Health Connect Series: Peak Picking!

As the season changes and flourishes with bright colors of herbs, grasses, flowers, and gardens, you are also able to change. Take advantage of nature's new growth by nourishing your body with all it has to offer. From collecting extra vitamin D from the sun, to eating a salad packed with farmers’ market finds, embrace the season with the bounty of nature.

Seasonal eating is a concept of focusing on consuming foods that are in their peak growing season. Think about how our ancestors ate – they didn’t run to a grocery store for strawberries in January. Seasonal eating also involves eating foods that are the most nourishing based on what you need in that season. Nature’s natural production and your body's needs align. In the winter, you need warming foods and complex carbohydrates, like squash harvested in the fall that can last for most of winter. You also need foods that contain vitamin C, like oranges, that boost immunity. While they don’t grow in the Midwest, oranges are in season in southern states during winter months. In the summer, your body needs cooling and hydrating foods like cucumbers and watermelon.

Fortunately, you can take advantage of having most foods year-round with a run to the local grocery store to stock up on out-of-season fruit like oranges. But pay attention to what’s in season and buying (or growing!) local as much as possible to shift your diet to align with the seasons. Doing so can benefit your health, your wallet, and the earth.

When you eat seasonal foods, you’re more likely to be eating local foods. The US Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 defines local foods as produce consumed less than 400 miles from its origin, or from within the state it was produced. Whether from a farmers’ market or your own garden, the closer it grows, the less it travels to get to your plate. Less travel is not only good for the environment, your food is crisp and fresh, and buying local supports your community. Buying produce in season also helps you save money as it’s typically cheaper when in season.

When it comes to your health, seasonal eating just makes sense. Summer brings heat, so eating cooling and hydrating foods, like watermelon, cucumbers, peaches, avocado, and lettuce helps to keep your body in balance and hydrated. Produce picked at its peak also has the most vitamins and minerals. The less time it takes to get to you, the more it can keep the nutrients to deliver to your cells. And honestly, food just tastes better. Have you ever made salsa in the winter? It tends to look and taste dull. Summer salsa with fresh tomatoes is vibrant in color and flavor!

There are so many ways to eat seasonally to give your body all it needs in the upcoming busy, long, hot, summer months.

Hydrating Foods:

Shop farmers markets for in-season produce all summer long. Fresh Picks: Exploring Our Local Farmers' Markets - ViaroHealth.

Pick your own berries this summer at local You-Picks!

Know what’s in season with this seasonal produce guide: Seasonal Produce Guide | SNAP-Ed (usda.gov)

The Dynamic Dandelion. Despite efforts to rid lawns of pesky weeds, dandelions tend to flourish with resilience and strength. This hearty golden weed can help your body thrive, restore, and be resilient as well. Dandelions help the stomach produce juices that aid in digestion and help the liver produce bile and aid in other processes that help detoxify your body. A humble plant that we call a weed is otherwise packed with nutrients from its leaves to its roots.

Dandelion root can be made into tea or coffee and is also found in supplements. Its stems and leaves can be eaten raw in a salad, sauteed with garlic and butter, or made into tea as well. Be sure to source your dandelions from somewhere without chemical weedkillers and avoid public areas.

Eating seasonal foods isn’t the only way to support your body this summer. What you drink is equally as important to keep you hydrated and healthy.

Easy Electrolytes. Consuming the right kind and amount of electrolytes helps your body balance fluid intake so your body can use the water and nutrients you’re consuming. The common electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Adding electrolytes to your water is especially beneficial after sweating a lot or being in the heat all day. Add aloe vera juice or coconut water to your drink for potassium, a pinch of sea salt or baking soda for sodium, and citrus for a variety of nutrients. Learn more about electrolytes and find a simple homemade electrolyte powder recipe here.

Remember with electrolytes, it’s not just what you drink. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and other whole foods can help ensure you’re consuming electrolytes through your diet.

Tailor-Made Teas. Sometimes water just doesn’t cut it. Having a fun drink while enjoying the sun is practically a necessity. Hot drinks in the summer may not be everyone's cup of tea, but don’t worry. Using room temperature water overnight to create cold infusions with delicate and gut-healing herbs is the perfect way to get your cooling tea fix as the temperature rises.

Try Hibiscus. To make a cold infusion hibiscus tea, fill a glass jar about ¼ full of dried hibiscus flowers, then add filtered room temperature water to the top of the jar. Place a lid on the jar, give it a shake to ensure all flowers are covered in water, and let the jar sit on your countertop overnight. Enjoy served with ice the next day!

Whether you’re running from your kids’ baseball to basketball games, running from table to table serving customers, or just running to your pontoon for a relaxing weekend, your body deserves to be well nourished this summer. Taking care of your body’s needs means you can have the energy to keep up with all your summer bucket list plans. Cheers to a healthy summer of farmers market cookouts and electrolyte cocktails!

Lila Tully, CHES

Health Education Specialist, ViaroThrive

For questions or comments, contact wellness@viarohealth.com.