Monthly Spark Newsletter
July 2024
Welcome to the first edition of our Spark Newsletter. As we step into the long, warm days of summer, read on for essential tips to reduce stress and embrace for optimal health and wellness.
Summer Self-Care for Optimal Well-Being
Rhythms are the infrastructure of everything such as the earth’s rotation, ocean tides, galaxies and seasons. Just as nature follows its patterns, our bodies tend to follow similar rhythms. By attuning to our whole self needs and becoming aware of these natural patterns, we can support our well-being more effectively. With seasons specifically, our bodies respond to various biological rhythms, such as gravitational, lunar, and circadian rhythms. As we step into summer, we can honor our unique wiring, build resilience and be empowered to recognize the beauty and wisdom in this season.
Summer is a time of vitality. In the Northern hemisphere, the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, flowers are in full bloom, grass is lush, gardens grow and animals are with full energy eating the fresh produce you toiled over. It is a time of abundance and a time to revel in the beauty of nature. The days are long, and the evenings are warm, inviting us to play, be joyful, relax and rejuvenate.
For those suffering with always-on stress response and burn out, keep reading below for three self-care tips as you tune into your body, mind, heart and spirit in July.
Summer Eating for Health & Harmony
Tune into seasonal changes to align food choices with how you want to feel. For example, in the winter, not much is sprouting as the energy descends into the roots so yams, potatos, kale, ginger, carrots, beets, swiss chard can be warm and filling during cold months. Whereas summer produces many vibrant fruits and vegetables that provide cooling and hydration. Mango, pepper, zucchini, watermelon, tomato are great for the hot and humid months.
By eating in harmony with natures cycle and tuning into summer wholefoods, you are supporting your health in a number of ways.
Reducing chemicals: By eating seasonally, you are reducing the need for chemicals and preservatives to keep the food fresh. Freshly picked produce has fewer chemicals, like ethylene, used to artificially ripen fruit.
More nutrients: This also means you are consuming local foods with the most nutrients and flavors. Fruits and vegetables begin to lose nutrients within 24 hours of picking. So the less distance produce has to travel from soil to store to fridge, the more nourishing it will be for your body.
Greater health support: Lastly, eating in harmony with nature’s cycles and summer produce supports a diverse microbiome, which strengthens immunity, metabolism, respiration and overall health. Indigenous tribes with varied diets exemplify the benefits of this approach.
So, start tapping into your seasonal intuition and eating the right nutrient rich whole foods that sound good to you. Here is a long list of summer foods to consider: Tomato, Cucumber, Pepper, Eggplant, Beans, Peas, Watermelon, Berries, Melons, Pears, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Grapes, Apples, Mangoes, Bananas, Avocados, Lemons and Limes.
Connecting with Nature
Reset your rhythm by engaging in nature activities like beach walks, forest bathing, picnics, gardening, or sitting barefoot. Regular outdoor time helps you observe the natural ebb and flow around you, promoting relaxation and a state of relaxed awareness.
Unplug and Be Present: Spend time in green spaces without distractions to enhance happiness, self-actualization, resilience, and cognitive functioning. Focus on sensory experiences like water, earth, wind, and light, and explore beyond the five senses.
Enhance Awareness: Meditation or nature immersion stimulates the brain’s parietal cortex, improving awareness and perception, leading to an altered state of consciousness and better understanding of yourself.
Recharge with Earthing: Spend time barefoot outdoors to connect with the earth’s natural charge. When skin has contact with the ground you pull free electrons (superpowered with antioxidants) from the earth into your body. This practice, known as earthing, promotes healing and reduces inflammation by pulling negative ions into your body.
Summer Restoration & Rejuvenation
With the summer’s long warm days, we are invited to take time off from work and go on vacation. For many, we can not spend the whole summer at the beach but there are practices that can be adopted daily to induce relaxation and rejuvenation in support of your parasympathetic mode.
Self-Oil Massage (Abhyanga): Practice daily self-massage with oil to improve circulation, immunity, joint lubrication, and tissue strength. There are different oils and scents with properties for different seasons. For example, use warm sesame oil in winter but for the warm hot, humid summer you should use peppermint-infused coconut oil for a cooling effect.
Vitamin D Absorption: Your skin acts like a solar panel for vitamin D. Did you know that vitamin D can help reduce signs of aging, like sagging skin, by repairing the skin's epidermal barrier and countering oxidative damage? However, i It takes 48 hours to absorb, so avoid washing off immediately after sun exposure.
Sunlight for Eyes: Natural sunlight charges your body's internal clock through your eyes, helping regulate circadian rhythms and menstrual cycles. Spend time outdoors to benefit from this natural recharge. It is helpful to remove sunglasses for a few moments in the morning to wake up the whole self with sunlight.
Remember, everyone is bio-individual and holds specific self-care needs for the body, mind, heart and spirit. Take time to tune-in and become aware of what your whole self needs are and how to embrace all the benefits that summer brings.
Monthly Challenge
As the summer heat intensifies, finding ways to stay cool and energized becomes essential. I've decided to take on the invigorating challenge of taking a cold shower every morning, and I invite you to join me!
Cold plunges have numerous physical and mental benefits. They can reduce inflammation and soreness, improve cognitive function, restore balance to the nervous system, and boost immunity. They may also aid in weight loss by increasing metabolism and burning "white fat." Additionally, cold plunges can enhance mood, treat depression, reduce anxiety and stress, and increase dopamine and endorphins for greater alertness and happiness.
Starting with a 60-second cold shower each morning for the next 14 days is a great way to ease into this practice. If you're new to cold plunges, remember to start slow to avoid risks like hypothermia and cardiovascular shock.
After 30 days, many people report feeling more alert, having more energy, healthier skin and hair, improved mental health and resilience, better circulation, and much more.
Will you join me in this cold shower challenge?
Food-for-Thought
Each month, we recommend a book, podcast, or film that will educate and inspire. July's suggestion is a recent podcast by The Good Project.
In How To Finally Feel Better, Dr Neha Sangwan explains burnout and it's mind-body disconnect. She outlines a holistic 5-part framework to re-align your energy across physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual domains.
If you're looking for some simple ways to escape the cycle and reconnect with your deepest values, listen to this one hour thought provoking podcast.
July Recipe
I Can't Believe It's Not Brownies
If you have a sweet tooth like me, this 5-ingredient recipe will blow your mind. A tasty treat that is gluten-free, vegan and great for hormone-health. And my teenage daughter had no idea this chocolaty treat was good for her!
Ingredients:
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1 can black beans
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1/4 cup almond butter
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1/4 cup coconut oil
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1/2 cup maple syrup
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1/4 cup cacao
Thank you for sharing @eatswithale
Instructions:
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Preheat oven to 350℉
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Add all ingredients to a high speed blender, pulse/mix until smooth
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Pour into an 8x8 baking pan
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Bake for 45 minutes
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When done baking, let brownies cool and move to fridge to form fudgey texture
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Store in fridge
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Enjoy!
