Why your Health Depends on Seasonal Eating

Why your health depends on Seasonal eating is because Plants are medicine and they heal our bodies. They gift us with this medicine by abundantly producing sprouts, leaves, fruits, and vegetables all readily available for us to consume and all in sync with the seasons and the rhythm of nature.

Plants are producers, they make their own food using energy and materials from their environment. Humans are consumers, we cannot make our own food from within.

These life producers are here to nourish us in many ways. Take a look at what happens when you make a green smoothie or green juice to start your day. Hemoglobin, a protein found in our red blood cells, carries oxygen from our lungs to the cells of our body. Chlorophyll, a pigment found in plants, produces oxygen. Hemoglobin and chlorophyll are only one molecule away from each other. Hemoglobin is organized around iron while chlorophyll is organized around magnesium and because they are so similar when ingested, chlorophyll helps do the job of hemoglobin.

What does this all mean? Simple, more plants equals more oxygen to our cells. You’re green smoothie or green juice in the morning is allowing you to bathe your cells in fresh, nourishing oxygen. Check out how you can grow your own greens all year round, indoors or out, to keep your cells healthy and nourished.

Plants live in sync with nature, they live by the laws of nature and respect the cycles of the seasons. We should not think we are so special to live outside of these laws of nature ourselves. Our plant friends are here to thrive and help us live in sync with the season and thrive too. Take a look at what the plants are offering us as they grow in sync with the seasons.

Ready to start incorporating Green Smoothies into your morning routine? Just save this pin and begin! Or check out this Simple Green Juice Recipe + Tips

So Why Eat Seasonally?

With year-round availability of nearly any food imaginable, eating seasonally has become a thing of the past. But unfortunately, this increased convenience of one-stop shopping has removed us from the way we are designed to eat! Instead of picking a fruit off a tree, or a vegetable from a vine, we are shopping for round, waxy produce from a pile of identical fruits and vegetables in the refrigerated section. This type of eating, while highly convenient, confuses our bodies, wallets, and the environment! So, what exactly are the benefits of shifting toward more seasonal eating?

It tastes better!
Aside from long-distance transportation, out-of-season crops are harvested early, refrigerated, artificially ripened, and left in bins at the grocery store for days, sometimes weeks. All of these factors, especially the cooling and heating, change the flavor and nutrient content of the produce. It’s not just the experience that makes a trip to the farmer’s market or your personal garden taste better, the freshness and handling actually affect how it tastes! It goes without saying, if it tastes better, we are likely to eat more of it. Yummier fruits and veggies equate to eating more fruits and veggies. You can’t lose there!

It saves you money!
Peak season produce is cheaper for the farmer to grow, store, and distribute, and this leads to lower costs being passed down to the consumer. Say hello to low prices!

It supports your body’s seasonal needs!
Peak produce is closely aligned with our bodies’ nutritional needs. In the heat of summer, we are most in need of hydration and cooler foods, such as berries and cucumbers. Conversely, winter offers citrus fruits packed with Vitamin C to boost immune function and equip us against getting sick. During the Spring, leafy greens are abundant to aid in detoxification from the bulk season of heavier foods. Do you see the trend here? Our bodies are aware of their needs, but it is our responsibility to answer those needs. Eating seasonally does just that!

Depending on your geographic location, different fruits and vegetables are available to you throughout the year, and deciphering between in-season produce and those that have traveled from thousands of miles away is easier than you may think.

Try some of these tips to figure out what’s in season in your area:
-Watch for produce sales!
-Shop farmer’s markets
-Speak to local farmers
-Join a CSA
-Visit restaurants that serve seasonal foods
-Check to see if produce price tags or stickers indicate the region

Are you the type of person who hates veggies like my friend Griffin?

I remember when I first met Griffin, (G-dog) in college. His idea of getting in veggies was to add lettuce and tomato to his double cheeseburger at Carl’s Junior. I was shocked the kid never ate veggies, never a side salad, or veggie sticks with hummus or ranch. I was flabbergasted! Luckily, if you find yourself like G-dog, avoiding nature’s plants, you can now get your 7-13 servings of fruits and veggies in by making one simple change!

Seasonal Eating for Fall

Fall is the season of Vata, (according to the science of Ayurveda) bringing the elements of dry, light, cold and mobile into play. At this time if the seed is a root vegetable the energy starts to move downwards back into the moist, heavy and dense earth producing our plant meals.

Root vegetables thrive in the dirt so they hold those qualities of dense, heavy, moist and grounding. In this Vata time of year, taking in foods that hold the qualities of heavy, dense, moist and grounding will help us keep our heads, feet and (bowel movements) where (and when) they should be.

Check out this PDF for Foods to Eat during the Fall to balance Vata during this time of year (if you are in the northern hemisphere)

Lastly, here are some great resources to help you on your path to seasonal eating:

– See the Fall Guide According to Ayurveda

-See what is in season near you: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org

– Search local farms and restaurants that subscribe to seasonal produce:https://www.eatwellguide.org/