a surprising source of summer protein inside!

Hail summer!
In my neck of the woods, school’s out for the summer, the sky is blue and I’m keeping the front door wide open so the cats and the boys (mine and his friends) can wander in and out.
On days like this, I could sip lemonade all day long. . .
I’m a summer girl, myself. I like summer dresses and flip flops and the produce that shows up at the farmer’s market ~ from apricots and berries, to favas and peas.
I also like to pay tribute to the season by honoring the parts of my body that are traditionally associated with these warm months. Those sweet spots include the heart and the small intestine, both ready to receive the season’s nourishment.
Recognizing these organs now is another way to get in rhythm with nature.
Just like there is a circadian rhythm (the rhythm of the day), there are also seasonal rhythms. Tapping into these pulses is another way we access health.
In traditional Chinese medicine, summertime is:

• a time of motion and energy
• a time to see more clearly
• a time to receive, digest, and assimilate nourishment

Luckily, the abundance of the season offers all that we need ~ even in a bottle of lemonade!
And when it’s hot, and you’re seeking hydration more than bacon, is there another way to meet your body’s needs for those aminos (those protein building blocks that feed your cells)? The answer is ‘yes’!!
If a tree doesn’t flower and bear fruit, there can’t be any harvest. For us, as humans, if we don’t allow ourselves to flower during this season, to extend our fruits, we deprive ourselves of the summer harvest that can carry us through the entire year. Autumn is the time for releasing, for letting go. There is no more flowering. It’s not a time for outreach in the same way as summer. And it’ll be much more difficult for us to let go in fall if we haven’t experienced the fruition of our hope, plans and dreams that can be put into motion right now, in summer.
This brings us back to lemonade (yay), protein, and opening your heart to friends and connection in keeping with the season.

Let me introduce you to my friend, Lydia!

Lydia Reissmueller is the owner and founder of Pure Simple Juice in PDX.
Lydia is a fire-cracker in revolutionizing the way she makes and distributes juice. Her blends are rare and ingenious (I’m sharing her signature green lemonade below), often including beneficial herb blends, low glycemic mixtures and a boost of nutrients.
Lydia’s focus is sourcing and utilizing high-quality ingredients, specifically seasonal and local produce (girl after my own heart!) and glass bottles (a rarity for bottled juice that keeps them fresher longer and environmentally friendly!).
Lydia has combined her passion for flavor and farming, into Pure Simple Juice, and uses her knowledge and experience to create inspiring and nutritionally synergistic drinks of wellness.
What I love about Lydia’s lemonade is that I can drink it all day long, and get a protein lift to leverage my long summer days. (Thank you Lydia!)
If you’re in PDX, head on over to Pure Simple Juice and grab a bottle. If not, make your own! Lydia was generous enough to share her secret recipe with us.

don’t know about E3 Live and blue green algae?
read more below!

Your start-of-summer action steps are not so hard:

• stay hydrated!
• make amigos with your aminos (that means get creative with your protein consumption)
• open your heart, make friends and foster your fruits;)
• love your guts (Go ahead, put your hand on your belly, underneath your belly button, and imagine that deep beneath your palm, is the seat of your ability to receive goodness in your life, at the cellular level.)!
• get green with your lemonade

With a summer breeze and lemonade days,

P.S. The Depression Sessions with Sean Croxton starts next week!!
Register now and catch my talk on June 20th called, Reframe Depression: A Functional Nutrition Approach to Addressing Depression.
Register now for the Depression Sessions. It’s free!
(and catch the blue-green brain tip below)

GETTING KEEN ON THE BLUE-GREEN!

Blue-Green Algae Health & Nutrition Benefits are many…

• Because they’re such a great source of protein, algaes help to balance brain chemistry.
• Algaes are easy to digest—therefore a great source of added protein for those with delicate digestive systems. They’re a complete protein source—containing all eight amino acids.
• The high amounts of chlorophyll contained in the algae makes them a good blood builder and and it can help to support depleted iron levels.
• Algae contains a good array of anti-oxidants to help the immune system.
• The blue-green pigment (phycocyanin)—which is much higher in blue-green algae than spirulina—is a phytochemical that can inhibit the growth of certain cancers, reduce inflammation in the colon, fight chronic inflammation, support neurotransmitter production, and activate the liver detox pathways.

Here’s my favorite…
* The blue-green algaes contain PEA (phenylethylamine) —an adrenal and brain chemical that naturally boost and balances our excitatory neurotransmitters—those that enable us to pay attention and stay alert. (PEA is found in only blue green algae and cacao. . . which make a good combo, by the way!)
And though I have no data on the subject, I’ve heard a number of people report an increased sex drive when they introduce the daily algae!
(Should we add some summer lovin’ to our action steps this week?!)

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.