Category Archives: seasons

Seasonal Eating For Best Health

by Mirafruit, grocery, locavore, seasons, vegetables

I regularly teach a class on seasonal eating. What the benefits are and why we should look to consume more seasonal (and local) produce. Obviously part of the benefit is that seasonal foods are picked when they are fully ripe, especially if they are local, rather than being picked under-ripe and either stored or transported before being force ripened. This means that the nutritive value of the food is fully developed as well as it's flavor. Anyone who has ever eaten a truly fresh tomato knows what I am talking about.

Benefits of seasonal eating

Better for the environment: Eating seasonal, locally produced fruits and vegetables also helps to reduce the environmental impact of your food. If you think about it, why eat tomatoes from 2,000 miles away when you can get better tasting ones closer to home without burning massive amounts of fossil fuels?
More flavor: as mentioned above, food that is picked when it is ripe, rather than when it is convenient to harvest, is going to taste better. The texture (which contributes to the taste and the enjoyment) is also better because the produce is not artificially chilled and then force ripened, all of which changes the produce.
Support your local farmer: most often when you're buying local, in-season produce you're buying it direct from the grower. This helps to cut out the middle man. Farmer's markets and CSA's are a great way to meet those who are actually growing your food and to be able to talk with them about how they are growing your food.
Less pesticides and toxins: most local, small farmers don't use massive amounts of pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals. This is where getting to know your local farmer is a big benefit. They'll tell you what they're not doing and explain why. Most often it's because they're growing your food in a way that nourishes the soil and that is more beneficial for the plants. Sure it may not look as consistent or “pretty” as what you see at the grocery store but it smells and tastes far better and has more nutrients.

Defining the seasons

At my last class I got a question that I've gotten a couple of times before and I wanted to address it because I think it's an issue that tends to get a little confusing for folks sometimes. It's about the seasonality of food. I live in Texas. We have a very different growing season here compared to most of the rest of the country. We essentially have the equivalent of two spring-like seasons, one very hot season sandwiched in between them, followed by a cold, often rainy season. Learning to grow food here has proven to be a bit of a challenge. It's nowhere near as easy or intuitive as what I'm used to having grown up in the Northeast. Luckily I have several local CSAs and Farmer's Markets that help supplement our supply of seasonal foods with their expert skills.

One question that comes up a lot is about what constitutes a season. The answer? Well, it depends on where you are living. I think the first, most important place to start is to understand the concept of seasonal eating and decide if this is something that you want to follow. We try to do so in our house for most things because we then get the ripest, best tasting produce by waiting for the season. It also means that we more fully appreciate our food by having to wait for it. I'm going to be honest and put in a disclaimer here to say that there are certain foods that we do not eat seasonally because we use them too much (such as onions, garlic, carrots, and celery) but in general we eat berries in the spring and summer, squashes in the winter and so on.

Resources

In addition to learning to appreciate the seasonality of your food, you need to learn what exactly your seasons are. If you're not sure of what's really in season in your area here are some websites that can help:

USA – Seasonal Food Guide
Canada – Foodland Ontario
United Kingdom – Eat The Seasons
Japan – Seasonal Ingredients
Australia – Seasonal Food Guide

If you're looking to find a farmer's market and get fresh, seasonal, local product a great resource for the United States is Local Harvest.

Of course, once you've gotten all this fabulous seasonal produce you'll need to know what to do with it. Here are a few cookbooks to help with that:

Winter And Vitamin D

by Mirahealth, immune system, questions, seasons

Recently I have been getting a number of emails with questions about vitamin D; I'm sure it's generated by all of the press about the changing recommended levels, levels of exposure and how important it is for our health.

Where to get Vitamin D

Vitamin D, known as the “sunshine vitamin” is a fat-soluble vitamin produced in the skin by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) type B rays. For food sources we can look to fatty fish and eggs as a good source of vitamin D. It is often added to milk.

