Culinary Tip: Choosing Seasonal - Local Food

Guideline # 2 & 3. Seasonal and Local Foods 

Try to eat seasonal, locally grown produce as much as possible. This increases the likelihood that your food will be fresh, ripe, preservative-free and nutrient rich. Eating seasonally means choosing: 

o   Spring vegetables and fruits (asparagus, spinach, strawberries, lettuce), as we enter the warmer months.  These are all cleansing in nature. 

o   Summer vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, corn) that will help you stay cool in the heat.

o   Favoring heartier produce in cooler months, like dark green leafy vegetables (kale, Swiss chard, collard greens), root vegetables (sweet potatoes, parsnips, yams), and fruit (apples, pears), which can help you stay warm in colder temperatures.

As I write, we are entering springtime. From a dietary approach, this is an appropriate time to go on a cleansing diet, whether it means green juicing or raw food. Both are essentially, cooling and cleansing, and slightly more sour than cooked food. Bitter and sour foods are effective for cleansing the liver.  In these days of high toxicity, raw food may find a stronger place in our eating patterns. We all can benefit from the inclusion of it, just make sure you chew your food well.

Finally, here is a very useful resource for finding local food growers in your area:

Eat Well Guide www.eatwellguide.com : A comprehensive listing to find local, sustainable, and organic food in your area