Eat fresh, seasonal and if possible local

Friday morning my husband and I snuck in one more morning of Raspberry picking with the grandchildren. The littles weren't really focused this time, and just kept reaching in my bucket to grab handfuls of pink and red raspberry's. When we were paying for the berries we had to have them add a bit extra because these littles had eaten a TON of fresh berries. Then this afternoon a neighbor invited us to pick an apple off their tree when we were out walking the dog. We just finished dinner which included fresh tomatoes from our daughter's garden and pickles we made with the grands last week. There is nothing like enjoying what is fresh and locally grown where you live. And it can bless your health in so many ways.

FOOD IS MORE FRESH AND TASTY
    The closer to harvest a fruit or vegetable is, the more potent its taste will be. I'm sure you've noticed that while Costco offers beautiful looking strawberries pretty much year round, most of the time they taste pretty bland. That same strawberry is also more dense with nutrients within the first hours and days of picking than when it is packed, cooled, shipped, unpacked, and set on the shelf of your local grocery store several days or even weeks later.
    Both the quality of taste and nutrient density are higher when your fruits and veggies are more recently harvested. Both drop drastically after just a few days out of the ground, off the vine, or off of the tree.
    So if you’re eating foods that have to travel long distances from another ecosystem because they can’t be grown locally during a particular season, the food won’t taste as good or have the same nutritional value.

BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH
    Not only is your food more full of nutrients when it’s fresher, but when you’re eating seasonally your digestion will be healthier.
Think of it this way: Mother Earth knows what’s up. In the summer, the foods that thrive are a little sweeter and full of water. Makes sense, right? Summer is hot and your body needs natural ways to cool off.
In autumn, when the weather starts to turn cold, you start to see slightly more dense foods growing, like apples and pears and butternut squash. This is helping your body adjust to the cooler temperatures, while also giving you food that is slightly heavier to help you fortify for winter.
    In the winter, not much grows but lots of food can be stored in cold cellars. What does grow is fairly hearty, like winter squash, potatoes, winter greens, and root vegetables. These will help you feel fuller, faster so you can make it through winter, while also warming you because they are more dense.
    In the spring, you’ll start to see lots of greens — especially bitter greens, which will help your body lighten it’s winter load so to speak.

PRODUCE ISN’T COVERED IN WAX OR PRESERVATIVES
    This is a small thing, but I think it matters. I don’t really like the idea of consuming wax on apples or peppers. In order to keep these fresh, lots of larger grocery chains will coat their produce with wax or another type of preservative so the food stays fresher. Or has the appearance of being fresher.

SUPPORTS THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND ECOLOGY
    Seasonal eating doesn’t mean you have to eat locally, but it’s a lot easier to eat seasonally if you’re frequenting local farmer’s markets. Small farmers are really what we need more of, as opposed to the big commercial farms. This is for a few reasons.
    First, it’s better for the soil. While large scale farms often grow one or 2 things all year long, small farms grow their food seasonally in the same fields, which  means the soil stays healthy because they’re rotating their crops. Even if this isn’t 100% the case, it’s still better for the soil because they’re usually not growing the exact same crop year round because they can’t. So the soil gets a break.
    Second, small farmers generally have better practices for the environment. Again, this isn’t always true but it frequently is. And many are organic, even if they can’t use the term “organic” on their produce. This is mostly because it’s super expensive to get certified organic and many small farms can’t afford this.
    Third, I’d rather invest locally and keep money circulating within my community.

FOOD DIVERSITY
    This is simply the idea that if you’re paying more attention to what’s in season, you’re likely to eat a more diverse diet of foods instead of just eating the same things year round. Again, this is way better for your health and digestion. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables blesses the biodiversity of your gut microbiome which can be essential in maintaining your immune system.

MAKES YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE SEASONS AND THE FOODS THEY PROVIDE

I can’t wait for strawberry season because I know how delicious strawberries will be when they’re ripe and fresh. And is there anything better than homegrown fresh tomatoes? Let's all work this week to really enjoy those plant foods that are fresh, seasonal and if possible local.

And so what is our challenge for the week?

#1 Make an effort if possible to attend a local farmer's market (so sad- I've heard some of yours have already ended due to cold weather) or produce stand or ask neighbors with gardens and fruit trees if they can share some produce with you. (If this just isn't possible for you just skip this requirement)

2. Each day eat at least one fruit or vegetable that is in season for October. If possible choose different ones each day.

3. For every day you eat a fruit or vegetable in season you can claim the daily 5 bonus points