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The long, hot days of summer dont offer much encouragement for cooking in the kitchen over a hot stove. Instead, why not take advantage of the bounty of local seasonal fruits and veggies and cool yourself down with a fresh salad?

Salads are not only quick and simple to make, but with the right ingredients they can also bring you some serious health benefits. Start by choosing organic, locally-grown produce, which is packed with added nutrients and picked after it has ripened naturally. Studies regularly emerge about the hazardous effects of pesticides and herbicides used on commercial crops: cancer risk, inflammation, and reproductive imbalance, among other dangers. Pick food grown close to home: its better for your health, better for the environment, supports your local farmers, and has an unbeatable taste!

One item to note: Eating raw food all the time requires more energy for digestion and tends to put out the digestive fire, so dont forgo the stove altogether. As you will see below, many of these salads require some cooking as well.

1. Classic Beet Salad

Steam beets and slice into a salad of mixed greens and sliced avocado with a handful of pine nuts and walnuts. If you want to bulk up the salad, add crumbled soft tofu or shredded chicken.

What is this salad doing for you? This is an all-in-one anti-aging salad. Beets contain powerful nutrients that help protect against heart disease, birth defects, and cancer, especially colon cancer. The avocado and pine nuts are healthy fats and walnuts have omega-3 fatty acids, which bring heart health benefits.

2. Cooling Cucumber Salad

Thinly slice cucumbers, removing the peel if you prefer, and toss with red onions. Let this sit for 30 minutes, then top with apple cider vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard.

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Dr. Mao’s Wellness Central: Cool Down With Salads This Summer Season