While it seems far away, autumn will be here before we know it. You should take advantage of the delicious foods the fall season provides because the tasty ingredients produced by your local farmers can improve your health. You may be surprised to discover why those fall flavors are so beneficial to your health and why choosing your food wisely can also help the planet, so let’s dive in.
The Best Seasonal Produce And Why It’s So Good For You
Fall produce includes many fruits, vegetables, and herbs you may already associate with the season. This is when you’ll find the crispest apples, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts that make salads great and the garlic and ginger that can elevate almost any dish.
Eating fruits and vegetables whenever you get the chance is important. They provide incredible health benefits, including:
- Improved gut health, especially when consuming fibrous fruits like apples and bananas;
- Improved heart health;
- The prevention of forms of cancer;
- Regulation of your blood sugar.
This clean diet also eliminates fast foods and trans fats that are very bad for your physical health. They clog up your system and make you feel sluggish and tired. This lack of energy can also affect your mental health.
There are also vegetables that can help with specific health conditions. For instance, a common condition that many people deal with daily is GERD or acid reflux. It may be what leads to discomfort during and after your meals, but the right foods can help. Many vegetables, especially leafy greens like peas and broccoli, contain a high alkaline content that offsets stomach acid. Fruits high in fiber, like bananas and apples, can absorb the liquid in the digestive system and provide some relief.
Many fall vegetables also contain special vitamins that help with stress relief and promote sleep. So, if you have trouble nodding off at night, then try spinach and cabbage, which contain glycine that aids in helping you achieve restful sleep and relieve anxiety. Bananas and pineapples contain melatonin, which is a hormone that helps you rest soundly at night so you can wake up refreshed.
How To Find Seasonal Flavors
If you’re reading this once the autumn season has already arrived, you have a great chance of finding many healthy fall flavors. You can either head to the supermarket or drive down the road in rural areas, where you can see a food stand or a local farm selling the delicious food they spent all season producing just for you.
You may be inspired to start growing your own seasonal delicacies, and if that’s the case, then next year, when spring arrives, use that as a chance to grow a garden. It’s an incredibly fulfilling hobby that will give you purpose and help your physical and mental health.
Gardening provides plenty of physical exercises as you carry the plants and tools, dig, lunge, and bend at the knees to put everything in its place. Regarding your mental health, there’s nothing quite as fulfilling as witnessing the seeds you planted grow into amazing healthy plants.
You may want to enjoy the fantastic tastes of fall all year round. If that’s the case, proper food storage will be key so you can continue to preserve its flavor. For long-term storage, put your food in the fridge but ensure that it’s set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and try to keep food in its original packaging if applicable. If you’re storing foods that don’t need to be refrigerated, like dry items, keep them in a cool and well-ventilated place and ensure you eat the oldest foods first.
Eat Seasonal And Local Produce To Help The Planet
Eating more fruits and vegetables is better for the environment for various reasons. Eating plant-based food helps to eliminate the need to raise livestock, which is not the most sustainable process. Raising animals for meat results in the production of higher amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Also, acres of land is wasted to raise cows. That space could instead be left alone to let nature thrive or could be used to plant more trees.
There’s also the transportation aspect. Going to a local farmers market or grocery store instead of the far-away Walmart means you get to drive a lot less or not drive at all. Also, many of the items at the grocery store are shipped from the other side of the nation. Getting them to your plate requires trucks to drive back and forth, and the pollution they emit causes a major hit to our atmosphere. Instead, ride your bike to the local store and get your delicious fall flavors without all the unnecessary hassle.
This fall, make it a point to eat the food around you. You’ll love discovering the local delicacies you may not have realized existed, and you’ll get a healthy meal.
Author Bio
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, and fitness-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.
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