Making the most of summer fruits while you can

One of the pleasures of summer is the amount of summer fruits on the shelves. These "nutrition powerhouses" have few calories, almost no fat and are full of vitamins, phytonutrients and fiber, which helps to lower cholesterol and keeps the digestive tract running smoothly.

Filling up on plant-based foods during the summer is a great way to cut down on fat and calories and to detoxify your body. Adding fruits to your life can be easier than you may think: begin by adding bananas or fresh berries to cereals at breakfast and wash it down with a glass of 100% fruit juice with no added sugar or sweeteners. Next you can add a fruit bowl to the dinner table to encourage healthy snacking to be eaten at the start of the meal if you do not want to incur in bloating and belching.

Here are some tips that can fit anyone's hectic lifestyle:

• Aim for two to four servings of fruit a day. A serving is considered to be an apple, a peach, a pear, a banana, an orange, 1/3 cantaloupe, 15 small grapes, 8 medium strawberries, ¾ cup blueberries or one cup fruit cut up in large chunks


• Let fruit always ripen at room temperature, wash well before eating and discard any bruised or moldy fruit


• Refrigerate fruit salads until served and add a bit of lemon juice to stop it from turning dark


• This summer, add a variety of summer fruits to your daily routine

Remember: a healthy lifestyle begins with a healthy body. Don't leave your health to chance, do something active to gain health and write to me for any questions you might have.