Quick station identification – If you’re new here, welcome to Digestible Strategies! The mission of D.S. is to provide manageable morsels of information to live a healthy life, with the underlying belief that “Food is Medicine.”  And since every human experience is unique, and every body is different, you are free to implement whatever speaks to and works for YOU.  I hope it makes you feel better and live longer! 

Our current food system (how we grow food, what is in our food and on it) is a major cause of the decline in human health we’ve seen in the world the last half century.  So, while our passionate changemakers in food policy and business (like Food Fix, Kiss the Ground, Nutrient Density Alliance and more) are fighting the good fight for us, I would like to help you navigate what is currently out there for us to overcome.  And while I’m at it, share what I’m learning about healthy lifestyles.  Small changes over time add up. So don’t panic, just pivot!

The What

According to many studies and sources, eating what’s in season, in your locale, as much as you can, is beneficial to your health.  For those of you who live where it gets cold a lot of the year, that takes some creativity and determination, no doubt, but the benefits could be worth it!

The Why

There are several why’s to trying this out – for our health, for our local economy, for our farmers, and for the environment.  If any of these speak to you, maybe you’ll consider making eating seasonally a regular “thing you do.”

Just the Facts Ma’am

FOR OUR HEALTH

It Feels Right.

I probably don’t need to tell you this.  “Warm foods” in the winter can keep you cozy, while “cooling foods” in the summer can naturally bring down your internal temperature.  Chef and Herbalist, Andrea Beaman said, “It’s essentially making your internal environment in sync with your external environment.”  So, in the winter, perhaps skip the fruit smoothie for a hearty stew or hot steel-cut oats with apple and cinnamon.  In the summer, add some cucumber to your smoothie to control the sweat.  (I’m clearly assuming you might be a smoothie person!)

Warming foods: Hearty Grass-Fed Beef Stew with Root Vegetables made with a nourishing bone stock, Roasted Delicata Squash, Pumpkin Bread, Ginger Tea. 

Cooling foods: Watermelon Salad, Peppers and Hummus, Tomato & Cucumber Salad.

Diversity strengthens immunity.

When you eat what’s in season, you are adding diversity to your diet, which makes the bacteria in your gut more diverse.  Studies have shown that a more diverse microbiome leads to a healthier immune system.  In the winter, that matters. 

Fun fact:  Indigenous populations throughout the world who still adhere to their traditional diets have been studied because they often live long, disease-free lives.  Traditionally, they only could eat local and in season. Those maintaining these traditions are shown to have more diverse microbiomes and stronger immune systems.

There’s more nutrient density.

Local usually means recently harvested.  When a fruit or vegetable is grown in their peak season and harvested at peak ripeness, it tends to have the most nutrient density than any other time in its “life cycle.”  Therefore, consuming that food as close to that peak ripeness gets you more nutrition per calorie of food you eat. And it’s that nutrition that can help your body most when you spend more time indoors, exposed to those nasty winter viruses going around!  Nutrient density is not only better for your health, but can lead to you feeling fuller, faster.  Therefore, for a Michigander in November, eating a California strawberry will get you less nutrient density than a beet from Michigan. 

Allergens – Immunotherapy. 

There’s a common belief, but I struggle to find concrete data, that eating locally can be akin to immunotherapy, the practice of helping those with asthma and allergies by exposing them to trace amounts of the problematic allergen regularly so their bodies can safely build up a resistance or to reduce the histamine response.  It is believed that local produce is often dusted with pollen from local common allergens. Therefore, a person with a seasonal allergy to a certain local plant pollen would get regular trace exposures to that pollen, just like with immunotherapy.  And that regular exposure would build up resistance to the allergen.

If you’ve read enough, click here to jump down to What You Can Do.

Let’s Jump Down the Rabbit Hole, Shall We?

For Our Economy

It is easier to buy local when you eat what’s in season for your area.  And if you are buying something from your area, that money stays local.  The farmer that grew your sweet potato will use the money he/she makes and spend it on – property taxes that go to your city, the small business your neighbor owns, etc..  You get the picture.  It’s a positive feedback loop!

For Your Wallet

When something is grown and then sold locally, the farmer usually doesn’t have to depend on a distributor.  So, the cost to get it from the farm to your table is lower.  That could result in both a less expensive product for you, but also more of the profit in your farmer’s wallet.  Win-Win!

For the Environment

It’s like the benefits to our economy.  If there are fewer miles driven and fewer refrigerator-hours until it gets to you, because it’s sourced close by, that means less energy is used from farm to table.  Less energy means fewer emissions. The End.

Conclusion

As the authors of The 100-Mile Diet (who live in Vancouver) will tell you, it’s possible to eat exclusively local and in-season, but it’s not easy!  So, I’m not suggesting you completely give up berries or tomatoes all winter.  Better to “crowd out” by adding what you know and trying something new that’s in season as often as you can – once a day, once a week, you decide. For your health, for some adventure, and to broaden your food knowledge, I recommend trying to eat what’s in season.

What You Can Do

1. Check out your local farm stop, if available.  They will have hot-house recent harvests, in-season offerings, and frozen fruit and meats.
2. Check out this Seasonal Food Guide for anyone, anywhere, anytime of year.
3. Recipe Ideas for Fall-Winter (use organic ingredients)
   • Raw Beet Salad
   • Roasted Delicata Squash
   • Roasted Carrot Salad
   • Roasted Sunchokes (word of warning, sunchokes have earned the nickname “fart-ichokes.” Eat in moderation!)
   • Slow Cooker Beef Stew
4. In the deep winter (late December-early March), it’s slim pickings for northern states.  If you’re eating for health and nutrient density, this is a great time of year to add NUTS & SEEDS to your day, as they maintain their nutrient density over time, as well as pasture-raised meats, free-range organic poultry, and wild-caught fish. Frozen fruit and veggies are also usually more nutrient dense than their “fresh” cousins that traveled to get to you.