At last we see longer days bringing some brighter weather and light evenings. There are lots of great nutritional, seasonal foods grown in May, specifically all the things that make a fabulous salad which will give good support to your liver.
Simply mix some lettuce, chicory, spinach, watercress, rocket & top with radish. Dress with some olive oil, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and a little rock salt and you have an extremely beneficial side salad with your meal. This will support the liver to break down all the other foods from your meal and add a wonderful array of minerals and vitamins such as, vitamin C, B complex, calcium, iron, magnesium and lots of fibre. This is a basic principle of the Mediterranean diet which you may be aware is now considered a healthy way to support the prevention of chronic
disease.
Here is a list of all the seasonal foods in May.
Artichoke, Asparagus, Aubergine, Beetroot, Chicory, Chillies, Elderflowers, Lettuce, Marrow, New Potatoes, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Samphire, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Watercress.
It is important to eat seasonal locally grown foods, as the journey from farm to shelf is relatively quick and therefore the nutritional content is much higher. If they are organic too, they will not be covered in chemicals and pesticides which will mean a cleaner vegetable or fruit.
Once you are incorporating these super foods into your daily life, think about moving. Exercise will add another really positive layer to your health. The benefits include; improved digestion, enhanced weight loss, good muscle tone, stronger bones and improved mental clarity. The benefits are in fact endless and research tells us that exercise has a very big part to play in supporting the prevention of ill health. Preparing dinner, for example, and then going out for a walk whilst your food is cooking, is an easy way to add this in. It could be a walk, a fast walk, or a jog, depending on your level of fitness. Did you know that the recommended amount of steps per day is around 10,000? Why not challenge yourself and start tracking your steps? Here are some Apps for you to browse.
If you have a competitive streak My Pacer is the app for you. You are able to join it’s online community and take part in varied and fun challenges.
Tips For The Month
Be adventurous, try a salad or vegetable you haven’t eaten before & choose something that is in season
Try a new recipe – Chilled Asparagus & Almond Soup. Did you know asparagus is a prebiotic which feeds the probiotic in your gut, improving your digestion.
Find a way to get moving, a simple start is to walk with a friend. You can really improve your health simply by doing a half hour walk everyday.
Check out what activities are going on at your local Health Centre. They could range from swimming, gym, dance classes, yoga, pilates, bootcamp and running clubs.
Remember if you are exercising you will need to hydrate more. Average water consumption per day should be 2 litres. Add another half litre when you are exercising.