Radiant Summer Recipes To Glow From Within: Gut-Friendly & Antioxidant-Rich

Summer is the perfect time to try new recipes. Here in Florence, I’ve been loving these four gluten-free, corn-free, and refined-sugar-free dishes that are keeping me cool, refreshed, and fueled through the long, hot days.

The theme of summer food? Simplicity. These recipes are so easy yet so delicious. Made with a rainbow of wholesome ingredients, they taste like sunshine in every bite. 

Refreshing Watermelon Basil Salad

Sweet, cooling, Mediterranean-inspired

My crisp, hydrating Watermelon Basil Summer Salad combines bite-sized watermelon cubes with Mediterranean diet staples. The basil, feta cheese, and Shayna’s Kitchen Certified Organic Ancient Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil will transport you to the sunkissed olive groves, lush fields, and warm breeze of the Italian countryside. Seasonal eating is a core Italian tradition—and what better way to enjoy this fruit at the peak of its season? 

When it comes to buying olive oil, look for organic, extra virgin, high polyphenol, and single estate. 

• Extra virgin is the highest grade of olive oil, extracted by cold pressing olives to preserve the flavors, aromas, and anti-inflammatory polyphenols of the olives. This low-heat, traditional method is crucial. With too much heat processing, olive oil develops a high content of free fatty acids (FFAs), which contributes to rancidity, nutrient degradation, and flavor loss. Keeping temperatures below 27 degrees Celsius ensures that the olive oil does not develop a high FFA content. 
• Polyphenols are bioactive compounds that benefit your brain, heart, blood vessels, gut, and mood, and can help with cholesterol management, weight management, and cancer prevention. The high polyphenol count of my olive oil comes from the deep roots of my centuries-old wild olive trees in the nutrient-rich soil of my Umbrian farm.
• Did you know that reportedly 80% of olive oils in America are fake? These low-quality oils, which are often adulterated (diluted with cheaper oils), should be avoided as they can actually cause rather than reduce inflammation. There is also industry-wide mislabeling about sourcing. Mass-produced olive oil bottles that appear to be single origin might actually be mixtures of olives from different farms and even different countries, with varying quality standards and degrees of freshness. Shayna’s Kitchen olive oil is proudly single estate. Every olive comes from my very own farm in the green heart of Italy, a country with strict olive oil regulations.  

Tuscan Herb Bean Dip

Bright, garden-fresh, fiber- & plant-protein-rich

My Tuscan Bean Summer Dip pairs wonderfully with crunchy cucumbers, carrots, and celery as a gut-friendly snack in the afternoon or an appetizer for dinner guests. The beans are a great source of protein. Fresh dill, parsley, and basil with garlic, salt, and pepper make for a balanced, invigorating blend of herby, savory flavors. 

This dip features the ingredients of my viral Morning Gut Shot: olive oil and lemon!

• Extra virgin olive oil is linked to a lower risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. It contains oleocanthal, polyphenols, chlorophyll, vitamin E, squalene, lutein, and beta-carotene, which help neutralize free radicals and mitigate oxidative stress, protecting your DNA.
• Lemon juice has an alkalizing effect on your gut, which can help soothe gut irritation, balance the pH of your microbiome, and support beneficial bacteria and digestive enzyme function. Vitamin C, an essential nutrient and powerful antioxidant, helps to strengthen immunity, support collagen production, and prevent chronic disease.

Vegan Raw Gazpacho

Cooling, detoxifying, vitamin-packed

Gazpacho is traditionally a Spanish cold soup that feels like a chilled drink. My Vegan Raw Summer Gazpacho gives you the comfort and heartiness of a traditional soup, but lighter and better suited for the sweltering heat. 

It’s packed with vibrant green goodness from broccoli, spinach, zucchinis, basil, dill, and mint, and filled with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K.

• Dietary fiber is essential to gut health but it is sorely lacking in the refined and highly processed Standard American Diet. Gut inflammation specialist and co-creator of my Inner Alchemy Gut Health Masterclass Dr. Daryl Gioffre reports that the average American has 5-15 lbs of impacted fecal matter. Eating a diet that is too low in fiber can lead to constipation, gut dysbiosis, leaky gut, blood sugar spikes, and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Green vegetable soups are a great way to add more phytonutrients into your diet. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli contain sulforaphane, which activates the body’s production of glutathione, an antioxidant that protects gut cells, strengthens the gut lining, and reduces inflammation.
• Dark greens are excellent sources of vitamins A, C, and K, with spinach in particular being a great source of lutein for eye health. Eating vegetables raw gives you the maximum amount of their nutrients. Bonus tip: sauté in olive oil if you prefer your greens cooked. Olive oil can help your body better absorb vitamins A & K and lutein from the spinach.

Frothy Whipped Matcha Latte

Creamy, antioxidant-rich, invigorating 

The global demand for matcha has skyrocketed, and it’s easy to see why it’s become TikTok’s favorite gut-friendly alternative to coffee. It’s a pick-me-up that contains not just caffeine, but also L-theanine—a combination that delivers calmer, clearer, and more focused energy so you can ditch the cortisol spikes and crashes. 

If you love matcha as much as I do, you’ll love my Frothy Whipped Matcha Latte. The secret to the texture? It’s actually a key ingredient in meringue-making! When whisked with a hand mixer, egg whites (or aquafaba for a vegan version) transform into a fluffy foam. 

When buying matcha, look for organic, ceremonial grade, and made in Japan. 

• Ceremonial matcha is an excellent source of anti-inflammatory flavonols and the disease- and cancer-fighting polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Polyphenols help improve heart, brain, and skin health, and regulate weight, LDL cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
• Ceremonial is the highest grade of matcha, made through a meticulous, time-intensive, and cherished process. Tea leaves are shade grown to maximize chlorophyll production and minimize bitterness. In the spring, the youngest leaves are gently harvested, destemmed, deveined, steamed, and dried before they are stone ground to minimize heat exposure to retain nutrients, flavors, and aromas. The result is Shayna’s Kitchen Certified Organic Elevated Morning Ritual Matcha—an exquisite ceremonial grade matcha that’s smooth, subtly sweet, umami, and never bitter.
• Certified organic in both the US & Japan, Shayna’s Kitchen matcha is sourced from one single farm in Uji, Kyoto, Japan. Its single origin is one of the rarest qualities of our matcha, as many products on the market today are actually blends of tea leaves from multiple farms across different regions.

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