Eat Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables

My family and I truly enjoy all the fresh fruits and vegetables available during the summer months - There are in season berries, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes fresh from the garden and at our local farmers markets! My daughter's absolute favorites have been cherry tomatoes. I think she thinks they are grapes in disguise, HA! As we move into fall it's important to continue to eat seasonally.

I'd like to share with you a great resource from  PCC Natural Markets, located in Seattle, WA. PCC developed a  Growing Seasons Calendar which reminds us when different foods are in season. 

If we think about how our ancestors ate, they could only consume what they could harvest for that season. Nature created this amazing way to help keep people healthy by rotating the fruits and vegetables available to eat.

Now that we're a 24/7 society, so is our food. You may have noticed at the grocery stores that your apples were from Chile or your bell peppers were from Mexico. We are getting fruits and veggies in our local grocery stores from all over the world.  For our ancestors, there was no such thing as being able to eat a fresh apple all year round. Think about that!

The problem with eating the same fruits and vegetables year round is that our bodies start to build up an intolerance to them.  The reason why fruits and vegetables grow seasonally is because that's how (and when) we are supposed to consume them. We aren't supposed to consume the same ones all year round. However, because we often do, more people are developing more and more allergies and intolerances to all different kinds of foods.

Corn is a great (and possibly terrifying) example of this. Corn is a huge and profitable crop. A lot of the corn crops aren't even made for consumption, they're made for products. Not only are we getting corn seasonally, it's available year round in the store, and it's in EVERYTHING you could possibly imagine - cosmetics, shampoo, dishwasher soap, lipstick, processed foods, the list goes on and on. No wonder so many people are allergic to corn! Don't even get me started on GMO's...

This PCC calendar is a great reminder to not only eat what's in season but to rotate ALL of your foods. Our bodies need variety, just like our brains need variety. We don't watch the same episode of "Friends" every single day. By nature we're designed for variety and it's good to rotate our foods and our menus seasonally!

Remember to shop your local farmers' markets to support local producers and get fresh seasonal produce. We need people to keep producers in business and that is one way to help you and them. Now is a great time to load up before the weather turns!

To get you started here's a yummy soup recipe, from AgainstAllGrain.com. As we head into fall and cooler weather, this is a great Chicken Enchilada Soup that you can make in your pressure cooker or slow cooker. Enjoy!

To Your Health!

Heather Halliday
NTP, CNE, CFSP, LMP
Essential Wellness, NW

Email Me, if you have any questions.