Dr. Nick's Summer Time Snacks & Treats

Hello everyone, hopefully summer is officially here and the rain and clouds can go back to Seattle where they belong. If you have been feeling depressed this month because of all the cloudy days, I would tell you to take a little more Vitamin D. Feeling depressed due to lack of sunlight is a real condition and the science points to decreased Vitamin D as the cause. I personally take 10,000 units of Vitamin D during the winter months and 5,000 units during the summer months to ensure my body is getting enough. As far as I can tell based on the research, Vitamin D is the 2nd most important Vitamin you can take on a daily basis.

In the spirit of summer, I want to give you a snapshot of some of my favorite summer snack & drinks. Patients will frequently ask me if all I eat is spinach and kale, but like all of us I do have a sweet tooth as well. The key is to find Healthy Snacks for you and you family.

Just like your regular meals, your snacks should have a positive effect on your health. Everything you eat will either move you in the direction of health or towards sickness, the choice is yours.

My favorite drinks:

1. Synergy
Synergy is a Fizzy, Fermented Probiotic drink that tastes delicious. They have all different flavors and varieties. My favorites include strawberry, citrus and gingerade. These are carbonated drinks with virtually no sugar and tons of great bacteria for your digestive tract. In today's world, you have to either take a probiotic or eat a lot fermented foods to keep your system filled with good probiotic bacteria and drinking this fermented drink is just another way to get your probiotics and it tastes great! Contrary to popular belief, eating yogurt will not get you the probiotics you need (even if the commercials say so.) Check out synergy drinks at: www.SynergyDrinks.com

2. Healthy Coffee
Coffee in its natural form can be a very healthy drink. Unfortunately, when you add in sugar, artificial sweeteners, milk, chocolate, syrup, etc it just becomes a very unhealthy treat. Maybe ok once or twice a year, but if you are starting your morning everyday with all this sugar and junk it can become very detrimental to your health. If you need to add a little flavor to your coffee, feel free to add in a spoonful of coconut oil or grass-fed butter. Just stir or blend it in and you will be getting plenty of healthy fats and a great tasting coffee/latte. Also, make sure to buy organic coffee as coffee is one of the most sprayed crops.

3. Lemon/Lime Water
For dinner, I usually just drink water with cut up lemons and limes. Sometimes regular water and sometimes sparkling; whatever you're in the mood for As far as I can tell, there is nothing negative with sparkling water. The added lemons and limes will help you digest your meal better and give you added antioxidants.

Healthy Summertime Snacks

1. Exo Bars
My newest snack that I am into is called Exo Bars. It is basically like a Lara bar but it is made fromCRICET FLOUR. Give it a try before you get grossed out. Crickets are a great source of sustainable protein. The rest of the world has been eating crickets for centuries. They come in all different flavors - chocolate is my favorite. You can order here: www.exoprotein.com

2. Whole foods brand beef jerky:
Great source of protein. Great if you are in a rush. They are loaded with pure protein and no added sugars or sweeteners. They only use animals that have not been treated with antibiotics and hormones.

3. Coconut ice cream - "So Delicious Brand"
This a healthier alternative to regular ice cream. You can eat it even if you have a milk allergy. It contains a little too much sugar to eat on a regular basis, but it is a great summer treat. Here is there website. You can pick it up at Whole Foods or King Soopers.

4. Fresh Fruit
You can't go wrong with fresh fruit during the summer. Check out the Highlands Ranch farmers market for watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydew melons this summer. Great snack after a night of grilling.

Hope this gives you some good ideas to keep you and your family happy and healthy this summer. If you have other healthy treats, we would love to hear about them and share them on our facebook page.

Yours in Great Health & Wellness,

Dr. Nick Caras

Premier Chiropractic & Natural Medicine
(303) 346-4949