Peaches are a delicious and tasty summertime staple meant to be enjoyed mixed in a cobbler or pie and served under ice cream. But strip away the ice cream and these juicy gems are packed with amazing health benefits.

Homer called pears "gifts of the gods," and when it comes to health benefits, this isn't far from the truth.

A little goes a long way when it comes to fennel, but that little packs a powerful punch when it comes to health benefits.

Bruce Lee was ahead of his time when it came to believing in and concocting health drinks. In the spirit of Bruce Lee Week, here are a couple of smoothie recipes you're sure to shout "Hi-ya" for.

The Banana Suit

Ingredients: (Serves 1)

1 banana cut into rounds
1 cup skim milk
2 Tbl peanut butter
4 Tbl whey protein
1 Tbl honey
8 cubes of ice

Directions:

1. Blend until smooth.

The Frozen Berry Concoction

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cups of a mixture of frozen peaches and raspberries
2 1/2 Tbl whey protein

Directions:

1. Puree yogurt with fruit juice in a blender until smooth.
2. Add fruit and continue to puree until smooth.

Peachy Melon

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

2-3 cups watermelon (seeded)
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup peaches

Directions:

1. Blend until smooth

The PB & J

Ingredients: (Serves 1)

2 Tbl peanut butter
1 apple, core removed and coarsely chopped (not the core, the apple)
1/2 cup grapes
2 Tbl agave nectar
1 cup of water
8 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Put the water, apple, grapes, peanut butter, and agave nectar into a blender in that order.
2. Blend.
3. Add ice and blend again until smooth.

Avocado - Banana

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 bananas
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbl freshly grated ginger
1 lime squeezed
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Combine the avocado, orange juice, bananas, yogurt and sugar in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Add the ginger and blend until well combined
3. Mix in the lime juice and salt.
4. Serve immediately.

We typically think of picnics when celebrating the 4th of July, but did you know that July is National Picnic Month? That's right. For the entire month of July we encourage you to take time out of your normal routine for a good old-fashioned picnic.

To help boost the health benefits of your picnics, here are a few recipes for you to try throughout the month.

1. Light and Fresh Potato Salad

This potato salad cuts out the fattening mayo and replaces it with a light vinaigrette, and it also packs in antioxidant-rich tomatoes and bell peppers.

Ingredients: Canola oil, seasoned rice vinegar, red potatoes, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, orange bell pepper, green onions, ripe olives

2. Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps

Take advantage of summer's fresh vegetables and the health benefits of garlic by grilling by preparing these delicious wraps to take along on your picnic.

Ingredients:

• 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices red onion $
  
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered $
  
  
• 1 (12-ounce) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices $
  
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
  
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  
• 1 (8-ounce) container plain hummus
  
  
• 4 (1.9-ounce) whole-grain flatbreads (such as Flatout Light)
  
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparations:

1. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush onion, bell pepper, and eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and bell pepper to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Remove from pan. Add eggplant to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Remove from pan; coarsely chop vegetables. Combine vegetables, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, and salt; toss to combine.

2. Spread hummus over each flatbread, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Divide vegetables over each flatbread; top each serving with cheese.

3. Roll up wraps, and cut diagonally in half.

3. Jicama and Watermelon Salad

This delicious and refreshing combo will keep everyone around the picnic basket coming back for more. Guaranteed.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
  
  
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
  
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
  
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
  
• Kosher salt
  
  
• 1 jicama, cut into matchstick pieces
  
  
• 4 cups watermelon in 2-inch chunks
  
  
• 1/3 cup roughly torn fresh mint leaves
  
  

Preparations

Whisk together juices, honey, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the jicama, watermelon and mint and toss to coat.
 

4. Tortilla Pinwheels

Pinwheels are a quick and easy way to pack a protein punch into your picnic basket.

Ingredients

• Flour tortillas
  
  
• Cream cheese, softened (or substitute other cheese)
  
  
• Kale
  
  
• Ham, thinly sliced (or substitute turkey)
  
  
• Choice of veggies
  
  

Preparations

Spread cheese evenly over each one of the tortillas.  Top with meat, followed by the kale and other veggies.  Tightly roll up and slice into rounds

5. Fruit Kabobs

Create a sweet and healthy twist on traditional kabobs by cutting up a variety of fresh fruit, such as pineapple, apples, peaches, strawberries and bananas.

Keep the chunks around cubic inch or less in size, and stack them on skewers, alternating among the different types of fruit as you go.

To give the kabobs an extra kick, before you head out, heat up some dark chocolate to dip in. This technique works best on warmer days.

Food Safety

When deciding what to pack in your picnic baskets you must consider food safety. Some foods spoil quicker than others, so whatever food options you bring, be sure you're practicing safe handling and storing procedures. To learn more about food safety visit foodsafety.gov.

Garlic is an herb widely associated with cooking, but it also has been used as a medicine throughout ancient and modern history to prevent and treat a wide range of conditions and diseases.

Research shows that garlic can help improve your blood system and heart to help ward off hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, heart attacks, coronary heart disease and hypertension.

Garlic is also used to help prevent a variety of cancers including lung, prostate, breast, stomach, and colon.

A healthy dose of garlic in the diet can help fight off osteoarthritis, and it can act as a natural antibiotic.

How much is enough?

To receive the health benefits of garlic an adult should eat at least two medium-sized cloves per day. If you think two cloves sounds like a lot, keep in mind that in countries like Italy, Korea and China, consumption is as high as eight to 12 cloves per day.

While two cloves of garlic might sound like a lot, it's actually quite easy to increase your consumption to five or more cloves a day simply by using garlic every time you cook.

You can also make a habit of eating more garlic-based dishes like hummus or take supplements. Talk to me on your next visit about your options.

Get the most from garlic

Many people make the mistake of immediately cooking garlic after crushng or chopping it. To get the most out of garlic it's best to crush it at room temperature and let it sit for about 15 mintes. Letting it sit will trigger an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds.

Battling bad breath

Although garlic can cause indigestion for some, for many the bigger concern is that it can make your breath and sweat smell like…garlic. While individual reactions to garlic vary, eating fennel seeds can help to neutralize the smell.

Add in garlic

Make garlic a more permanent staple on your dinner plate this month and hopefully you'll continue the habit throughout the year. It's a natural and savory way to boost your health, and it can be the perfect way to spice up any meal.