Staying Cool During Summer Heat

Add a bit of flavor to your hydration by adding lemon to water

Hydration is very important during the hot summer days, and in Houston, we're having plenty of those! The common slogan we hear daily is "Drink plenty of water." While that's correct, it's not enough to keep our bodies well-hydrated! It's also important to eat healthy food and keep our alcohol intake to a minimum during these hot days. In the meantime, we can be more creative with fruits and vegetables by creating great cocktails, smoothies, and refreshments!

Most people think of soup as a dish to serve during the cooler months of the year, which is not wrong at all. Providing cold soups to our bodies is like a cooling respite from crazy summer's heat.

Following up with a great salad and delicious bruschetta (grilled or toasted sourdough baguette or country bread topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil) or pan con tomate (Spanish tomato bread, grilled sourdough bread rubbed with garlic, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, and topped with grated fresh tomatoes) is a fantastic idea.

Spanish Gazpacho Soup

Some well-known cold soups include Spanish gazpacho, French classic vichyssoise, Hungarian cold cherry soup, and Italian roasted tomato soup. These are just a few of the most popular ones, but there is no limit to creativity. You can use a variety of organic fresh vegetables and fruits, combining them with yogurt, buttermilk, coconut cream, or coconut milk. These ingredients work well together with avocados, radishes, sweet peas, cucumbers, strawberries, and cherries. For added crunch, don't forget about grains, nuts, and seeds!

Fiber is very important to our health, and it doesn't follow a seasonal schedule; we need it daily.

"Eat Healthy. Stay Healthy. Be Happy!" -Chef Johann