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 IN FOOD

Simona Stepancic BSc, RHN, ROHP

Holistic Nutritionist/Plant Based Nutrition Coach, Holistic  Orthomolecular Practitioner

I have a simple explanation what colour is. Colour is a result of light and it is broken down into wavelengths and into different vibrational levels.

Foods that we eat daily also carries a vibration  and each colour of the rainbow has its own frequency.  When we eat this colourful, high frequency food, we ingest positive energies into our body.

 Foods affect our body, emotions, mind and spiritual life.  What we eat and how we eat also reflects a state of harmony within ourselves, with the environment and with the planet.

Food is much more than fat, protein and carbohydrates. Foods also possess energies that are important for healing, maintaining, building and cleansing the body.  Each food has a particular taste, shape, colour and texture.

Full spectrum coloured food contains sunlight energies stored in plants through the process of photosynthesis.

Seven spectrum colours in food correspond to seven main energy centers or “chakras” in the body. The word “chakra” is derived from Sanskrit meaning “wheel”. A chakra is a spinning vortex or wheel of energy; each one is located along the spine from the base to the crown of the head.

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

Foods that Heal

Simona Stepancic, BSc, RHN, ROHP, Holistic Nutritionist, Orthomolecular Practitioner and Raw Food Coach

Foods that we eat daily shape our body, emotions, mind and spirit.

What we eat and how we eat also reflects a state of harmony within ourselves, the environment and the planet.

Food heals, prevents, and in some cases fights disease. Certain food can make us beautiful, while some causes inflammation in the body. Knowing this, it is easier to become conscious about our food choices.

Eating organic, fresh living plant food such as fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, sea vegetables, sprouts, and high quality oils is essential to get the glow, and experience vibrancy and aliveness.

These foods contain minerals, vitamins and plant pigments which are disease preventive phytonutrients and anti-aging antioxidants.

Phytonutrients are naturally occurring substances that plants create for their own protection. They give plants their colour, taste and flavour, strengthen digestion, detoxify your body, preserve your beauty, but most of all they are anti-inflammatory and have the greatest preventive effects against free radicals and inflammation.

The goal is to eat as many anti-aging antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods as possible to boost the immunity and obtain lustrous hair, vibrant glowing skin, and strong healthy nails.

 Simona Stepancic, Registered holistic nutritionsit, Orthomolecular practitioner, Raw food coach