Healthy Happy Loving Life: Spirit of Summer

Tags

Healthy Happy Loving Life, In-joy-meant, light-hearted, Summer, The life you want, UpBeat Living

© 2022 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM.  World Rights Reserved. http://www.kebba.com

Today I am breaking pace.  I am entering entirely into the Spirit of Summer.  I need to be in the lighthearted appreciation of simple sights, sounds, and smells that feel like the best Summer day of anyone’s childhood.  In that spirit, here are three little pieces from three of the World’s most reknowned writers/poets.  See if these take you to the feeling of an ideal, dreamy Summer’s day.  And that’s IN-JOY-MEANT, where the Soul is at home.

Poem by Hafez (Persian poet)

Even

After

All this time

The Sun never says to the Earth

“You owe me.”

Look

What happens

With a love like that.

It lights the whole sky.

Poem by Rumi (Sufi poet)

Only from

The heart

Can you

Touch the

Sky.

Poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is my wish for you:

Comfort on difficult days,

smiles when sadness intrudes,

Rainbows to follow the clouds

laughter to kiss your lips,

sunsets to warm your heart,

hugs when spirits sag,

beauty for your eyes to see,

friendships to brighten your being,

faith so that you can believe,

confidence for when you doubt,

courage to know yourself,

patience to accept the truth,

Love to complete your life.

Does your heart feel a summery lightness now?  We all need that.  In my daily series this month, I hope to strongly convince you that positive living, using holistic tools, is the way to be, and that it results in greater health and happiness and joy.  And it’s more fun!  And that would be you, ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Life^sm!

---

Kebba Buckley Button is a stress/energy management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life.  She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within:  Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine.  The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office.   They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order:  kebba@kebba.com .  Thank you!

Books by Kebba Buckley Button

Upbeat Living: Your Mind’s Eye

Tags

blood pressure, energy, Ernest Holmes, exhaustion, fatigue, heat, Kebba Buckley Button, mind-body, Negativity, nervous system, positive thoughts, positivity, stress, Summer, UpBeat Living

© 2014 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

 

iStockPhoto.com

Whatever your belief system, it is crucial to hold the most positive thoughts and images in your mind.  Ernest Holmes (1887-1960), the founder of Science of Mind, described “The Law of Mental Equivalents.”  He said, basically, that what you hold in consciousness is what you will get in your reality.  This has been proven true in a number of fields, as the brain and body take instruction from the thoughts.

 

Do you ever wonder why some people always cheerfully achieve success, while others are down in mood and fail at many doorsteps of opportunity?  Success is very much in your mind.  Your thoughts are acted out by your nervous system.

 

Try this experiment.  Find a 10-pound object or a gallon bottle of liquid, and lift it before and after you say these phrases.  Ready?  Lift the object.  Notice how heavy or light it is for you at this moment.  Say 10 times, at any speed, “I am a weak and unworthy person.”  Your nervous system will take this literally.  Now pick up the object again.  Notice how much heavier it is?  Now reverse the effect.  Say 10 times, at any speed, “I am a vital, strong, valuable person.”  Pick up the object again.  Notice it has become lighter.

 

Affirm: I am a vital, strong, valuable person.

~ Kebba Buckley Button

 

Always remember that your brain and nervous system are listening to everything you say.  Consider the phenomenon that your brain and nervous system do not know the difference between a real situation of terrible conflict, like a nasty fight or an assault, and a portrayed situation, as in a TV show or movie.  When you are in a good mood, go to a movie theater and see any of the currently popular end-of-the human-race movies.  You know:  Machines are arising or attacking from space, and the situation is impossible.  Although not currently in theaters, Independence Day is a great example of this genre.

 

If you have a blood pressure monitor, take your blood pressure before and after you see this movie.  At the end of this movie, you will feel very stressed, your adrenaline will be rushing, and your blood pressure will be up.  You may feel hyped up or exhausted, fearful or cranky, and easily startled.  Leaving the venue, you may be driving “with a heavy foot.”

 

Your brain and nervous system thought they were in a real war.  If you really want to take in movies like this, but you want less of a stressful effect on yourself, try this.  Rent or download them, show them at home, and when you feel your stress building up, look at other objects in the room and think of puppies and babies.  Notice your whole body-mind system shifting when you shift your attention.

