This Summer, Be Present In The Natural World

By audrey zona

e made it! It’s summertime again! Warmer days, more daylight, less structure and an abundance of fruits, veggies, flowers and colors. It’s always so much easier to feel close to the natural world during the summer, isn’t it? There’s a reason for that.

Starting when Joyce was a little girl, she would observe — and eventually participate in — the food preparation. Joyce says she was lucky that her mother was a wonderful cook that taught her about the love of food and family. During those gatherings, her mother, aunts and grandmother would be humming with activity in the kitchen. This served as her training grounds. For example, this is where Joyce first learned about sofrito and how to cook, as she describes, using “layering” techniques. By doing so, it adds more dimensionality to her respective dishes.

Wand nutritional benefits. These natural ingredients also make it taste refreshing, slightly sweet and delicious. I invite you to try the following: lemon, a natural detoxifier and aids with bloating and fluid retention; lime, helps with digestion and a natural detoxifier; cucumber, helps cool the inflammatory response in the body and reduces puffiness and bloating and flushes toxins; mint, soothes the stomach and reduces inflammation; basil, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacteria; ginger, aids in digestion; and berries, high in antioxidants and boosts immunity.

It’s only recently in our evolutionary process that we, as humans, have become disconnected from the Earth. But our connections are still deep and when we take the time to be physically present in the natural world, those connections and the positive electricity and vibes we get from them have tons of benefits for our bodies and our minds.

You may also drink iced herbal tea and get the benefits with a little more flavor. Add lemon or mint to iced tea and you will not only feel refreshed, but like you’re hydrating without the boredom of “another glass of water.”

This was merely the start though. That’s because Joyce also spent time with her relatives in France. She fondly remembers summers outside of Avignon and preparing food with her grandmother. Together, they’d go through the fields picking wild rosemary and wild thyme, placing the herbs in her grandmother’s folded apron. Something tells me this likely inspired Joyce’s use of the freshest possible ingredients for her empanadas — more on that later.

Believe it or not, being “physically present” in the natural world can be as simple as taking off our shoes, walking outside and standing in the grass. Renewing our relationship with nature, a practice known as “grounding,” helps realign our bodies with the rhythm of the earth and provides benefits like stress and anxiety management and a lowering of inflammation. Think about when you were a child. You’d lie in the grass for hours, staring at the clouds and the sky, dreaming and allowing your mind to

Eating To Hydrate

In addition to drinking the appropriate amount of water for your weight and activities, eating water rich foods is another way to increase hydration. These include cucumber, watermelon, zucchini, strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, cantaloupe, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, pears, citrus fruits, pineapples, spinach, iceberg lettuce and many, many more. Eating a salad made from water rich veggies and fruit will not only help with hydration but provide your body with nutrients and fiber as well. wander. Have you ever stopped to wonder why we’ve gotten out of that habit as adults? Maybe it’s time for all of us to go back to lying on the grass in our yards or the sand at the beach, listening to the birds and breathing. I know when I take the time do this, even for 10 minutes, I become centered, calm and focused. The good news is, once the weather gets chilly again, or when it’s rainy outside, a grounding mat can mimic the feeling you get from the earthbody connection.

But, that’s not all. Joyce’s father was an aspiring baker, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that some of the world’s best pastry chefs call France home, and the country’s well known for its delicious desserts. Although he was not able to successfully bootstrap his own bakery once he made it stateside, that didn’t stop him from pursuing his burning passion. For family gatherings he would meticulously prepare the most wonderful treats, says Fragoso.

With this type of upbringing and emphasis on bringing joy to people via delightful dishes, it makes sense why Joyce was driven to open Girl From Empanada. Simply put, it’s in her DNA.

Unlike other ways we try to increase our health, drinking water daily is an inexpensive way to help fuel and repair your body. You don’t have to join a gym, subscribe to a service or have a kit. Start with good water. Get your hands on a container that will allow you to track the number of ounces. Add a little natural flavor. Then, you’re on your way. This summer, while you’re experiencing the season and all of the activities and pleasures it brings, remember to keep your body running at its best and hydrate.

Although Joyce took a detour as a teacher for many years, it became apparent that she needed to fulfill her lifelong desire. After all, she had been incubating the idea of her own food-related business for nearly three decades. The catalyst: The COVID-19 pandemic. Although it was a devastating situation across the globe, for Fragoso, it was a watershed moment that gave her the push to pursue her dream.

Even if you can’t see yourself lying on the ground, consider committing to a practice of “10 before 10” this summer. Getting yourself outside into the sunshine and fresh air for 10 minutes first thing in the morning can set you up for a much more productive and serene day. We’ve been given the gift of more daylight during this time of year so we should take advantage of it! Synching your body’s circadian rhythms with the sun’s cycle helps regulate your sleep, which will then help regulate your appetites and moods. To amp up your sunshine time, use your 10 minutes for a short daily meditation. You can set your intentions for the day and soak up the rays before the UV index climbs too high.

Audrey Zona is an integrative health and wellness coach and the founder of Zo Healthy. She is a mother, wife and personal coach who loves seeing her clients break old diet patterns and enjoy more satisfying, healthier lives. Follow Audrey on Instagram @zo_healthy for recipes, tips and tricks for leading a healthy lifestyle.You may also visit her website at https:// livezohealthy.com or her Facebook at www.facebook.com/ ZoHealthy. ■

Nowhere is summer’s abundance more evident than in the huge array of vibrant, seasonal foods that grow in this season. In summer, we crave cooler foods to maintain our balance with the Earth’s cycles. Now is the time to eat raw foods and the time to consider juicing or a juice cleanse. Juices, by their nature, contain more sugar than other foods but because in the summer, your body needs to hydrate and replenish electrolytes, it can also tolerate some additional sugar. Focus on your digestion and ridding your body of what isn’t serving it by juicing fresh, organic fruits and veggies from the farmer’s market. Seek out apricots, bananas, all kinds of green, leafy veggies, celery, melons (especially watermelon), berries, tomatoes, peaches, cucumber, zucchini, corn, mint and parsley. Or, make watermelon or pineapple smoothies and keep the all-important fiber intact. If you don’t really want to drink juices, drink coconut water or water with a pinch of salt to keep your electrolytes balanced.