Summer is the best time to get in shape; fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, light and refreshing to add to any meal, surround you. With the fresh produce, many doors open up, with enticing recipes, such as fresh quinoa salads, or grilled watermelon with feta cheese. And the best part of eating all of this fresh food is the numerous health benefits tied to many of the summer’s fruits and vegetables. Add some of these things to your diet, not only because they taste amazing, but also because your body will thank you later, as it reaps many benefits.

• Corn. When I think of summer, I think of barbeques, and then I think of grilled corn. Nothing tastes better than sweet corn on a hot summer day. Corn has two antioxidants that protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging rays, aiding the sunglasses that you should be wearing. The two antioxidants also prevent macular decay, preventing early onset blindness.
• Avocados. I consider avocados a super food. Whether its mashing them and adding them to toast, or baking them with eggs, they are a healthy source of monounsaturated fat. That fat speeds up your metabolism, and gives a quicker feeling of fullness so you tend to eat less when you add them to your meal. They also are packed with so many vitamins and minerals, making your diet much more wholesome and rounded, aiding your health. Honestly, they’re so good for your body, your heart, and your happiness, so just eat them.
• Watermelon. Watermelon is 92% water, so not only does it keep you hydrated when the sun rays burn down, but due to the high water content, you stay full longer, keeping you for overeating. Regarding minerals and specific antioxidants, it contains lycopene, which proteins your skin from damage, especially that of the sun in the summer.
• Blueberries. I love berries; they have the right amount of sweetness and sourness. Fresh ones especially are a special treat, as they contain special antioxidants to avoid muscle fatigue by absorbing free radicals muscles make during exertion. Add them to salads, eat them plain, freeze them in ice cubes, just eat them.
• Oranges. You got to eat them. The circular fruits are rich with potassium, which your body exactly needs as it sweats and sweats throughout the day. Without potassium, your muscles will cramp, and that never ends well. Oranges are 80%, so it will also help in your hydration throughout the hot, summer days.
• Cucumbers. One cup of sliced cucumbers only has 16 calories! Make sure to eat the entire cucumber, as the skin and seeds are super rich in nutrients, more than that of the inner flesh alone. Cucumbers have a phytonutrient, lignin, which is tied to many different anti-cancer benefits by protecting bacteria.
• Bell Peppers. Honestly, I could survive on a bag of red peppers and hummus for a few days. The peppers are packed with vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, and folic acid, and so many more antioxidants, including lycopene, the same that is in watermelon. Each of the colors of peppers all have their separate specific benefits, but overall, green peppers is the top source of luteolin which is tied to be anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antimicrobial effects. Roast the peppers, slice them, and fill them with rice.
• Melons. Cantelopes, honeydew, watermelon, all of them. They are diuretics, and are so good for the stomach, they promote weight loss, and they aid in preventing many common health issues, such as heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure. They also are super juicy and cool to eat in salads, desserts, smoothies and milkshakes.
• Zucchini. Whether you eat it raw, diced, noodled, sliced, or grilled, zucchini is perfect with a zero fat content and zero cholesterol. It also can be made into noodles, and be substituted for pasta, and honestly, the difference is ever so slight. With it containing 35% of your daily-recommended intake of vitamin C, why wouldn’t you eat it?
• Celery and Fennel. I combine them because they both act as diuretics. Celery is perfect to munch on, as it has “negative” calories. That means that your body burns more calories than the celery contains itself, to try and digest its fibers. The diuretics aspect helps you lose and keep off extra water weight, while avoiding dehydration. This happens by stimulating your kidneys to flush your system, also beating bloating.
• Kale. Add kale to any tropical smoothie, and honestly if it didn’t change the color of the smoothie, you can barely tell that it’s been added. Kale is ideal due to its low calorie content, zero fat content, and its high levels of fiber. Lastly, during the summer, it helps digestion due to its fiber content. It is also another super food as it has nutrients to help support healthy skin, hair, and bones, reduce heart disease risks, improve blood super levels in diabetics especially, lowers the risk of cancer, dropping blood pressure levels, and decreasing the risk of developing asthma. Bake some kale and munch of those next time you go digging through your kitchen for potato chips.

Those 11 fruits and veggies I swear by to help me eat clean and stay healthy, especially throughout the summer when they are so readily available and fresh. Try to incorporate them into your diet!