*6 tips*

1. Start small. Gradually reduce the portion size of the meat and/or animal products you are consuming. Replace them with non-animal based foods.
2. Incorporate one or two meatless meals a week. Meatless Mondays! Tofu Tuesdays! Wok Wednesdays! You get the drift!
3. In the beginning, focus on familiar foods that can be modified to be vegetarian/vegan. An easy way to modify foods, is by simply omitting the meat. Try black bean empanadas for example. You don’t have to eat tofu in every meal to be a vegetarian/vegan. J.
4. Try new foods. Ever heard of jicama or dragon fruit? The more exposure you have to a variety of foods, the more well-rounded your diet can be.
5. Tell friends you are following a vegetarian/vegan diet and engage in a recipe exchange.
6. Have fun and be adventurous. There is a whole world of flavors that the typical American diet doesn’t even touch. Following a vegan/vegetarian diet gives you “permission” to try new flavors!

Every wonder why late summer brings such delicious and refreshing foods?  The melons, the grapes, the cucumbers.  The tomatoes!  Mother nature knows that during the peak of the summer heat, we need those fresh fruits and veggies that can cool down our body temperature.


Fruits and vegetables that contain more water content can help slow digestion and metabolism, helping to lower core body temperature.  They are also refreshing, and contain a host of vitamins and minerals that can help replace electrolytes.

When the mercury is rising, try this recipe which combines some of my favorite summer fruits to help keep you cool.

Watermelon Cucumber Salad                               

• 3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
• 1-1/2 cups seedless cucumber, cubed
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• Zest from two limes
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Optional: 1/4 cup Feta Cheese and/or 1/4 cup Blueberries

There are few things better than sitting outside with a nice cold beverage during a hot and sultry summer afternoon. Taking the time to pause and refresh yourself isn't just good for the body, but for the mind and spirit as well.  Instead of going for the more traditional high sugar iced tea or lemonade, why not choose a cooling drink that has additional health benefits?

Hibiscus has a strongly cooling and refreshing nature.  It's also a great anti-inflammatory, and shows promise in reducing high blood pressure and high cholesterol*.  And it's delicious!  Here's a recipe that will make you think twice before you choose that next sweet tea.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Hibiscus Flowers
• 4 cups Water
• 2 cups Ice
• Optional: 1/4 cup honey

It's August, and for many parts of the country that means spiking temperatures.  I know more than a few friends who are ready for the Fall, dreaming about hoodies and hot cocoa.  Until the first whisper of those cool breezes do hit, finding ways to stay balanced in the heat is key to our overall health and wellness.

Yoga can be a great way to stay balanced throughout the seasons.  According to yoga's sister science, Ayurveda, summer is when Pitta (think hot, fiery, volatile) energy is in full force.  We tend to be more active, social, and have an irregular schedule.  Those who already have a Pitta dominant constitution (motivated, sharp-witted, fiery) need to be especially vigilant to stay in balance this time of year.  If you've been having skin outbreaks, heartburn, or have been especially impatient or angry lately, you need to take a step back and cool down.  Here are some yoga postures to help you do just
that:


Cat/Cow: Place your hands underneath your shoulders, knees underneath your hips.  Inhale as you arch your back, drawing your chest slightly forward and lifting your tailbone up towards the sky (Cow).  Exhale and push deeply into the earth as you round your spine and release your head towards the earth (Cat).  Repeat 3-5 times, integrating movement with breath.  Moving with the breath helps to regulate the body temperature.

Puppy Pose: Take a deep breath in, and keeping the belly engaged start to walk your hands forward.  You can drop to your forearms or keep them slightly lifted as you exhale and drop the chest down towards the floor.  Keep the thighs vertical as you draw the breath deep into your belly.   Allow yourself to get grounded here, drawing the cooling, nourishing breath in and releasing heat with each exhalation.

Cobra Pose: Draw yourself forward through the crown of your head and come onto your belly.  Place the hands under the shoulders, elbows in closely to your sides. With a deep inhalation pull the chest forward and through the hands, coming up any amount that feels good.  Keep the tops of the feet grounded behind you to stabilize the lower back.  This gentle backbend can apply beneficial pressure to the belly to release heat from the abdomen. Press back to Puppy pose to release the lower back.


Seated Forward Fold: Come to a comfortable seated posture.  Extend the legs long, about hip distance apart, and ground down through your tailbone.  Engage the deep belly as you extend up through the crown of your head. Inhale and reach up, elongating the spine.  Exhale and slowly fold forward, bending the knees as much as you need to.  Place the hands on the thighs, shins, or feet.  Let each inhalation come in like a wave, lengthening the spine, and each exhale softening into the posture.  Forward folds cool the mind and body, allowing yourself to go inward in a time of transition.

Bridge Pose: Make your way onto your back.  From here, bend your knees and place your feet about hip distance apart, fingertips just grazing your heels.  As you exhale, push down and away through your feet to lift your hips off the ground.  You can stay here, or inhale and reach your arms up and over your head, hips still lifted.  Slowly draw the arms back up, through center, and down to the ground as you slowly melt the hips down.  Integrate this movement a few more times, pulling cooling breath up to the top lobes of the lungs.


Reclined Twist:  Extend both legs long, and reach up and over the head.  Extend through fingers and heels. As you exhale, curl into both knees, hugging them into you.

Let your head and shoulders rest on the ground, arms out wide to the sides, palms facing up. Take a nice deep breath in, slowly lower your bent knees over to the right as you exhale, shifting your gaze to the opposite hand.   Hold for 2-3 breaths, and repeat on the other side. Twisting helps to cool the blood, releasing heat from the intestines and the liver.

Davis, J. (2004, January 1). 5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health. Retrieved July 27, 2015, from     WebMD.com: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/health-benefits-     of-pets

 Written By:  Angela Ask MPS