 

Do not get sucked into anyone’s negativity, on any subject! 

You will pay for it with fatigue and an unclear mind.

~ Kebba Buckley Button

 

Truly, you choose what stress and negativity you feed your mind and body.  Consider an apparently mundane example.  Today may be a really hot, humid summer day where you are.  It may be so hot that you would prefer to not to be out in that weather.  Your passion might be to zip efficiently from your air-conditioned home to your air-conditioned car to your air-conditioned office.  That’s a healthy strategy!  However, we all know people who, on this kind of day, must chant out loud, “Boy is it hot!  It is so sticky!  Aren’t you hot?  How can you wear that?  Aren’t you miserable?  It’s just miserable!

 

Chanting like that, the person will begin to feel hotter and hotter, because the brain is listening to every word they say.  And if you listen and/or repeat their comments, silently or to others, you will feel hotter also!  Do not dismiss this as “just psychological.”

 

The sensations are real, and you have a right to live the best and most comfortable life that you can construct for yourself.  That is the Upbeat Living philosophy.  So be ready with several cheerful replies to the heat-chanters, for when they start in.  The one I use most is (delivered in a light and cheery tone), “Yes!  You know, it’s almost like Phoenix in the summertime!”  Then I quickly leave the area so the chanter can’t argue.

 

Do not get sucked into anyone’s negativity, on any subject!  You will pay for the indulgence with fatigue and an unclear mind.  If you are a person of faith, remember God wants you to use your creativity to make the most of your life and your gifts.  God never wants you to be stalled out by negativity.

 

So do you want to live your best life now?  Great!  Then notice negative programming, make notes, and work toward creating the best brain, body, and lifestyle you can.  That’s real Upbeat Living, and it’s up to you to choose it!

—————————————————————————————————

 

● Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert.  She is the author of the award-winning book, Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), plus the 2013 book, Peace Within:  Your Peaceful Inner Core, Second Edition (http://tinyurl.com/mqg3uvc).  She also has a natural healing practice and is an ordained minister.

● Liked this article?  You can buy Kebba’s books:  just click the links!

• Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br). 
• Peace Within:  Your Peaceful Inner Core (Second Edition) (http://tinyurl.com/mqg3uvc)             

● Enjoyed this post?  Please click “like” in the FB widget in the right hand column!  You’ll have our undying gratitude plus a huge rise in your Good Karma.

● Please comment!

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● Reach the writer at kebba@kebba.com .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UpBeat Living: Food & Drink for Desert Summer Thriving, Part 2

Tags

at choice, choices, Eating, Effective living, energy, energy foods, exhausted, fatigue, Feeling energized, food, happy, Health, Kebba, Summer, vitality

© 2012 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

Here are more recipes for cool, light, filling, energizing foods for sizzling summer days.  The curried shrimp/rice salad makes a complete meal.  The pan-broiled chicken recipe gives you delicious chicken to use cold in salads or as protein snacks, or cut into pieces to add to stir-fry dishes.  You can stay cool and stay energized!

Curried Shrimp Secret-Energy Salad for two

Prepare the rice:

In a saucepan, sauté ½ large yellow onion (mild), chopped, in 1-2 T olive oil.  When the edges are brown, add

1 c basmati rice

2 ½ c water

1 t sea salt

20 twists black or citrus pepper

1 T dried parsley flakes

Bring rice to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook on medium-low for about 20 minutes.  Batches will vary, so sample it and see if it needs more water.  When tender, fluff it.  Set aside 2 c of this to cool to room temperature.

Now prepare the shrimp:

Take 16 medium-large (31-40 per pound frozen cooked shrimp and drop them in a wok with 1 T olive oil and 1 t curry powder (or ½ t cumin + ½ t turmeric + dash of clove, + dash of cinnamon, + dash of red pepper powder).  Yes, this will seem like you are wokking rocks at first.  Keep stirring with a bamboo spatula so that the spices evenly coat the shrimp.  The shrimp are done when they are curled and firm.  Set aside to cool on a dish.  Remove the tails if they have them.

Now prepare the bed of the salad:

5-6 oz. organic baby romaine lettuce, baby Italian mix, or similar dark greens.  Favorite brands are Earthbound Farms and Private Selection organic.  You will get the most energy from baby greens and from organic greens, with organic baby greens having the most energy.

