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Dr. Corinne: Eat Seasonally, Enjoy Local Produce: It Makes a Big Difference!Large markets and grocers may buy out of season produce that's been gassed, treated with radiation, and preserved in wax to extend the shelf life and save money. Gross!
Seasonal food is produce that is purchased and consumed around the time that it has been harvested, which means that it's at its absolute peak in terms of flavor and nutritional value. Eating seasonally is hardly a new trend. It's something humans have been doing throughout history, up until the very recent past when transportation allowed bulk shipment of food from distant countries. Have you ever had a tomato fresh off the vine? You can practically taste the sunshine and earth bursting out of it. Now think about a tomato from the grocery store - watery, a little grainy, not nearly as delicious. Why? Because when tomatoes are grown out of season, they have to travel far to get to you, which means that they're picked when they're green and don't get the chance to develop proper flavor. When your food is grown close by, without having to travel across an ocean to get to you, the freshness, flavor, and nutritional content are preserved. Back in the day, choices in the produce section of grocery stores were MUCH slimmer than they are today. Seasonal fruits and veggies were the only options! If you're serious about making the move to include more seasonal produce into your diet, then tap into old recipe books, or ask your family for recipes they grew up eating. There are billions of recipes out there, and sure to be some good ones floating about within your social circles. If you're not sure about an item, turn to the Internet and try out different cuisines. Take cabbage, for example. It's a super inexpensive, versatile food that can help create anything from coleslaw to dumplings to sauerkraut to kimchi. Benefits of buying local The cost-saving aspects of eating locally-grown food come down to a matter of supply and demand. When you buy produce that's in season, you're buying it at the peak of its supply, when it's easy to grow and harvest. When there's a lot of fruits and vegetables readily available, the prices become lower - when they're harder to grow and harvest, prices go up! Have you observed the produce prices in your grocery store? Buying local foods supports the economy in your community. When you give your money to local farms and businesses, it gets reinvested into local businesses, which create more jobs and services. Plus, locally-grown food doesn't have to travel as far, because it's processed and distributed nearby. No more will you be eating pineapples flown in from Mexico in the middle of October. Instead, you'll be eating apples perhaps grown 20 miles down the road. Less time from farm to table means fewer greenhouse gases and a smaller overall carbon footprint. Finally, buying locally grown produce creates more community connection - instead of working through long chains of distribution, buyers actually meet the people growing the food, which helps to build a more vibrant community that's passionate about providing healthy and safe foods for all families. Springtime If spring has sprung, these fruits and veggies are ready to hit the shelves at low prices in temperate environments:
Which of these fruits are your favorites? Are there any you haven't tried or you're curious about? I love going strawberry picking! Here is a picture of my girls and I taste testing. Also, here is a quick video on 3 Tips to Staying HEALTHY WHILE TRAVELING. Also, grab these veggies at the springtime Farmer's Market:
Which of these veggies do you like, and how do you prepare them? Any that you haven't tried? Think outside the box and use excess veggies to make light soups, or throw them into smoothies. When in doubt - make a stir fry or a coconut curry with some coconut milk. Bountiful berries call for preserves! Take advantage of bulk sales and stir up jams, jellies, and sauces. You can also store them in airtight containers and toss them in the deep freezer for later use in pies, desserts, and smoothies in the winter months. Pro tip: don't cast aside fruits and berries that aren't up to your typical aesthetic standard - if you're blending them up or simmering them down, they're going to be changing shape anyway! Besides, a little brown spot on a peach never hurt anybody. Herbs Herbs are easy to grow and bountiful once the soil starts defrosting from the winter months, so take advantage of those fresh pops of flavor and harvest them for the rest of the year! Pick your favorite herbs and try one of the following techniques:
Canning and preserving food Do as our ancestors did and preserve seasonal foods by pickling or canning them! Beans, cucumbers, peppers, or carrots? Pickle ‘em! Tons of tomatoes? Stir up some pasta sauce to last you through the winter. While canning isn't totally foolproof - it takes some practice - it's very inexpensive and can be a great activity to do with family and friends. When it comes to pickling, it's nothing more complicated than dropping some veggies in vinegar and seasonings and tossing it in the fridge. Have you ever canned or pickled anything? Can you think of any other ways to preserve fruits and veggies while they're at their peak? When fruits and vegetables are forced to grow outside their natural seasons, farmers use chemicals and other unnatural methods to ensure that out-of-season harvests meet the cosmetic standards that we expect to see from our produce in grocery stores. Large