueberries. Pour the smoothies into icy cold bottles and take to the picnic in a cooler with lots of ice-cubes.

 

Enjoying summer picnics does not have to be a challenge for healthy eating. Try these suggestions and appreciate the gifts that nature provides for us.

 

 

Healing with Colours of Food

Each food carries a vibration and each colour of the rainbow has its own frequency. For example, freshly picked vegetables from an organic garden have a different vibration that pesticide-laden cooked food.

When we eat this colourful, high frequency food we ingest positive energies into our body. There are seven primary colours in food that correspond to seven main energy centers or “chakras” in the body.

Each Chakra can be affected by specific emotional and psychological issues. These energy centres are connected to our nerves, hormones and emotions. Chakras are the link between energy and the physical body.

 

RED COLOUR CHAKRA – is located at the base of the spine and is a basic survival center in the body. Associated organs are adrenal glands, kidneys, bladder, legs and feet.

Feed your root chakra with red food:

Beets, red peppers, red radishes, tomatoes, red apples, strawberries, cherries, red grapes, and raspberries contain high amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C strengthens the adrenals colon, connective tissues and artery walls. Eating red food is also beneficial for people who have back pain, poor circulation, poor blood, are anaemic and are constantly cold.

 

Red food will give you confidence and well-being. If you are constantly tired, cold, depressed and with no energy than you are probably missing red from your food.

 

ORANGE COLOUR CHAKRA – is located in the pelvic (sacrum) area between the pubis and navel.

Associated organs are sacrum, lower part of the intestines, bladder and kidneys.

Feed your sacral chakra with orange food such as carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges, mangoes, papayas, apricots and peaches. Carrots are one of the best detoxifiers. They nourish the kidneys and liver and are rich in beta-carotene. Beta carotene prevents bladder, rectal, stomach and cervical cancer. Sweet potatoes are a kidney tonic and are rich in beta carotene. Oranges prevent bladder, rectal and stomach cancer and have a cleansing effect on the body. Mango is another delicious healthy fruit with lots of vitamin C, beta carotene, and pectin. Mangoes are used to treat kidney inflammation.

Orange is the colour of joy and wisdom, giving you physical energy and emotional strength

Eating orange food stimulates the appetite and aids digestion.

 

YELLOW COLOUR CHAKRA – is a solar plexus chakra located between the navel and the heart.

Associated organs are stomach, spleen, skin, pancreas, liver and gallbladder.

 

Feed your sacral chakra with yellow food.

Bananas, lemons, pineapples, yellow pepper, parsnips, cinnamon and grapefruits

contain fiber, vitamin C, pottasium, magnesium and pectin. Pineapple contains the protein-digesting enzyme bromelain which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Banana is soothing for the stomach and helps balance intestinal flora. Cinammon is a digestive tonic, relieves gas and balances blood sugar.

 

Yellow is the colour of the sun and is the colour of happiness and cheerfulness.

Eating yellow food will help you focus and help you with concentration.