Seasons Series: Summer
Feeling good in the heat of summer: Daria Ventura
The Seasons Series is my ode to the WSJ Magazine interview cover story. The potent questions illuminate what’s important for the celebrity du jour. For me, interviewing those who inspire me is the collaboration I love sharing.
Daria Ventura, a fellow Bucknell alumnus, east coaster and wellness aficionado from Larchmont, NY. She has two boys who are always on the go and a husband who splits parenting duties while commuting and traveling for work. We spoke the week before she took a girls’ trip with her sister and Mom. It’s an annual reset for them before the height of summer kicks in.
Daria and I met in college and have been lucky enough to be able to stay connected over the years. We most recently roomed together at a girls’ weekend in Philadelphia where we shared our recent life shifts, physical pain and my surgical recovery.
She has worked as a registered dietitian for years and now specializes in working with women in midlife, focusing on the complex and often frustrating challenges of perimenopause and menopause.
What strikes me about Daria is her deep love of learning and her incredible drive to share what she learns in a way that educates, supports, and genuinely helps others.
Find Daria here:
Website: | Instagram: | LinkedIn
“My goal is to help women feel empowered, not overwhelmed—and to create routines that actually support the vibrant, grounded life they want.”
Lynn: What do you love most about summer? And what challenges does the season bring?
Daria:
Summer brings a lightness.. The longer days seem to naturally encourage more movement, more connection, and a renewed energy—not just for me, but for many of my clients as well. It’s a wonderful season to reengage with your body and reset your daily routines.
That said, summer isn’t all ease and sunshine. The shift away from structure can leave people feeling scattered, especially women who are balancing work, kids, and caregiving responsibilities. There’s often this pressure to say yes to every invitation—BBQs, travel, late nights—which can be joyful, but also exhausting. Without some kind of grounding rhythm, it’s easy to lose sight of your own needs.
You’ve worked in nutrition for years and lived with your own challenges with chronic pain—how does seasonality show up in the body?
Daria: Our bodies are deeply influenced by the seasons, even if we’re not always conscious of it. You can see it clearly in the way our food preferences shift—from heavier, warming meals in the winter to lighter, more vibrant foods in the summer. That’s not just a cultural pattern; it’s biological.
We’re seasonal beings, and tuning into that rhythm can be powerful for our health. Summer, in particular, is a great time to observe how food makes you feel—your energy levels after a meal, your digestion, your mood. With longer days and a bit more flexibility, many people start to notice how small nutritional changes can make a big difference.
As someone who’s navigated chronic pain and worked in nutrition for years, I’ve learned how important it is to revisit the basics with the change of each season. Even something as simple as checking in on hydration—how much water you're drinking, how you're replenishing electrolytes—can uncover subtle imbalances that are easy to miss in the busyness of daily life.
How do you personally find time for self-care in the busy summer months?
Daria:
For me, summer self-care starts with intention. I time-block what I need each day—including weekends—so that movement, connection, and downtime don’t get pushed aside. That might look like an early morning walk with a friend, a bike ride, or simply spending time outside before the day gets busy. Routine helps me stay grounded, even when life feels more fluid in the summer.
Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate.
What matters most is having a plan. Summer’s longer days can easily fill up with other people’s needs and spontaneous plans. If you don’t carve out space for yourself, it tends to disappear. Being deliberate about your time—no matter how small the window—makes all the difference in how you feel.
You’ve been pivoting professionally with a specific perimenopause/menopause focus—what helped you sense the season you were entering?
Daria:
Like many women, I started noticing more conversations about perimenopause/menopause—friends, clients, and even my own body were signaling that something was shifting. There were changes in energy, sleep, focus, mood, and body composition. And I realized: this is the season I’m in, and it’s where I can offer the most support.
Personally, I juggle work, parenting two active teens, managing a household, and all the moving pieces of midlife. At the same time, I’ve been navigating the often-debilitating symptoms of perimenopause: brain fog, disrupted sleep, and noticeable shifts in how my body responds to routines that once worked well.
Professionally, I felt called to pivot and focus more deeply on this life stage because so many women feel unprepared and overwhelmed. Our modern environment—packed schedules, environmental toxins, stress, ultra-processed foods—isn’t designed to support hormonal health. Everything from what we put on our skin to what we store our food in can have a ripple effect on how we feel.
It became clear that I needed to adapt—rethink my workouts, manage stress more intentionally, and deepen my understanding of the hormonal shifts happening beneath the surface. That awareness has shaped not only how I care for myself, but also how I support other women in this season of life.
