The time has finally come...BIKINI TIME! The dreaded season when women shed their clothing and prance around in less than their underwear for all to see! No matter how fit or slim you are, every self conscious thought pops into your head, especially those first few days of display when you awkwardly let winters many layers drift to your bedroom floor. Generally, by the end of the season you could care less about prancing around in your bathing suit its just those first few weeks that take you down that psychological journey in which you consider your abdominal muscles, question your glutes and generally start thinking about your diet.

Gone are the moments of, well its winter: one more serving won't hurt and I shoveled today so 3 pieces of pizza is acceptable and in strolls salad galore. Lucky for us, bikini season corresponds with fresh veggie season and suddenly we say hello to arugula, zucchini, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes that taste like tomatoes and more.

As you know, alkaline eating is all about moderation with a heavy dose of vegetable power and I try my hardest to keep that philosophy running strong through the many endless months of cold weather but even I start leaning more towards the naughty side of eating as winter drags on. So what can you do now that summer has shown, your bathing suit is staring you down and you've spent the last three weeks telling yourself that tomorrow you will get back on the bandwagon?

Spend a little time eating raw! Raw food, mainly fruits and vegetable is the quickest and healthiest way to alkalinize, feel lighter and look great. Spending one week drinking fresh juices or smoothies, sticking to easily digestible veggies and eliminating carbs and dairy will have you feeling like strutting your stuff in that bikini. It will also cleanse your body of those bad cravings and force you to get creative in the kitchen.

Eating raw foods doesn't mean chomping on carrot sticks all day, although they are a great snack, instead it forces you to focus on flavor combinations and super fresh delicious produce. This dish does just that, it combines some great spicy arugula, zuccini noodles, salty kalamata olives, garlic, lemon, and juicy tomatoes to create a refreshingly satisfying meal that can be made in 15 minutes. Give it a try!

Raw Zucchini Noodles with Olive, Garlic and Lemon Tapenade

Makes 2 servings

2 Zucchini, spiralized into noodles

1 handful of Arugula

2 Tomato, chopped

1/2 cup Kalamata Olives

2 Garlic Cloves

1/2 cup Walnuts

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1 tso Dried Basil

1tsp Dried Oregano

1tsp Dried Parsley

To make the tapenade, combine the olives, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until well blended, adding more olive oil if needed. Place the arugula, zucchini noodles and tomatoes into a large bowl, add the tapenade and stir to combine. Divide between two plates and enjoy!