Use sharp kitchen shears to cut up the greens to bit-size.  Divide into 2 salad bowls.  Toss with Golden Yogurt Secret-Energy Dressing.

Golden Yogurt Secret-Energy Dressing  For 2

1 sweet golden tomato, chopped (can substitute 1 c

golden cherry tomatoes)

2 T olive oil

¼ c plain yogurt

10 mint leaves

1 t fresh lime juice

Pinch sea salt

20 twists white or pink pepper

In a mini-processor or small blender, blend until smooth.

Now layer on each salad artistically:

1 c chopped cucumber

1 c rice (sprinkle across)

8 shrimp

5 kalamata olives to trim, 1 in center

Parsley flakes—sprinkle across center

Mix the drinks and serve!                                                                                      –    –   –   –

________________________________________________________

Now consider this simple recipe for chicken.  Chicken prepared like this can be used hot when just done, cold as a plain protein snack, or cut in chunks and added, a minute before completion, to a stir-fry dish.  Enjoy!

Pan-Broiled Chicken  for two and for later

5-6 chicken breasts (“family pack”)

Olive oil

Sea salt

Mixed peppercorns in grinder

Use sharp kitchen shears to cut away fat globs from the chicken pieces.  Lightly olive-oil 2 10” sauté pans and sprinkle salt and pepper across the oiled surface.  Heat to medium-high, until you see the oil shimmer.  Place 3 chicken pieces in each pan.  Cook on that side until well-browned.  For a char-grilled flavor, cook until just black.  Salt and pepper the uncooked side, and turn with tongs.  Cook the second side until well-browned.  Turn the heat to medium-low (4 of 10) and cover.  Set a timer for 8 minutes.  Check the thickest piece for doneness: it must have no pink showing in the center.  Cook for several more minutes, if necessary.  Let cool on a platter until ready to slice enough for your salads.  Note:  If frozen chicken breasts were not entirely thawed when you needed to brown them, don’t worry.  Just follow the directions and be sure they get cooked all the way through.

Note:  Do not microwave these chicken pieces instead, since the flavor will be nothing compared to pan-broiling.  Flavor satisfies and brightens life!  The more satisfied you are, the fewer calories you will eat before you feel full.  Eat well and feel full, yet light, with these refreshing summer foods.

_______________________________________________________

● Your comments are welcome!

● Reach the writer at kebba@kebba.com .

UpBeat Living: Food and Drink for Desert Summer Thriving, Part 1

Tags

antioxidants, at choice, choices, Eating, Effective living, energy, energy foods, exhausted, Feeling energized, food, Health, Kebba, Recipes, Summer, tired

© 2012 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

Can you enjoy life and feel energized during the desert summer, even when it’s 110 degrees outside?  Absolutely!  And the right foods and beverages can keep you feeling fabulous.

When it’s hot out, you may often come home feeling drained.  You may crave sweet drinks, alcoholic drinks, and high-carb quick-fix meals.  However, if you each fresh produce and drink naturally energizing beverages, you’ll be surprised how much more you can do in your evening and the next day.  You will also be surprised at how clear your mind is, and how easy it is to be enthusiastic, since you feel better.  Try it!

Green Moteajo (“Mo-TEA-ho”)  Makes 2.

This is a nonalcoholic and energizing takeoff on the mojito.  Do eat the mint sprigs.

3 green tea bags

Filtered water (chlorine removed)

In microwave, heat 1 ¼ c water for 3 ½ minutes on high.  It should be bubbling slightly.  Steep all 3 tea bags for 8 minutes.  It’s better if you cut the teabags open and put the cut tea in a metal tea ball, then steep.

With 2 tall glasses, place in each:

8 ice cubes

½ c steeped green tea

6 oz/ ¾ c organic ginger ale

1 oz coconut syrup (optional) or coconut juice

1-2 8” springs of fresh mint

Stir slightly and serve.

 

Apple Limeonut (LIME-oh-nut) LuLu  Makes 2.

Organic apple juice

Coconut juice

1 large lime

Ice cubes

With 2 tall glasses, place in each:

8 ice cubes

6 oz/ ¾ c apple juice

4 oz/ ½ c coconut juice

½ lime, cut in wedges and each half-squeezed

Stir slightly and serve.

