One of the best parts about getting my health coach certification through IIN is the fact that I get to listen to all of these great lectures from amazing health gurus — and then I get to be the guinea pig and try some of these lifestyle recommendations on myself.

One of my favorite lectures so far has been by John Douillard, a leading practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine here in the U.S. After listening to his lecture over and again, I was inspired to pick up his book, The 3-Season Diet. The book does an excellent job of demystifying Ayurvedic principles, and one of the lifestyle recommendations that has really resonated with me so far is to do a better job of eating foods that are in alignment with the seasons. In short, eating locally and seasonally. Which is all the rage here in the Portland restaurants (just try to get Oven and Shaker's famed kale salad off season!) — but not always the case when we're making meals at home.

Why eat with the seasons? I think the book cover says it all: “lose weight, beat food cravings, get fit.” Who doesn't want that?

Beyond that, though, eating with the seasons just makes a lot of sense. It's what your body wants anyway: salads and fruits and veggies in the summer, heartier fare in the fall and winter, cleansing and detoxing foods in the spring. And yet, I often find myself bloated and sluggish from eating barbecue in the summer, and shivering when eating a lot of raw foods in the winter.

So, eating with the seasons. Fortunately, we have a subscription with Minto Island Growers, and get a lovely shipment of locally grown produce every week. It's always exciting to see what will turn up each week, especially if the box includes vegetables I haven't cooked with — or eaten — yet.

I still need to make the weekly grocery run, of course, and when I'm there I make it a point to prioritize seasonal vegetables and fruits instead of always relying on the California strawberries or South American bananas or pre-packaged box of “spring” greens.

Plums and peaches have been on sale in recent weeks, and when I saw them I realized I hadn't had a plum in years. Years! How can that be? I devoured them as a kid and somehow I had ignored them for so long I couldn't even remember the last time I ate one. I suspect I've been avoiding them because they can be a little messy, and because juice tends to run down my wrist when I bite into one. But standing there in front of a tower of beautiful plums, I realized dealing with some juice is hardly a hassle when you consider the appeal of the sweet fruit balanced by the skin's tart kick.

So here's what I did. I bought a whole mess of them and Alonzo and I ate our fill for an after-school snack. Then, I pitted and quartered the rest of them and put them on a little tray so they wouldn't stick together when I put them in the freezer. The next morning, I concocted a delicious smoothie that's perfect for the no-man's-land between summer and fall we're experiencing here in the Northwest. The plums provide that pleasing summer sweetness, the almond milk and almond butter lend a satisfying creaminess, and some ginger and pumpkin pie spice add warmth for our chilly back-to-school mornings. I also throw in some chopped beet — it provides a nice earthiness to balance the sweet, and the color is amazing.

I've fallen in love with plums again, which is unfortunate because they're on their way out. But at least I have some sitting in the freezer so I can enjoy this new smoothie for weeks to come!

How about you? Are you blending up anything seasonal and fun these days?

Gingered Plum Smoothie (serves 2; raw, vegan)

1/2 cup of almond milk, homemade or packaged
1 cup of filtered water
2 tablespoons of hemp seeds (I use Manitoba Harvest; easily found at Whole Foods and other natural food markets)
2 tablespoons of chia seed (easily found at Whole Foods and other natural food markets)
a dollop of raw almond butter, to taste
1 tablespoon Nutiva Naturals Coconut Manna or coconut oil (BTW, you don’t have to melt it first)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, to taste
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger (or a tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger for a spicier version)
1 1/2 cups frozen plum pieces
1/2 cup chopped raw beet (scrubbed and/or peeled)
1/2 cup of ice

Place ingredients into high speed blender, adding ice last. Process until creamy and smooth. Serve immediately or store some in fridge for later. Salud!