Hey Reader!

What are you up to for the 4th of July weekend?

Our little mountain town celebrates the unofficial kick-off to summer with "Shake the Lake," a 5+ hour fireworks boom fest with the sound of explosives reverberating up mountain drainages.

It's a bucket-list experience for tourists while locals console their dogs and hope no wildfires start.

Independence Day can mean different things to people.

About 12 years ago, a client texted me a picture of her scale in the trash with the caption "Today I'm celebrating the freedom from this piece of sh*t ruining my life!"

Summer holidays and backyard BBQs are the perfect opportunities to celebrate freedom from diet culture.

Eat chips with your burger. Enjoy ice cream on a 90-degree day. Wear the bikini unapologetically on the beach.

Practice eating a VARIETY of nutrient-dense AND pleasure-dense foods.

Healthy eating isn't about restricting fun foods to holiday weekends.

It's about including them alongside foods that support your health goals in midlife, such as adequate protein and fiber-rich foods.

We'll get into more details on how to do this in next week's email.

For now, savor the flavors of the holiday weekend! Eat your burger with a bun, chips on the side, a green salad with real dressing, and a big 'ol scoop of your favorite ice cream!

RECIPE

This recipe from Chef Shannon is perfect for any backyard BBQ get-together. It goes great with salmon, halibut, burgers (meat or veg), or grilled chicken. The blend of crunchy, fresh textures with the creamy avocado vinaigrette makes for a satisfying salad that honors cardiovascular and brain health.​
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Vegetable Slaw with Avocado Vinaigrette and Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This versatile slaw is made with pureed avocado instead of mayonnaise, so it’s as healthy as it is flavorful. A mandolin is a very useful tool for slicing cabbage and julienning vegetables for summer salads. ​
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For the vegetable slaw:

1/2 medium green cabbage

6 red radishes

1 crisp-tart apple, such as Granny Smith, sliced into matchsticks on a mandolin

1 1/2 cups snap peas

2 tablespoons chopped herbs such as chives, cilantro, or flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted

Vinaigrette:

1 large avocado

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

1 medium garlic clove

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Peel away any bruised or damaged leaves and quarter the cabbage, leaving the core attached. Holding each piece from the stem end, thinly slice the cabbage and radishes by hand or on a mandolin. (Food processors also have a special blade that is handy for slicing; just remember to remove the cabbage core before processing.)

Slice the apple into matchsticks using the julienne blade on a mandolin or grate it using a box grater. Stem and thinly slice snap peas crosswise at a 45° angle. Add ingredients to a large bowl and add herbs and pepitas, then set aside.

In a blender, combine vinaigrette ingredients and process until smooth. Use small amounts of additional water to thin slightly if the mixture is too thick to puree.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. (The vinaigrette on its own should be very bright and slightly salty to balance with the flavors of the vegetables once it is mixed.)

Toss the vinaigrette with the slaw, taste, and adjust seasoning. For best flavor, allow slaw to sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

What's your favorite summer BBQ food?

Hit reply! Let's celebrate freedom from diet culture together.

Bonus points for sharing your favorite summer recipe 😋

Hope you have a festive and safe 4th of July weekend savoring food and your body!

Amanda

PS: Independence Day can mean different things to people - including freedom from diet culture. Summer holidays and backyard BBQs are the perfect opportunities to celebrate food freedom and joy. Healthy eating isn't about restricting fun foods to holiday weekends. This weekend, practice eating a VARIETY of nutrient-dense AND pleasure-dense foods.