To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.
Today, it occurred to me that there is one self care step we can all make that would have widespread impacts on ourselves, our families, our communities and the universe (well, Earth anyway).
Eat your fruit and veggies.
Most people had this message drilled into them from an early age. We all know by now that fruit and veggies are extremely good for you. 5 servings a day is the mantra.
Ensuring that you are including veggies and fruit in your diet is the first step. Produce provides important vitamins, nutrients and fiber that will help you be healthy on the inside. Healthy on the inside = Beautiful on the outside!
Fresh is better than frozen and frozen is better than canned.
Farmer's markets are opening in virtually ever town this spring and this is a great opportunity for you to invest in the fresh local produce that is going to make you radiant...AND support local small farmers. Small farms may not all be able to afford the organic certification- please keep this in mind as you shop-but you will find that most of these growers are committed to organic practices and good land stewardship. If you aren't sure, ASK!
CSAs are another option for getting fresh local produce delivered straight from the farm. I have gone this route previously and have found this to be an optimal arrangement. The food is fresher than you will find in most grocery stores AND the prices in many cases are less or comparable!
Buying vegetables and fruit in season is another way to ensure you get the best quality. I was raised on an apple orchard and I can attest to the fact that the apple you pick off the tree is always crisp...a season in cold storage destroys that.
I encourage you to get to know where your food is coming from. When you buy from your local chain grocery store, there are no guarantees about how far your produce has traveled, nor how fresh it is. When you buy local you support the local economy and you get better quality food. I think the choice here is a pretty easy one.
Take Good Care!
1 comment:
I should add that there is great debate over whether or not commercially canned is better/worse than commercially frozen produce. I opt for frozen because many cans used commercially contain BPA.
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