Fall into Health: How Eating Seasonally Can Support a Healthy Weight
The right routine, the best gym, and a great pair of workout gloves can support any fitness plan. But without proper nutrition, even the perfect workout can only take us so far. A healthy body starts with mindful eating. So how can you keep your eating habits on track? Start by matching your diet and your shopping habits with the season of the year. Keep these considerations in mind.
- What is eating seasonally? Seasonal eating means choosing foods that have been harvested recently and preferably from the local area. Before grocery stores provided an endless array of whatever we want, whenever we want, and from wherever we want, our ancestors had no choice other than to eat what was growing at that time and nearby. They were healthier and slimmer too. Since meat can be preserved, more meat was consumed during the colder months and mostly fruits and veggie during the warmer months with little meat. This not only kept them cool during the summer and warm during the winter, but also provided the body with the proper nutrition it needed for that time of year.
- What can I eat? In New York, blueberries ripen and sweeten in the middle of the summer. So if you buy blueberries in New York in November, you know your berries were packaged in a truck or plane and shipped from thousands of miles away. This isn’t a healthy practice for the berries, the planet, or you. Even though berries aren’t seasonal in November, there are plenty of vegetables and fruits that are. Squash, sweet root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, and tree fruits like apples and pears, are plentiful in the fall, just to name a few. Visit the Eat Well Guide (insert link for text http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?id=Seasonalfoodguides) to learn what is in season in your neck of the woods! Before long you will know exactly what grows when and it will become second nature!
- Why is this good for me? Many inventions made our lives easier; trains, planes, cars, but when it came to food, modern conveniences have done more harm than good. The human body is the same as it was thousands of years ago, and hasn’t changed just to keep up with the new foods (or “non” foods) that have been introduced. If you choose to eat seasonally, chances are your food has been grown nearby, which means it’s fresh, higher in nutrition, and has fuller flavor.
- Year round: No matter the season, make sure you eating mostly whole foods, like the ones we’ve mentioned above; fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, etc. Whole foods have more nutrition and therefore fill the body with less food. This keeps your portions in check naturally. Keep your workout on track, and make sure you choose the right fitness gloves and other gear.