 

 

Secret-Energy Salad  For 2

5-6 oz organic baby romaine lettuce, baby Italian mix, or similar dark greens.  Organic spring mix is OK, but the flavor is different.  Favorite brands are Earthbound Farms and Private Selection organic.

Use sharp kitchen shears to cut up the greens to bit-size.  Divide into 2 salad bowls.  Toss with Secret-Energy Dressing.

Secret-Energy Dressing  For 2

2/3 cucumber, chopped

2 T olive oil

1 t each:  fresh, minced oregano, parsley, and mint

2 t apple cider vinegar

1 t fresh lime juice

Pinch sea salt

20 twists citrus pepper

In a mini-processor or small blender, blend until smooth.

Now layer on each salad artistically:

1 c chopped jicama

1 c chilled, boiled organic potato cubes (try a circle around the

bowl rim)

4 oz sliced pan-broiled chicken (recipe follows), or pan-broiled salmon, or chick peas (drained).  Arrange these across

the center.

8 organic cherry tomatoes (around rim, reserving 1 for center)

Sprinkle each salad with 2 T boiled egg sprinkles (pressed thru sieve) or 2 T shredded parmesan cheese.  Put that last tomato in the center.  Mix the drinks and serve!

 ________________________________________________________________

● Your comments are welcome!

 

● Reach the writer at kebba@kebba.com .

UpBeat Living: Strategies for Desert Summer Thriving, Part 2

Tags

choices, Effective living, energy, exhausted, Feeling energized, Health, heat, stress, Summer

© 2012 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

Today we continue our top tips for feeling great, even when it’s over 100 degrees.  Yes, you can enjoy life in the desert!

Photo by Kebba Buckley Button

5.  Use the cool hours to leverage your energy for the day.  Run errands before noon and after dark.  Play tennis at 10 pm.  Many city parks are open until 11 pm.  Try moonlight hikes, such as the Sierra Club’s monthly full moon hikes.  Schedule runs, picnics and day hikes at breakfast time, as close to daybreak as you can. The air will be 30 degrees cooler than later in the day, and you can be active and even enjoy it.  Also, do your yard work or gardening at sunrise, while it’s cool.  Plan other outdoor activities according to when your yard, or the activity area, will be in shadow.  Sun-sensitive walkers can use the hallways at malls as early as 7 am.  Arrange your activities like this, and you may be surprised at how much better you feel all day.

6.  Try a change of location.  Go to a town or campsite at a higher elevation, to a lake or to a coast, and take a cool climate break for a day or three or longer.  This will give your metabolism, your brain, and your emotions a time-out.  You’ll get a fresh start on your return.

 

7.  Keep your attitude and activities fresh.  The most damaging aspect of the desert heat, for some, is the tendency for the brain cells to bake until they don’t work well.  With heat stress, you can lose your concentration quickly, then your attitude, and then your enthusiasm for anything at all.  Filled with heat-blahs, you can make mistakes with people and actually damage relationships.  So resolve that you’ll stay as positive and perky as you possibly can.  Please, don’t get sucked into conversations about how hot it is!  This will increase your sensation of being hot.  Ignore the comments or say something cheery like, “Yes, it’s almost like Phoenix in the summertime!”  Then talk about fun things you have been doing.

Novelty will help you stay alert and enthusiastic about life.  Do things differently.  Have you been to all your local art museums and galleries?  Round up a group to go to the local ice skating rink.  Take a summer foods cooking class (see #4).  Try swimming lessons. Go to any desert resort for day use (usually under $20) of the pools, cabanas, drink and snack service.  Go to summer concerts and plays in locales like Sedona or Laguna Beach.  Go to any ski town, ride the ski lift, and take photos. Visit Santa Fe on Labor Day weekend for the Arts Festival; you’ll need your down vest after sunset.

