October is a great month to adjust your diet.
Take advantage of the Fall harvest!
Long before refrigeration and electricity, people were forced to eat seasonally. This means they simply ate what was growing in their area, so their diets would change depending on the time of year. There are some belief systems that promote eating with the seasons, one of those being Ayurveda which originates in India. The idea is that Mother Nature knows what your body needs each time of year in the area where you live. For example, in the northeastern United States where it gets cold in the winter, our bodies need more grounding foods like root vegetables. So you will see that carrots and sweet potatoes are more plentiful in the region, while lighter, cooling foods like cucumbers are not. Benefits of eating with the seasons include:
- Better flavor– food doesn’t have to travel so far to make it to your home, so it can wait to be picked when it’s fully ripe and tastes better
- Giving your body what it needs- nature knows what will support your wellbeing throughout the year
- Lower cost– buying food in season tends to be less expensive due to supply and demand
- Supporting local farmers– when you purchase food grown in your area, you are supporting your community. Like they say, vote with your dollar!
- Eco friendly– foods grown locally have a lower carbon footprint, since they don’t need to be transported from far away. Less mileage=less pollution
Seasonal eating isn’t hard. It just requires finding out what’s growing in your area and checking out some recipes using those ingredients. Try it this Fall and see how it feels to eat in tune with nature!
