Winter is on our doorstep and it’s time for hearty stews and warming soups. Have you ever wondered why we don’t crave cold salads in the winter? It could be because ancestrally that is what we are preprogrammed to do.
It makes sense if we think about it, we were hunter-gatherers. An abundance of food in the summer would have us gaining a little fat for the scarcity of winter. However this day and age many people are packing on the weight all year through with little ability to lose it in what would have been the leaner months.
The industrialisation of food means that we no longer are involved in the growing of our own food, or the harvest and preservation. It has also brought about the availability of all types of food all year round. Blueberries in December, tomatoes on demand, in fact, pretty much anything at any time.
There is a huge cost involved in physically getting the food to the shops. The largest cost is that of our health by choosing nutrient depleted produce that has sat around, in some cases for months! According to research from the University of California, spinach and green beans lose two-thirds of their Vitamin C within a week of harvest. Add on long transport times and sitting in storage, who knows what nutrients are left by the time they hit the shelf?
Seasonal fruit and veg retain more nutrients than their counterparts. They are often grown closer to you so they don’t spoil in transport or have nasty added pesticides.
Other benefits of seasonal eating include:
- Environmentally sustainable
- Supports local growers
- Encourages diversity of our gut-friendly bacteria
- Also, it is often cheaper. Try your local growers or farmers market.
- Finally, IT IS GOOD FOR YOU!!!!