I have a personal theory that part of the reason behind the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency is that our parents were forced to take cod liver oil by their parents. They hated it so much they decided not to give it to their kids. The science of the times did not recognize how important cod liver oil was and it was considered “old-fashioned.” As a result of this, I, and many others of my generation, grew up not taking it. So we didn't give it to our kids. While I'm not sure how much scientific veracity there is to that theory it certainly seems to fit the current situation. Decreased cod liver oil consumption combined with reduced sunshine/increased sunscreen and suddenly many people, including pregnant women and their infants, are deficient.

The importance of Vitamin D

Why all of the scientific attention to vitamin D lately? It turns out that it's very important for our health and there are significant consequences to being deficient. Not only does vitamin D help support our bone structure, it's vital to immune system health, increasing activity of our natural killer cells and macrophages. Many studies now show that it may help protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease and there are even suggestions that vitamin D deficiency may be a contributing factor to increased influenza rates during the winter months.

How much should I take?

One question I recently received about vitamin D was concerned with how much to take:

“I was taking 400 IU but a while back started reading about re-examined attitudes toward D and upped it to 2,000 IU. Then I thought that might be too much so I am currently taking 1,000 IU. Your thoughts?”

Here's a little information to help you understand vitamin D better.

I believe, and the studies support, that we do not get enough and that the levels set by the government are too low. If you wear sunscreen you need to be aware that SPF8 and over will effectively block UV-B; this means your body cannot synthesize D from sunlight.

If you do not get enough outdoor exposure, are over 60 years of age (our ability to synthesize D decreases as we age), and/or live in northern latitudes you are probably not getting enough vitamin D. Someone who lives in New England or further north generally does not get sufficient vitamin D during the winter months and can become deficient. Especially if they did not have sufficient stores to begin with.

How to find out if you need more? You need to get a blood test. It is important to get the 1,25 OH-dihydroxy, not the 25(OH) vitamin D to find out what your levels are. Taking between 2,000-5,000 IU per day is not unreasonable, especially in the winter.

Osteomalacia (vitamin D deficiency) is often treated with 5,000-50,000 IU for three to six months. Once a good level is reached doctors usually drop people to 1,500-2,000 per day. Most doctors aim for at least 30-40 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter) although many Functional Medicine practitioners prefer a level of 50-80 ng/dL. It is important to note that too much vitamin D can be just as bad for you as too little, which is why it is important to get tested and know what your levels are.

How to get vitamin D

When you take vitamin D is it best to take it as vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) combined with K2 which is the most effective form. D2 (ergocalciferol) is not as effective.

I personally prefer to take a sublingual D3/K2 liquid formulation to make sure that I am getting the best possible absorption. A combined liquid formulation also ensures that I am getting a synergistic balance of the proper amounts of D3 to K2.

The very best way to get your vitamin D? Get sunshine. Whenever possible get 15-20 minutes per day before you put on your sunscreen.

More Information

Here are a few other resources which provide good information about vitamin D:

Quench Your Thirst With Agua Fresca

by Miradrinks, fruit, seasons, summer

Agua fresca is Spanish for fresh waters. It's a refreshing non-alcoholic summer-y drink with origins in Mexico where it is sold by street vendors. In South and Central American stores or restaurants you can sometimes you can find it in large containers where it is ladled out by the glassful. Agua fresca is a great drink for warm weather. It's a hydrating and satisfying thirst quencher that is much better than soda or over-sugared bottled drinks and fountain drinks.

Agua fresca is usually made with fruit, lime juice, and water. Watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry, and pineapple are popular flavors. When you make them at home the ingredients can be adjusted for personal taste. Often there's no need to add sugar, because the fruits are sweet enough on their own. Because you don't strain the agua fresca after blending it (unless it's too thick in which case you can lightly strain to remove larger pieces) you're also getting some of the healthy fiber.

What fruits to use

Just about any fruit or fruit combination is fair game when it comes to agua fresca. Of course you'll need water and lime juice. Substitute lemon if you're out of limes, but trust me it's somehow better with lime juice. Mangos, peaches, pineapple, there's really no limit to the tasty and refreshing combinations you can make.