8.  Eat cooling foods.  This is not necessarily the same as cold or icy foods.  In fact, many foods we think of as cold and therefore refreshing are actually dehydrating and/or weakening.  Sugar is dehydrating, so limit your sweetened teas, sugary “vitamin drinks”, milkshakes, coffee drinks with syrups, and frozen desserts.  Skip the diet drinks, also, because most artificial sweeteners cause ill effects.  Instead, drink lots of water and some fruit juices. Energizing yet cooling foods that are easily stocked in your fridge include:  broiled chicken or salmon, hard-boiled eggs, cooked corn on the cob, green peas (thaw, don’t cook), pre-washed greens, canned organic garbanzo beans (“chick peas”), avocados, celery sticks, jicama sticks, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and fresh fruits.  Learn to make smoothies out of fresh fruit, juice, and favorite dairy or nut milks; the newer blenders are easy to use and clean.  Make your own salad dressings in the blender, using a half cucumber or a tomato as the base for an herbed vinaigrette.  For dessert, would you like to experience something novel?  Try making something like Raw Coconut Soup (such as this recipe:  http://2raw.wordpress.com/raw-creamy-thai-coconut-soup/).  Raw foods give you far more energy than cooked or previously frozen foods.

So this summer, when others are melting and moaning, you can feel wonderful and have all the energy you want.  Use these techniques to rise to any occasion as the temperatures soar.  Feel cool yet vibrant, and this will be your best desert summer ever—so far!

__________________________________________________________

● Your comments are welcome!

 

● Reach the writer at kebba@kebba.com .

UpBeat Living: Strategies for Desert Summer Thriving, Part 1

Tags

at choice, choices, energy, Feeling energized, heat, Kebba, Summer

© 2012 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

 

Photo by Kebba Buckley Button

So before you came to the desert Southwest, did they tell you the summers can be a bit warm?  In cities like Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Needles, Laughlin, and Las Vegas, it can be over 105 degrees for weeks running.  In fact, it has been 120 degrees a few times, including in June 2010.  This is the region where people say things like, “It’s only 100 degrees today!”   Our vistas vary from concrete and stone cityscapes to green golf courses with lakes, to natural desert of subtle tones and often-sharp plants.  Your business or personal pursuits will likely take you through all these environments of the desert Southwest.  These tips will help you enjoy yourself and get the most out of life throughout our summer.

In our hot weeks, feeling good, being well, and being productive can be challenging. Back East, you wouldn’t dream of going out in a snowstorm unprepared.  You would of course dress properly and protect yourself from the elements.  Summer is our dangerous weather season, so you’ll want to dress properly and protect yourself.  But you can feel great and enjoy our summer, if you take these tips to heart:

1.  Accept that Summer is our physical stress season.  The heat magnifies normal stresses, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.  People may be crabby and tired.  In traffic, drivers may show less attention and courtesy than usual.  Even during the cooling effects of our intense summer storms, people can be short-tempered.  Plan to simply drop your shoulders, exhale quietly, and do your best in hot and tense moments.  

2.  Get out of the heat. Do get 15 minutes of sun on your hands and face each day, for your body to produce enough Vitamin D. But you can get that while driving to an errand. The rest of the time, get out of the sun or wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and sleeves.

Walk in building shadows and park your car in the shade or in a parking garage. If you love to be outside, you can now buy special sun-blocking clothes from travel companies. You can get shirts designed to SPF 50 or higher, plus broad-brimmed hats with mesh-side crowns for through-flow of air. More difficult to find is the safari hat with its own built-in fan. Cooling neck scarves are now widely available. Soak them to activate the gel inside, and store them in the fridge between wearings.  Water bottles, with a battery-operated personal fan attached, are amusing and do actually help you keep cooler.

If you get too much heat, you’ll generally know it. But if people tell you your face is bright red, this is not good.  If your skin is totally dry, or if you feel nauseated or are vomiting, or if you feel totally drained and confused, these are clues you have heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Get to a cool, dim place, put a cool, damp cloth on your forehead, and try to drink water (chlorine removed).

3.  Protect your skin and eyes. If you don’t want to cover your skin, at least wear some sunscreen. There are new generations of sunscreen in clear or opaque forms, or colored to function as makeup foundation. Many moisturizers and makeup products contain SPF 15 or higher for day use. Most powdered mineral-based foundation makeups provide non-chemical SPF 15. If you’re wild to have tan skin, and you weren’t born with it, check out spray tanning or tanning moisturizers. Be aware that these do not provide sun protection, however, and skin cancer is rampant here. And remember to drink water. Support your skin by also eating foods that can help skin stay moist and young-looking.  These include dark greens, avocado, and fruits.  Do wear sunglasses, especially if you are not wearing headgear with a brim.

4.  Use common sense.  Rest if you need to. Plan extra time to get sufficient sleep daily.  Plan fewer activities in your week.  And focus on thriving, throughout the month.  Ask yourself often, “what would work best for my energy?”

