Summer Beauty Part 1: Nourish and Fuel Your Body

The summer, especially here in Texas, can be brutal. High heat, humid days, and lots of outdoor activities can translate into damaged hair, melty makeup, and unhealthy habits if you aren’t careful. I’m going to share how I change up my beauty routine in the hotter months in a mini-series called Summer Beauty! Keep your eyes out for a new post on Thursday for the next few weeks.

Nourish and Fuel Your Body

I believe that what you fuel your body with has a direct impact on how you feel and how you look, so I try to sick to healthy, light foods in the summer. I definitely eat my fair share of ice cream and veggie hot dogs, but incorporating some lighter foods leaves me feeling good.

Green Smoothies

My favorite! These are delicious, absolutely packed with nutrition, and can easily be adapted for your dietary needs. I follow the same basic recipe every time but mix it up with different fruit, protein powder, and healthy fats. For a full meal, add more healthy fats and proteins. For a snack, stick to fruit, liquid, and spinach only. 

·         1 banana

·         1 cup frozen fruit

·         Vanilla almond milk (I eyeball it)

·         Handful of spinach

·         Scoop of protein powder OR coconut oil OR avocado (if making a meal smoothie only)

·         Optional: Sweetener of choice

Iced Tea

I love Tazo’s Passion Tea at Starbucks, and I just recently found out they sell iced tea bags for it at the store! I’ve been drinking it nonstop since. If you've never tried it, what are you waiting for? It tastes just like liquid summer to me. 

Tea is so good for you and each kind has its own health benefits, so make any kind of iced tea you like. If you need somewhere to start, my favorites are green tea, passion tea, and chai. I sweeten mine with stevia to keep it calorie-free, but agave nectar, honey, and sugar all work, too.

Prenatal Vitamins

I used to never take vitamins, but since I am trying to grow my hair out and my nails were in terrible shape, I decided to give some a shot. I bought these vitamins at Target and have loved them! First off, they are gummy vitamins, which means they are easy to take. They are absolutely delicious, too – I’ve caught Colby stealing a couple. Second, they have actually worked for me! Before, I would describe my nails as peely and bendy. They could not grow out long without breaking off since they were so delicate. So not cute. Now, they are much stronger and rarely peel. I’m very pleased with these results, and I highly recommend giving these a try if you have similar needs! Summer activities can be really harsh on your hair and nails, so it's a good time to load up on some extra protection.

Homemade Popsicles

The perfect summer snack! I picked up some popsicle molds at Ikea, but you can buy them online or at your grocery store. I sometimes use the same recipe as my smoothies, minus the spinach, for popsicles and they work fantastically. Another one I like to use is a banana, a spoonful of nutella, and a little bit of vanilla almond milk. They taste like lighter fudgesicles!

Banana Ice Cream

This is probably my favorite trick. By simply freezing a banana then blending it with a small amount of liquid, you can make a frosty dessert that has the same consistency of soft serve ice cream! It’s completely vegan and much healthier than regular ice cream, with a lot less fat. I like to add chocolate chips, cinnamon, cocoa powder, frozen fruit, or peanut butter to jazz it up. Here's a link to a step-by-step recipe. 

That's it for the first installment of my Summer Beauty series! I hope you liked it. The next installment will come next Thursday and I'll be talking about summer hair and makeup

What are your favorite healthy summer foods?