4 Foods to Help You Thrive This Summer

Nicole is our summer intern and an incoming nursing student at Johns Hopkins University. She graduated in 2017 with a bachelors in Sociology and a minor in Nutrition from Cornell University. She is passionate about public health, patient autonomy and using nutrition to manage autoimmune symptoms.

We know that digestive health is an important part of managing many chronic conditions. In fact, more than half of our users track symptoms and behaviors related to their diet! Here at Folia, our team has been loving this summer weather and all the fun that accompanies these warmer months. And if you’re managing a chronic condition, there’s no reason you can’t either.

From a nutritional standpoint, it can be important to incorporate quality fats and fiber into your diet to maintain a healthy body weight and a strong immune system. Fats help provide our bodies with sufficient calories and assist in transporting vitamin A, D, E and K through the bloodstream. Fiber is essential for regulating digestion and balancing blood sugar. With these principles in mind, we’ve brought you four of our favorite foods to help you feel your best, so you can be your best.

Avocado

Avocados are classified as a stone fruit and contain all the very best fats. They are extremely nutrient-rich, versatile, and low in sugar. One avocado provides 50% of the daily required intake of vitamin K. Vitamin K plays an important role in maintaining bone health by reducing calcium loss from the body. Additionally, one avocado contains 250 calories, which is great for meeting daily caloric intake goals. Incorporating avocados into your diet is easy. Just throw it on top of a salad, put it in your smoothie, or spread it on toast.

Kale

Kale has become very popular lately and for good reason. This leafy green is a nutrition powerhouse. It contains tons of fiber to help with digestion and plant-based calcium to prevent osteopenia. This veggie is dynamic and can be sautéed, blended in a smoothie, or used in a fresh salad.

Sunflower Seed Butter

Sunflower seed butter is rich, creamy, and a perfect substitute for anyone with a tree nut allergy. Like many nut butters, sunflower butter is full of protein and healthy fat to keep you full. This is a perfect spread for toast or an apple but can also be heated up and drizzled over waffles or pancakes.

Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds are the perfect summer food to add bulk to your smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt. A one ounce serving contains 18% of daily Calcium, 9 grams of fat, and 11 grams of fiber. These little nutrient bombs also contain more omega 3 fatty acids per gram than salmon.

- Nicole Dietz

Source: https://www.cff.org/Life-With-CF/Daily-Life/Fitness-and-Nutrition/Nutrition-and-Your-Digestive-System/