This stage of life is powerful, but it requires a different toolkit. That realization helped me align my work more closely with my lived experience and what my clients truly need.
In Summer, do you find clients feeling upset that they haven’t followed through on their 2025 goals? Although the sun is out longer, it can feel like a time to beat ourselves up for not feeling great.
Daria:
Around mid-year, it’s normal for people to feel a little defeated—especially when they realize they haven’t followed through on their 2025 goals. And while summer brings longer days and more opportunities, it can also be a time when people feel off, physically and emotionally. That’s why I encourage clients to move away from rigid goal-setting and instead focus on intentions. How do you want to feel in your body? What do you want to be able to do, enjoy, wear, or participate in with ease and confidence?
My approach is rooted not just in nutrition, but in all the pillars of a healthy lifestyle: nutrition, sleep, stress, exercise, hydration, self-care, and intentional living. We always begin with your why—that’s the compass that keeps everything grounded and meaningful.
From there, I focus on digestion and hydration, which are often overlooked but foundational. If your body isn't absorbing nutrients properly, even the best nutrition plan won’t work. Then we layer in the core elements of better nutrition—food quality, quantity, timing, nutrient balance, and your hunger/fullness cues.
This work is highly personalized. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, especially in midlife when every woman’s needs, goals, and challenges are unique. Let’s talk about boundaries. What helps you hold them in seasons like this?
Daria:
Boundaries only work when you have a plan. That’s why I love Melissa Urban’s work on this topic. (listen to her explain boundaries on We Can Do Hard Things). Melissa reminds us that boundaries aren’t about restriction; they’re about protecting what matters most.
Summer can be especially tricky. It’s easy to overbook, overeat, overdrink, and suddenly feel completely out of rhythm. That’s why I always recommend a simple weekly plan. I look ahead and ask: Where can I protect my sleep? Do I need to say no to one dinner out? Can I leave early or drive separately so I can get home and reset? Even five minutes of intention-setting on a Sunday can dramatically shift how the week unfolds.
At the same time, summer should feel joyful and light. Knowing when the big celebrations are happening or when your favorite guests are visiting can actually help you plan around the fun—so you don’t end up depleted.
Boundaries aren’t about saying no to everything; they’re about making space for the things that really matter.
I ask everyone in the Summer Series–What’s one high-cost wellness practice you love—and one low-cost must-have?
Daria:
Right now, I have three higher-cost wellness investments that I absolutely love—and they each serve a different purpose.
Corrective exercise work - My kinesiologist / exercise physiologist has been a game-changer. We’re focusing on refining my movement patterns for the long haul. Movement is not just about burning calories—it’s about longevity
Personal training- Strength coaching gives me structure and helps me feel confident. Every session is a reminder that strength is not just physical—it’s mental and emotional, too.
Massage -is my go-to for releasing tension and stuck energy. It resets my nervous system and supports recovery in a really powerful way.
On the low-cost side? Tea is my must-have. It may sound simple, but it’s a daily ritual. Whether it’s green, herbal, or fruity and iced in the summer, tea supports my digestive health and keeps my immune system strong, and creates a moment of care and calm. Plus, it’s fun to choose flavors that match the season or your mood.
What’s one trendy food or wellness tool that’s actually worth it?
Daria:
Polyphenols. These powerful antioxidants are found in foods like berries, leafy greens, and dark chocolate. They play a crucial role in fighting inflammation, which is at the root of many modern health issues, from chronic pain to heart disease.
Polyphenols is that they help bring the body back into balance—naturally, through our food. In summer, we have an abundance of polyphenol-rich options available, which makes it easy to incorporate them into our meals.
Final thoughts—how are you seeing this summer season of the year differently?
Daria:
This summer, I’m seeing the season as an ideal opportunity to reset—especially when it comes to gut health. Warmer months bring an abundance of fiber-rich, antioxidant-packed fruits and vegetables that naturally support digestion and help feed a healthy microbiome.
Many of these foods—like cucumbers, berries, melons, tomatoes, and leafy greens—are also incredibly hydrating, which is essential for optimal gut motility and regularity.
Summer also encourages slower mornings, more time outdoors, and lighter meals, all of which help bring the body back into rhythm. Our gut loves consistency and calm—meals eaten in a relaxed state, time to rest and digest, and a break from the heavier, comfort foods of winter.
We don’t need to overhaul everything—just become more intentional. Summer makes it easier to lean into nature’s cues, and that alone can be incredibly healing for digestion and overall health.