_____________________________________________________________

● Your comments are welcome!

 

● Reach the writer at kebba@kebba.com .

UpBeat Living: Staying Energized When It’s Over 100°

Tags

Eating, energy, energy foods, heat, Summer, tired, vitality

© Kebba Buckley Button 2010.  World rights reserved.

Last time, I covered the basics of thriving in the desert heat.  Your body needs to get out of the heat, your skin needs extra protection, and you need to get enough sleep and general rest.  This time, I share strategies for staying upbeat and energized, thriving rather than just surviving when the weather is searing.  Mall shopping is obvious, but what if you don’t want to shop?

1.  Use the cool hours to leverage your energy for the day. Run errands before noon and after dark.  Play tennis at 10 pm.  Phoenix City parks are open until 11 pm.  Try moonlight hikes, such as the Sierra Club’s monthly full moon hikes.  Schedule runs, picnics and day hikes at breakfast time, as close to daybreak as you can. The air will be 30 degrees cooler than later in the day, and you can be active and even enjoy it.  Also, do your yard work or gardening at sunrise, while it’s cool.  Plan other outdoor activities according to when your yard, or the activity area, will be in shadow.  Sun-sensitive walkers can use the hallways at malls as early as 7 am.  Arrange your activities like this, and you may be surprised at how much better you feel all day.

2.  Try a change of location. Go to a town or campsite at a higher elevation, to a lake or to a coast, and take a cool climate break for a day or three or longer.  This will give your metabolism, your brain, and your emotions a time-out.  You’ll get a fresh start on your return.

3.  Keep your attitude and activities fresh. The most damaging aspect of the desert heat, for some, is the tendency for the brain cells to bake until they don’t work well.  With heat stress, you can lose your concentration quickly, then your attitude, and then your enthusiasm for anything at all.  Filled with heat-blahs, you can make mistakes with people and actually damage relationships.  So resolve that you’ll stay as positive and perky as you possibly can.  Please, don’t get sucked into conversations about how hot it is!  This will increase your sensation of being hot.  Ignore the comments or say something cheery like, “Yes, it’s almost like Phoenix in the summertime!”  Then talk about fun things you have been doing.

Novelty will help you stay alert and enthusiastic about life.  Do things differently.  Have you been to all your local art museums and galleries?  Round up a group to go to the local ice skating rink.  Take a summer foods cooking class (see #4).  Try swimming lessons. Go to any desert resort for day use (usually under $20) of the pools, cabanas, drink and snack service.  Go to summer concerts and plays in locales like Sedona and Laguna Beach.  Go to any ski town, ride the ski lift, and take photos. Visit Santa Fe on Labor Day weekend for the Arts Festival; you’ll need your down vest after sunset.

4.  Eat cooling foods. This is not necessarily the same as cold or icy foods.  In fact, many foods we think of as cold and therefore refreshing are actually dehydrating and/or weakening.  Sugar is dehydrating, so limit your sweetened teas, sugary “vitamin drinks”, milkshakes, coffee drinks with syrups, and frozen desserts.  Skip the diet drinks, also, because most artificial sweeteners cause ill effects.  Instead, drink lots of water and some fruit juices. Energizing yet cooling foods that are easily stocked in your frig include:  broiled chicken or salmon, hard-boiled eggs, corn on the cob, green peas (thaw, don’t cook), pre-washed greens, canned organic garbanzo beans (“chick peas”), avocados, celery sticks, jicama sticks, carrots, and fresh fruits.  Learn to make smoothies out of fresh fruit, juice, and favorite dairy or nut milks; the newer blenders are easy to use and clean.  Make your own salad dressings in the blender, using a half cucumber or a tomato as the base for an herbed vinaigrette.  For dessert, would you like to experience something novel?  Try making something like Raw Coconut Soup (such as this recipe:  http://2raw.wordpress.com/raw-creamy-thai-coconut-soup/).  Raw foods give you far more energy than cooked or previously frozen foods.

So this summer, when others are melting and moaning, you can feel wonderful and have all the energy you want.  Use these techniques to rise to any occasion as the temperatures soar.  Feel cool yet vibrant, and this will be your best desert summer ever—so far!

Reach the writer at: Kebba@DiscoverTheSecretEnergizedYou.com .