Discover In-Season Foods That Benefit Your Health and Budget

11Discover In-Season Foods That Benefit Your Health and Budget
Discover In-Season Foods That Benefit Your Health and Budget

Eating seasonal foods is a healthier choice. You can eat in season by selecting food that is growing at the same time you’re shopping.

Eating in-season foods is a wise decision that helps you strengthen your health and save money.

Consider these facts about seasonal foods:


1. Eating in season adds variety to your diet.

Eating fresh, in-season foods exposes you to new fruits and vegetables, expanding your repertoire of nutrients and flavors in your meals. Variety is crucial to a well-rounded diet. Experts agree that variety is important for health because your body needs many different nutrients.

2. Local, seasonal food has more nutrients.

Food starts losing nutrients the minute it’s picked. With in-season produce, the reduction in time from farm to table keeps the nutrient levels high. Additionally, foods that have to travel long distances are usually covered in chemicals to help preserve them.

3. In-season foods are less expensive.

You can save money on your grocery bill every week by taking advantage of seasonal foods.

4. Seasonal food tastes better.

Experts can’t agree on a single answer for why food tastes better in-season. A couple of factors, though, contribute to the good taste:

  • Being able to wait and pick the food when it’s ripe naturally makes it taste better.

  • Not having to travel a long distance cuts down on the time between when it’s harvested to the moment you eat it. So fewer chemicals are needed to preserve it.

These tips will help you discover a variety of foods that are healthy, budget-friendly, and in season:

 


1. Talk to your store manager.

Shopping blindly isn’t the answer. You’ll benefit from asking questions and figuring out exactly which items are in season. Grocery store managers can provide you with helpful information on eating in season. They can help you pick out the freshest items and educate you about eating healthier.


2. Visit local farmers’ markets and talk to the farmers.

Your local farmers’ markets are valuable sources of both food and information.

  • Take a stroll through your local market and you’ll see fresh produce at every turn. This is a good way to learn more about what is being grown in season in your area and to stock up on fresh food.


3. Consider these seasonal foods:

  • Spring. During spring, you can find a variety of greens. Spring is the perfect time to find fresh greens such as spinach, lettuce and others. Leafy green vegetables are a healthy addition to your diet and don’t add a huge amount of calories.

  • Summer. During summer, look for berries and other fruits. Foods like strawberries and plums are a healthy addition to your diet during the summer.

  • Fall. During fall, focus on vegetables and favorites like cranberries. The fall brings out beets, carrots, corn, eggplant, potatoes, and garlic.

  • Winter. During winter, you can still find many vegetables, so your diet can stay healthy. Consider shopping for kale, broccoli, squash, turnips, and potatoes.

Eat healthier by adjusting your shopping habits to include seasonal foods. You’ll like the way you feel!

Discover In-Season Foods That Benefit Your Health and Budget

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, Discover In-Season Foods That Benefit Your Health and Budget, Dr. Nicolle

 

I really wanted to talk about this topic today because your natural health and wellness is important. You can adopt healthy lifestyle practices that improve your health, your environment, and enrich your life, which can in turn improve the lives of those close to you. You have the power to break the cycle of poor health, including chronic disease, so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.

 

I use functional medicine and lifestyle medicine as the first line of treatment, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle practices, such as eating a whole-food plant-based diet and regular physical activity, can help you lose weight, reverse some chronic diseases (if you suffer from them), and can even help you with detoxification. In certain cases, these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy.

 

But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.

 

Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?

For some people, vitamin and mineral supplements offer important health benefits. Supplements are designed to fight deficiencies found in our diet and complement the food we eat regularly. Supplements are basically “helping hands” to our daily food.

 

If you suspect that you aren’t getting the nutrients you need, consider shifting your focus from supplements to eating better.

 

But it is very important to note that we are not eating the same foods we ate years ago because the soils have been depleted of critical nutrients through current industrial farming practices. And because the soil is not as good as it used to be, the food supply (grown from the depleted soil) is not as good as it used to be. For example, you are not getting the same levels of magnesium as you would have gotten 30 or even 50 years ago.

 

Second, much of the food has been genetically altered, which can impact the inherent and unique nutritional composition that each food possess. For example, ancient einkorn wheat has less gluten, more protein, more Vitamin A, and more beta carotene, than modern genetically modified wheat.

 

Third, the toxic load in the environment today is much higher than 100 years ago. We can see this with global warming, toxic landfills, polluted oceans and waterways, etc. Toxicity levels interfere with nutrient assimilation and absorption not just into the foods, but into our bodies as well.

 

So… if you are unable to eat better, the supplements in my MaxHealth Essentials Bundle may provide the extra boost you need.

MaxHealth Essentials Bundle

 

These are my favorite Wellness and Immune-Boosting Supplements to use! This MaxHealth Essentials Bundle will ensure you have the intake of the important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to decrease inflammation and boost your innate wellness day and night. Taken together, it’s a solid plan for increasing your body’s natural resiliency.

 

For best results make sure you use the supplements with dietary changes including a whole food plant-based diet, regular exercise (at least 2-3x per week), regular sleep (8 hours per night), and intermittent fasting (at least 1-3x per week).

 

Weight Monitoring

Since weight management is very important in combatting chronic diseases, I recommend that you be mindful of your weight and its fluctuations, and that you monitor your weight AT LEAST on a weekly basis. I recommend a scale that includes a body composition monitor (*this scale cannot be used with a pacemaker or other implanted devices).

 

Physical Activity

Physical activity (or exercise) can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, just to name a few. Physical activity can improve your mood, boost your immune system, help you maintain a healthy weight, and is a great way to detox your body!

 

I often recommend yoga and resistance training for physical activity, but as you are aware, there are plenty of forms of “movement” that you can do! But for the basics, especially if you’re just getting started, yoga and resistance training are where I would start.

 

Yoga

Yoga can be a great way to improve your strength and flexibility, manage your stress, improve your heart health, and lose weight! I recommend using a grounded yoga mat to connect yourself with the earth and reduce inflammation.

 

Resistance Training

Resistance training is the mainstay for overall health. It not only has beneficial effects on reducing body fat, it also increases muscle size and strength. Check out some basic dumbbells/free weights that I recommend to everyone.

 

Another alternative for dumbbells/free weights are resistance bands. They are great for physical therapy, yoga, strength training, and excellent for traveling.

 

Remember, living a healthy lifestyle including eating a whole foods plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and reducing stress are the best ways to maintain a healthy weight. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.

, Discover In-Season Foods That Benefit Your Health and Budget, Dr. Nicolle

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Last updated on April 5th, 2023 at 05:42 am

, Discover In-Season Foods That Benefit Your Health and Budget, Dr. Nicolle

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