b’vive.

Part 4: Your guide to an intentional summer

I love the sound of the band, the feel of the night summer air, the energy of the crowd. An outdoor summer concert is a key summer moment for me — the highest of the high — and embodies my intention for this summer.

Our annual float trip is another key moment for me, but one that represents the low of summer.

My toxic trait is gluttony.

You see friends, my toxic trait is gluttony and I’m not saying that to be down on myself. It’s a fact (if you believe in the Enneagram). I’m a 7 (If you know the Enneagram you might be laughing or just nodding knowingly).

The thing about being a 7: we want to try all the things. We have a sense of wonder and awe that at our best gives us an appetite for life and adventure. For a less healthy 7, this kind of appetite can feel like never having enough. It can feel like I need more and more and more, which leads to overdoing all kinds of things — particularly over eating and over drinking.

That less healthy behavior tends to come up for me during our annual float trip, and so even though it’s a family favorite with our closest friends, I consider sitting it out every year. I don’t want to keep putting myself in that position. 

And that can’t be right, because living a nutritious and delicious life is about LIVING and living well. Not watching others live safely from the sidelines. 

Feeling summer resistance.

I know I’m not alone in this feeling of resistance to summer. Before my Let Summer Workshop, I asked what people were feeling anxious about leading up to summer, and one of the most common responses was, in essence, “losing control.” 

We feel so in control when we’re in our routines. We know what to expect when we are going about our regularly scheduled program and can plan our meals and workouts and sleep schedules. But summer comes and it can feel like chaos so it seems we have two choices — hold tight to the routine, resist any upset to the schedule OR let it all go.

Leaning in on the love.

I’m reminded of a conversation with my mom when my daughter was going into grade school. It was a season of transition for all of us. My daughter was going through a phase that felt very hard and I was going through my own changes as a first-time mother. I asked my mom what her favorite age for children was and she said something to the effect of “Oh you know, there’s always something to love and something that feels hard.”

Her advice was to lean in on the love, focus on the good part. 

Lean in on the love.

The same can be true for almost anything in life, especially the seasons of life, whether they are real or symbolic. 

So the question is, how do we lean into summer and focus on the love?

First I want to say, emphasis on the lean. 

The literal meaning of lean is: to incline, bend, or rest at an angle, typically without falling.

It describes a physical action or position involving support or tilt.

Imagine leaning over a balcony, your gaze is far forward, far beyond the balcony itself, but your hand is holding on to the railing (unless you’re Vivian in Pretty Woman, then it’s your legs. Plus, you’re looking the wrong way and then the symbolism doesn’t really work so forget I said that. But, I really love that movie). 

To “lean in”  to something means to incline your body or upper torso forward, toward something.

For example: if you lean in during a conversation, it often shows interest, attentiveness, or engagement.

Leaning in is a physical posture that brings us closer to something and an emotional sense of enthusiasm with an anchor. Remember that not falling part.

So, when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle, leaning into summer is not a full-scale cannonball into the deep end of debauchery and chaos. It does not mean throwing out our nourishing schedules and habits. But rather, how do we show up with an open heart while staying grounded with the habits and behaviors that nourish us? 

Here are a few ways to lean into the summer season:

Eat fruits and vegetables in season.

Oh yeah, starting with the most obvious and perhaps also one of the most delightful. This is not just about turning that produce wheel to see what’s in season. This is about trying those new recipes that require the seasonal tomatoes or the herbs in your garden.

This is about taking a trip to the farmer’s market to see what you see. Oh the thrill of “Are the peaches ready yet?”

Many of us are privileged enough to be able to eat whatever we want whenever we want. This is about the thrill of the adventure and the delight in the discovery.

Go cold.

When it’s hot outside, cold dishes are the balance we need.

That means that a pasta side can turn into pasta salad, hot coffee can turn into iced coffee and fresh-baked cookies can turn into ice cream sandwiches.

Enjoy the foods that only make sense when the sun is hot and the air is heavy.

Get outside. 

If you’re like me and live in a climate that changes with the season, this is a great time of year to get outside – especially in the morning after breakfast or in the evening after dinner when we get the added benefits our metabolic health and blood sugar levels.

You may have the opportunity to try an outdoor yoga or bootcamp class.

Dine al fresco and enjoy a taste of the fresh summer air. I love to have my breakfast or coffee outside to enjoy the warm summer air and the lower morning sunlight. My husband loves to grill and on the cooler evenings, we will eat dinner or dessert outside. 

We don’t have a large house, so the outdoor time just makes our living space feel bigger!

Give yourself some grace.

Maybe that outdoor yoga class won’t feel as beneficial as your regular indoor practice. Maybe you don’t have time to do your weights class and take an outdoor walk. 

Do what you can and give your body what it needs today. Remember that there is beauty in the imperfect. I say more about this in the article Embracing Imperfection for Better Health and Nutrition.

Ground into your summer intention. 

Go back to your summer intention and reset your focus.

What was my intention this summer? 

Why did it matter to me?

Have I been anchored in?

If you have not set your summer intention, I invite you get started with my free workshop: Let Summer.

Reimagining a summer moment.

I wanted to write a different story for the float trip this year. So this year, I showed up with what would serve me, including a cooler full of adaptogen drinks and a traveling veggie tray.

We had a great time, and I’m so glad I found a way to relive that summer moment in a way that feels good — mind, body and joy. 

I hope that you can lean into the season in a way that serves you — mind, body and joy. 

Be well, my lovelies. 

Everything is better with our friends beside us. Share my Summer Guide with a friend who is ready for her “Of course I did it” moment.

Margaret Faintich

b’vive