What's For Supper? Seasonal Eating For Better Health

What's For Supper? Seasonal Eating For Better Health

Now that summer has passed and we’re in the first full month of fall – it’s time to adjust our menus and our fresh produce expectations. Eating seasonally available fruits and vegetables is a sustainable way to change your diet and impact your health in a positive way.

Back in the day I can remember using frozen strawberries in the winter because fresh strawberries weren’t an option.  These days we can transport fruits and veggies from all over the world during any time of year. I wonder how many people even know what is in season in their area.

In ayurvedic practices there is a term for eating seasonally: ritucharya. The idea of ritucharya is to eat the foods that are in season and work well for your body while maintaining health and preventing disease. That specific ayurvedic technique originally applied to the seasons and foods available in India, we believe that philosophy can still benefit us regardless of our geography.  

Even if you’re not growing your own food (which is easier than you may think), knowing what is in season in your neck of the woods is important. Not only is there a health benefit for eating seasonal foods, but there may also be a benefit to your budget as well. Not to mention seasonally fresh food just tastes better!

Top 4 reasons to eat seasonally … 

It’s great for your health

    Foods that are grown during their appropriate season can follow their own growing and ripening rhythms. When foods are grown year-round (in places that are not naturally year-round growing areas), chemicals and gases can be used to force (in some cases slow) maturation and ripening.  As you can guess this is not good for your health.

    Foods taste better 

    If you’ve ever had a home-grown tomato, you understand the flavor difference. The consequence of mass producing is lack of flavor. Selective breeding creates uniform appearances and longer shelf life but sacrifices taste and nutrients.

    Better for the environment 

    In a time when people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint by recycling, little attention is given to transporting food.  Currently about 1/3 of our fruit and ½ of our vegetables are transported from somewhere else. Thinking about the impact of those planes, trains, and automobiles.

    Costs Less 

    When fruits and veggies are abundant, they come with a lower price point.  For example: summertime is berry season. Strawberries (and other berries) are much less in July than they are in December. The opposite season applies too.  Grapefruits are super refreshing in your July cocktails but they’re really a winter season fruit.

     So, what’s in season right now?

     October & November you can look for: 

    • Apples
    • Beets, Parsnips, Celery root
    • Bell Peppers
    • Broccoli
    • Carrots
    • Lettuce
    • Pumpkin (can’t forget the pumpkin!), butternut squash, spaghetti squash
    • Pears
    • Figs
    • Fingerling Potatoes
    • Swiss Chard
    • Jerusalem Artichokes (sunchokes)
    • Ginger
    • Quince (Did you know that not so long ago lots of people had quince trees in their yard – this was used as a “pectin” to make jams and jellies.)

    We’d love to see your recipe creations – stay tuned for ours.

    Before you head to the store to pick up these foods, WAIT! 

    While these foods are among the healthiest you can find, the reality is that you’d have to eat a truck load of them (and more) to get the fiber and probiotics your body actually needs to thrive.  

    Try supplementing with the Pure Essentials Digestion Collection to give yourself the fuel and support you deserve!