Summer Wellness Hacks
Enjoy a summer of good health with The Happy Pear…aka Irish chefs, Dave and Steve Flynn.Here are their top tips designed to improve health without faddy diets, food restrictions or strict regimes and get the most out of the season of sunshine!
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With the start of summer just about here, warmer and long days bring with them the opportunity to reawaken your energy – physically, mentally, and emotionally. At The Happy Pear, we don’t see the summer as a time for restriction or pressure (no bikini diets here) but instead we focus on renewal, play and lightness.
Here are 10 fresh and joyful ways to get summer ready from the inside out
1. Grow something – even on a windowsill!
It’s not too late to get out in the garden and grow something. Try planting herbs like basil, mint, or parsley on your windowsill – or take a few beans like chickpeas or whole lentils and start sprouting your own. Watching something grow (especially if you eat it!) is grounding, joyful and naturally mindful
2. Go foraging: make nettle tea or soup
Nettles are one of nature’s superfoods and are abundant all through the summer. Pick them (wear gloves!), steep them into tea or add them to potato and leek soup. Nettles are rich in iron, calcium and minerals – and foraging reconnects you with local food, nature and old traditions.
The summer brings its own colour palette – radishes, strawberries, raspberries, peppers, courgette and a whole range of beans. Make it a game: how many colours can you eat today? Your gut (and microbiome) will love the diversity, and so will your tastebuds.
3. Catch a sunrise and listen to the dawn chorus
Get up early one morning and head out for sunrise. Spring birdsong – the dawn chorus – is one of the most uplifting natural concerts there is. Add a flask of tea and a friend and you’ve got a life-affirming morning with zero cost!
4. Eat the rainbow
The summer brings its own colour palette – radishes, strawberries, raspberries, peppers, courgette and a whole range of beans. Make it a game: how many colours can you eat today? Your gut (and microbiome) will love the diversity, and so will your tastebuds.
5. Go barefoot for 10 minutes a day
Sounds odd, but studies show that ‘earthing’ – standing or walking barefoot on grass or sand – can reduce stress and inflammation. Try it in the garden or at the beach. Just 5-10 minutes can help you feel grounded and recharged.
6. Get outside (not just for your steps!)
We’ve all heard “get your steps in”, but summer is a chance to do it differently. Swap the treadmill for a forest path. Trade headphones for birdsong. Exposure to natural light and green spaces has been linked to improved gut health, immunity and mood.
7. Declutter your snack cupboard
The summer — with all its fresh ingredients — is the perfect time to ditch the ultra-processed, beige snacks and stock your cupboards with colourful, whole food goodies. Think fresh fruit, nuts, roasted chickpeas, hummus, dark chocolate. Keep them visible and you’ll be more likely to eat them.
8. Cook with a friend (or a child!)
Cooking doesn’t need to be solo or stressful. Invite a friend over and make a big pot of lentil stew, or let the kids join in and make a mess with pizzas. Food should be joyful, and shared.
9. Unplug for an evening a week
Try one tech-free evening a week. No phones, no scrolling, no screens. Cook, chat, walk, read, or just be. Spring is a reminder that life happens outside the feed – it’s blooming, buzzing and real.
10. Pick one new weekly ritual
Whether it’s a Sunday sea swim, a Saturday market visit, or Friday evening soup-making, pick one new weekly ritual that brings joy, nourishment and connection. Rituals anchor us and help us stay healthy without needing ‘willpower’.
Final thoughts
Health doesn’t have to mean being strict or ‘on track’. The summer is the season of possibility and pleasure, and sometimes a mug of nettle tea in the garden is more powerful than any supplement. Here’s to a lighter, brighter season!
At The Happy Pear, aka Irish chefs, Dave and Steve Flynn, the goal is simple:
helping you eat more plants, feel better and reconnect with the joy of food
and living. For delicious summer-friendly recipe ideas, cookbooks and
courses visit: thehappypear.ie
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
