This week we'll explore decadent fresh figs and how to make a grilled "pizza" using a summer squash. We'll also delve into this week's full moon and lunar eclipse, plus a very simple (and free!) transformative change we can make to enhance our overall wellness.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: FRESH FIGS

One of the greatest treats of late summer and early fall is figs. Although many people are familiar with dried figs, fresh figs are less common and feel much more special. I wait all year for these jewel-toned, succulent gems.

If you want to try fresh figs, keep an eye out for them at your local farmers' market (depending on where you live). Trader Joe's also has them this time of year, as do some artisan grocery stores. There are many different varieties, so don't be surprised if you see large light purple figs, smaller deep purple figs, or bright green figs. Note that figs do not continue to ripen once they're picked, so choose ones that are soft to the touch (but not mushy).

Figs are a delightful treat on their own, but they're also fabulous in recipes. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them:

• In a salad. Slice them thinly and add them on top of the salad after tossing, like in this Fig, Avocado, and Pomegranate Salad.
• As a garnish. Almost any dish can be improved with a few figs. You can see them on top of this Turmeric Hummus, decorating this Wild Rice Stuffed Delicata Squash, and even in this Holiday Guacamole.
• In a drink. Figs are a surprisingly great ingredient for cocktails, mocktails, or lattes, either muddled or made into a simple syrup. Check out this Honey Fig Gin & Tonic or this Honey Fig Matcha Latte if you want inspiration.

Try This Week: PATTY PAN SQUASH "PIZZA"

Recently I've been obsessed with grilling pizzas (but not real pizzas, these are squash "pizzas"!).

If you've never seen patty pan squash before, it's a variety of summer squash with a very unique shape (they always remind me of the ghosts in the old PacMan arcade game!). They're very pretty and have a taste similar to zucchini. They work great as "pizzas" because of their interesting shape and large surface area.

Want to give it a try? First, slice the patty pan through its equator, creating two symmetrical halves. Next, trim the top and bottom as needed so that the two halves are the same thickness (aim for about an inch thick). Season them generously, then grill both sides until lightly charred. Remove the "pizza crusts" from the grill, top them however you like, and return them to the grill facing upward to cook the toppings.

Cute, right? Best of all, this "pizza crust" is actually a nourishing veggie, is friendly for most diets, and requires almost no preparation and zero rising time.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World: THE STURGEON MOON

On Friday (August 28), keep an eye out for the full moon. August's full moon is traditionally called the "Sturgeon Moon", apparently named after the lake fish that were an important summer food source for Indigenous peoples around the Great Lakes

Want to view the Sturgeon Moon in all its glory? Its peak fullness will occur just after midnight on Friday morning, so your best views will be on Thursday evening as it rises and on Friday morning as it sets.

Interestingly, this month's full moon also features a partial lunar eclipse on Thursday night into Friday morning (August 27-28). This occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting our shadow onto the moon. The eclipse will last for about five hours, with 96% coverage of the moon at peak. If you're interested in checking out the eclipse, this article from Space.com has specific viewing tips and times based on your location.

A Podcast to Explore: THE SIMPLEST, CHEAPEST WELLNESS STRATEGY

Did you know that almost every cell in your body has its own circadian clock? I was amazed to hear this in an episode of the Functional Fueling podcast. This is actually an older episode (#74, July 24 of 2024), but I had saved it to listen to again because it was so interesting. It's all about our body's rhythm and its relationship to daily schedule and light exposure.

One of my take-homes from this episode is the benefit of keeping to a daily routine. It's incredibly important for our bodies, minds, and hormones, for a lot of different reasons. This means waking up at the same time each day, eating at approximately the same times, and maintaining a consistent bedtime. Everything from our digestion to our sleep to our hormones to our moods functions more smoothly if we establish and maintain a routine.

Another big take-home: the importance of eating dinner earlier and not making dinner your biggest meal. If you eat a large meal late in the evening, it may interfere with your body's normal melatonin production, which is the hormone that helps us relax and sleep. Insufficient melatonin production can cause lower-quality sleep, which can carry over into tiredness and altered hormone function the next day. Additionally, if you eat late, your digestive system is already winding down for the day by the time you inundate it with fuel; this can yield less effective digestion overall.

The good news? This is a simple thing we can all work on. There are no fancy tests to run, no expensive supplements, no complicated workouts. In fact, this is a completely free solution that requires no extra time investment. Now THAT is an empowering thought!

Thanks for joining me for this issue of Eat Colorfully, Live Colorfully! I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to reply with questions, thoughts, or requests. If you missed a previous issue, you can view all my newsletters here. Have a great week!