Summer’s fiery heat encourages us to eat lightly, to support the healthy functioning of our active hearts and digestive systems. With Farmer’s Markets in such abundance now, it’s easy to find the right foods for our best health.

Find out which seasonal foods are best for your body in Summer (and which to avoid!):

Fruits: All edible local wild berries–blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, elderberries, chokeberries, logan berries, mulberries, and currants; papaya, mango, pineapple, peach, apricot, and cherries; all melons and apples.

Vegetables: Bitter foods and herbs; hot greens such as mustard, watercress, and collards; stronger greens such as arugula, radicchio, frisee, mizuna, green oak leaf lettuce, dandelion leaves, and nasturtium leaves can be combine with milder greens–spinach, chard, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, peas, green beans, sprouted mung beans and lentils and alfalfa; sea vegetables for minerals; eggplant, artichokes, and onion to add variation.

Herbs and seeds: Flax, garlic, ginger, cayenne, ginseng, red clover, sorrel, paprika, nettle, and rosemary.

Grains: Oats, oat bran, corn, quinoa, and brown rice.

Dairy: Goat milk and goat cheese.

Foods to avoid in summer: Foods that put stress on the heart and small intestine in summer include alcohol and drugs, sugar and honey, foods with chemical additives, coffee, chocolate, and ice cream. Avoid overeating, especially meat, cheese and eggs.