by Cathy Clements, Nutritionist & Life Coach, NASM CNC, CPT, FNS, WFS
We all want to eat and feel better, right?
However, it isn’t always easy to know what the best thing for us to do is — we hear so many different things. So let’s break down some common sense items.
We know that to grow enough food for our country’s population and for other countries we have to do it in a way to make it grow more, faster and reap a bountiful harvest. When we do this, we have to protect the food so that it makes it to harvest. How long does it take food to get to us?
These make for hard choices as food prices rise.
Now we are finding that some of those modifications may not be healthy for us, and our bodies are rejecting them. We have choices, one is to choose locally grown/sourced foods. Basically they come from local farms and ranches and are sold at local markets. We have a wonderful farmers market on Saturdays.
There are four aspects to farm to table: food security, proximity, self-reliance and sustainability. Most of us question, is it good for me and can I afford it? We don’t ask how far away it came or when was it picked?
We are now asking questions about the growth of the food, though. Is it organic, all natural and more? And no, all natural and organic don’t mean the same thing. We also ask what pesticides were used, and should you clean them from the produce before eating. These questions are important for our health and the health of our families.
Locally sourced food allows us, in most cases, to speak with the person who grew or harvested the food. We are supporting the local economy by making these purchases, and in most cases these are healthier and better quality, fresher foods.
We are used to eating whatever we like regardless of the time of year, but it used to be that every food had a season. If we get back to eating locally sourced that is what you can expect from the healthy fresh foods you purchase.