Summer is in full swing and as much as I like the warm weather, the humidity can make it tough to do normal activities outside like picking up fruit from the market without ending up in a sweaty mess.

To keep me cool and hydrated, I have coconut water and Gatorade in the fridge.  I try to make sure I have both available during the week to prevent or treat dizzy spells and to hydrate me on those days at the office when I somehow manage to drink only a thermos full of water.

I’ve had the magic bullet for about half a year now and other than an avocado/yogurt/almond milk concoction the day after I bought it, I haven’t used it (Bad! I know, I hate buying things that I really want and then have them collect dust).

I’ve been having fruit smoothies for my weekday breakfast for the past few weeks because I wake up and want something easy, quick and cold. I really like it because it’s fast, easy to make (even when I’m groggy), saves me time and money.

On the morning this whole thing started, I woke up feeling really hot.  I needed to have breakfast and something to cool me down.  A quick look in the fridge and freezer resulted in my first smoothie.   Luckily, I had frozen bananas in the freezer (which took care of the cold and thick factor – no need for yogurt!).  I got into the habit of freezing ripe bananas when I was all crazy about making banana bread (about a year ago).

So far, I’ve done the following combinations.

• Strawberries, blueberries, half a frozen banana and almond milk
• Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and half a frozen banana and almond milk
• Frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries) with half a frozen banana and almond milk
• Strawberries, peach, half an avocado, a drizzle of agave nectar and almond milk

I like the thickness of the avocado in the smoothie because it sort of reminds of a thick milk shake.  I find that it mellows out the flavours of the berries, which is why I added agave to sweeten it.

What do you do to stay cool in the summer?

Any good smoothie ideas? Cold breakfast ideas?