We are entering a new growing season which means that we’ll start seeing some more local varieties of fruits and vegetables! Yay!
There are many reasons to focus on eating food that is in season!
- These will be the fruits and vegetables that are at their peak, both in ripeness and nutritional value.
- They will be available from local sources like farmers markets, farm stands, and your local grocer that supports growers in your area. Through buying your food locally you are not only supporting the economy in your area, but you will not be receiving produce that had to be picked far before it was ready in order to be transported from across the world.
- You and your family could also have a seasonal garden. Growing food together is a great way to learn planning strategies, organization techniques, cooperation, facts about ecology, and how to connect with the earth. This is not to mention the mind-blowing pride that comes from eating something you grew yourself!
This is a great time to start incorporating some more raw vegetables again. I like to eat them in salads or as snacks. Raw carrots, celery, radishes, or jicama dipped in a little pesto, hummus, plain, organic yogurt with a little chopped fresh herbs, sea salt, and pepper added, or baba ganoush (an Arabic eggplant puree with spices) are all delicious options. Get creative!
If you have trouble digesting raw vegetables, you might not be producing enough digestive enzymes to do the job. (Raw vegetables require a little more digestive work to break them down.) Eating more slowly or taking herbal bitters or an enzyme supplement are great ways to improve your digestion so that you can fully enjoy all the benefits of raw vegetables!
As another side note, if you have an under-active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) you will want to avoid certain raw vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. They are considered to be goitrogenic, meaning that in their raw state they can lessen our absorbtion of iodine. We need iodine to make our main thyroid hormones. Cooking inactivates the goitrogens, so eating them cooked would be fine.
If these thyroid supportive tips intrigue you because you have been told that that you have an under-active thyroid, contact us. I have seen fantastic results when addressing it in a holistic way!
Here’s some of the exciting fresh spring options!
Fruits
- blackberries
- early cherries
- grapefruit
- kiwi
- kumquats
- lemons
- oranges
- raspberries
- strawberries
- tangerines
Vegetables
- artichokes
- asparagus
- beets
- bok choy
- broccoli
- cabbage
- carrots
- celery
- chard
- cress
- dandelion greens
- endive
- fava beans
- fennel
- green garlic
- kale
- leeks
- lettuces
- mushrooms
- mustard greens
- nettles, onions
- potatoes
- radicchio
- radishes
- spinach
- turnips
China Rose Zamora is a functional nutritional therapist, clinical herbalist, and yoga teacher who has worked in the holistic health field since 1998 and has proudly served her community as China Rose Wellness since 2009. When she’s not coaching women to rise to their health potential, practicing herbal alchemy, traveling the country via mobile tiny house teaching inspirational workshops to demystify wellness, or co-facilitating transformational retreats with AJ, her-eco warrior partner in adventure, you can find her meandering on the nearest hiking trail or jammin’ at a local, live music venue. China Rose is a firm believer that wellness encompasses everything that nourishes us, body & soul!