markets and grocers may buy out of season produce that's been gassed, treated with radiation, and preserved in wax to extend the shelf life and save money. Gross! Additionally, overseas agriculture may not regulate soil contamination in the same way your country does. Some agricultural areas have high levels of metal and other toxins in their soil that seep into the produce. If you're trying to keep your meals as clean as possible and free of additional pesticides and chemicals, shop locally and eat in season! What is CSA and why should I join? Community Supported Agriculture, or a CSA, is an investment you make in a local farm or collection of regional farms that are paid in bulk before harvesting. Your seasonal or annual payment acts as a "share," and throughout harvest time you'll receive weekly boxes of locally harvested fruits and veggies. While the upfront costs of a CSA share can seem a bit overpriced, it's actually proven to be a money-saving move. Folks who join CSA's save an average of $75 per year! If you're still unsure about the price tag, consider splitting your share with a neighbor, roommate, or loved one. Some farms offer half shares and sliding scales as well. Follow this link to find your nearest CSA. Produce that's picked in the peak of its natural harvest is almost always higher in antioxidants, vitamins, folate, and carotenes. Locally in-season sourced fruits and veggies will also appear brighter and more vibrant in your store than their limp and dried up counterparts that have traveled a great distance to reach you. Plus, nature provides for us as we need - in the winter time, citrus is ready to be harvested, just in time for cold and flu season! Summer fruits like peaches and apricots provide us with extra beta-carotene that helps protect us from sun damage. Every dollar you spend is a vote for how the world operates. As a food buyer, the produce you choose to buy plays a role in how your local grocery store chooses to operate. Think about it, if you're continuously buying fresh raspberries in the middle of December, your grocery store takes those purchases into account, and will keep up the supply to meet your demand. I hope you've learned something about the importance of seasonal eating. Having support as you eat healthy is crucial for success. You can also join an online group or talk to family and friends about your struggles. Loved ones are often eager to help, but may not know how to do so. Share with them what you need whether it be a supportive shoulder or help to make a new dish. Making dietary changes is never easy, which is why having a strong support system in place is so important. I encourage all of you to keep in touch with me and each other as your journey continues.
I am deeply passionate about helping people become the very best versions of themselves. If you need any additional information, help, or questions answered, please email me at Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com. If you want more healthy tips you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here. Like and comment on my channel so I will know what tips and topics you want to know about. I am forming a community of people who want to take action in their own health with my social media channels and I want to know what health topics you want to hear. Keep Breathing, Email: Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com Dr. Corinne Weaver is a compassionate upper cervical chiropractor, educator, motivational speaker, mother of three, and internationally bestselling author. In 2004, she founded the Upper Cervical Wellness Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Over the last 13 years, she has helped thousands of clients restore their brain to-body function. When she was 10 years old, she lost her own health as the result of a bike accident that led to having asthma and allergy issues that she thought she would always have to endure. Then, after her first upper cervical adjustment at age 21, her health began to improve thanks to upper cervical care and natural herbal remedies. This enabled her to create a drug-free wellness lifestyle for herself and her family, and she also enthusiastically discovered her calling to help children heal naturally. Dr. Weaver was named one of Charlotte Magazine's "Top Doctors" in 2016 and is now a number-one internationally bestselling author to two books: Learning How to Breathe and No More Meds. Upper Cervical Wellness Center is known for finding the root cause of health concerns through lifestyle changes, diagnostic testing, nutraceutical supplementation, and correction of subluxation (as opposed to just medicating the symptoms). The practice offers cutting-edge technological care at its state-of-the-art facility, including laser-aligned upper cervical X-rays, bioimpedance analysis (measures body composition), digital thermography (locates thermal abnormalities characterized by skin inflammation), and complete nutritional blood analysis, which is focused on disease prevention. 
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A peach that is so ripe that the juice runs down to your elbows. A crisp apple: the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The smell of citrus permeating the air as you peel back the skin of a clementine. The whiff of an earthy, sweet pumpkin you're carving up for Halloween. Ah! (Image: Dr. Corinne Weaver and daughters/ Courtesy)
Once again, if you ever need any additional guidance or support, don't hesitate to reach out!
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