One of my personal choices for a great agua fresca is watermelon which is abundantly available in the summertime. Juicy and delicious, watermelon is in vitamin C and lycopene, as well as being rich in the electrolytes potassium and sodium. This makes it a fabulous choice for summer time when we tend to lose a lot of electrolytes through perspiration.

Luciano Pavarotti once said, “Watermelon, it's a great fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.” If you're eating it that's certainly true. With an agua fresca you can still enjoy the wonderful flavor and not have to worry about the wash your face part. Here's my favorite recipe:

Agua Fresca

2016-12-24 03:49:42

Save Recipe

Ingredients

2 C. strawberries, dehulled
3 C. watermelon, removed from the rind and pitted
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/3-1/2 C. of ice cold water
mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

Place berries, watermelon and lime juice in a blender
Blend until well mixed
Add water until you reach a consistency that you prefer
Garnish and enjoy!

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

There Is A Season

by Mirachange, holidays, seasons

As the song goes, “To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn.” I was reminded of that this week when I was in the stores buying back-to-school supplies. I was horrified to see that Christmas stuff is on display. Folks, we haven't even hit Labor Day yet. Of course the Halloween stuff was prettily arranged in the aisles and who knows how early that had been set out. This just goes to show how infreqently I shop at those kinds of stores.

I believe that a large part of the stress that many of my clients complain about is due to this marketing push for ever longer sales seasons. We should enjoy the fullness of each season while it is here instead of frantically racing toward the next season. Truth be told we should enjoy the fullness of each season and what it truly means instead of focusing on the material aspects that marketers have tried to convince us is necessary to each season. That applies to any season, the beginning of the seasons, a month with a special birthday, a life event, all of these are seasons and reasons to celebrate. But we should celebrate mindfully and lovingly instead of being corralled toward the store to buy, buy, buy.

Summer isn't over yet and although where I live the kids go back to school in just three short days we are trying to enjoy those last precious moments of unscheduled time. To spend more time just being, to celebrate the end of summer. I do not want to even think about Halloween, much less Christmas. I choose not to race through these days frantically worrying about whether or not I have the latest fashionable ornaments, wondering if I have enough ‘stuff' to celebrate whatever season it isn't-quite-yet.

One of the biggest things we need to remember is to take time to breathe. To avoid the hurry-scurry madness that modern life seems to promote.

So turn a blind eye to those gaudy aisle displays and bring your earplugs to turn down the sound on the holidays-not-yet-here. And if you want to learn how to tone down your Christmas, get started now with this free e-book from the New American Dream.

Live life at your own pace, remember to breathe, and be well.

Summer Freshness

by Miraseasons, vegetables, vegetarian

I love summer eating. Using fresh vegetables, grilling, delicious salads, it all adds up to a refreshing and satisfying way to eat.

My sister-in-law is a big “salad” person and years ago taught me to make lots of different kinds of salad. She made it more than just green vegetables with a few chunks of something thrown on top and dressing from a bottle. She always serves wonderful salads with her meals, planning them to coordinate with the main dish.

Yesterday's dinner was “dry” grilled veggies; not marinated but brushed with oil as they are cooking. Instead of a pastry brush I like to use a long sprig of rosemary; the olive oil has garlic, herbs such as thyme and oregano and some salt in it. The vegetables come out drier but with a great intense flavor to them. Served with a little aioli (a French garlic-y mayonnaise) on the side they are fabulous. I served them with two side salads, my favorite Quinoa Taboule and a great jicama salad recipe that I got from the latest issue of Clean Eating.

Jicama is a wonderful root vegetable sometimes referred to as a Mexican turnip. It is part of the legume family, a tasty, crunchy, sweet vegetable whose cultivation has spread to include a larger area within South American and parts of Asia. In texture it is similar to an Asian pear. Low in calories, high in fiber and vitamin C it is very versatile and can be eaten raw, stir fried, roasted, even turned into relish. It adds a snap and a crunch to raw dishes, with a crisp refreshing flavor and is equally delicious in cooked dishes. As a cooked vegetable it can be substituted for water chestnuts in stir fry dishes, or can be steamed, boiled or even fried. If you haven't had jicama before you may be surprised to discover how versatile it is and how much you like it.

Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pachyrhizus_erosus_2.jpg

Skin Sense

by Mirahealth, seasons

As the weather warms up and the summer grows closer many people are spending more time outdoors, enjoying the sunshine and trying to get some vitamin D. With outdoor exposure comes the inevitable sunscreen. Before you rush off to the store to stock up on your supply, be sure to check the Enviornmental Working Group's sunscreen database so that you can purchase a product that is safe for your skin.

According to the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements “Complete cloud cover reduces UV energy by 50%; shade (including that produced by severe pollution) reduces it by 60%. UVB radiation does not penetrate glass, so exposure to sunshine indoors through a window does not produce vitamin D. Sunscreens with a sun protection factor of 8 or more appear to block vitamin D-producing UV rays.” And according to the Medical College of Wisconsin if you live in Boston, MA, from November through February you will not get sufficient exposure to synthesize vitamin D. This would, logically, include anyone living further north than Boston, MA.

One suggestion to increase vitamin D is to go out for a short period of time, in the spring and summer months, without sunscreen and then apply after getting some exposure. Since how much exposure you need is determined by a number of factors, skin color, latitude, climate condition, and season, it is not easy to know how much is enough but 10-15 minutes a few times a week is generally considered reasonable.

edit: Apparently now there is some controversy about SPF numbers as evidenced by this NYT article. The article gives several important pieces of advice including to use the recommended amount of sunscreen; if you don't you're not getting the coverage that you think you are. Another important point is that you are looking for appropriate UVA and UVB coverage. Also mentioned is the fact that even SPF100 does not provide 100% coverage.

provide photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

’tis The Season

by Miragratitude, seasons

Here in Texas 'tis the season…for wildflowers. Driving around town, seeing the beautiful flowers that were sown last fall, bluebonnets (the Texas state flower), Indian paintbrush, squaw weed, anemone's, wine cup and more, their pretty delicate flowers and bright colors along the roadside bring a smile to my face. They are a symbol that winter is pretty much over, that the heat and humidity of summer is almost upon us.

I'm enjoying this season, trying to stay in the now. To focus on the beauty that is blooming to life around us, the soft gentle breezes that will disappear too quickly, the joy of being able to throw open the windows and enjoy the fresh air.

I often find that we are rushed from one season to another without the ability to enjoy what is right in front of us. Usually this is focused on merchandizing for the holidays (did anyone but me notice that St. Patrick's Day stuff was out before Valentine's Day was over?) and exhorting us to buy things instead of enjoying the moment. I have come to find that I have all of the “things” and “decorations” that I need or want. Actually we gave away most of them when we downsized to our smaller house and I'm much happier being able to avoid the stores and/or ignore those displays around me.

When I work with a client and we are looking at issues that cause stress we frequently find that it is from this feeling that we are being hurried along. You can't enjoy one season or one holiday because the next one is hard on it's heels and quick, quick you have to get ready. By taking the time to fully enjoy what is around us we create less stress for ourselves, a calmer environment for our families and a healthier life.

There is a great book called The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle and he has just come out with a companion book Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The Power of Now. When we are caught up in the hurry and flurry of media/marketing driven life sometimes we need some guidance and more than a little practice to get back to what truly has meaning for us. I am still working on this for myself; I think it's a lifelong practice.

Take a moment, where you are to go outside and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. If there are no flowers where you are today, just gaze out your window and enjoy the season.

Be well.

picture courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Quadell

Auld Lang Syne

by Miragratitude, holidays, seasons, stressnew year, resolution

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne? - Robert Burns

Auld lang syne, times gone by. As the New Year fast approaches many of us think back on the year that has been and, of course, eagerly await the year to be.

For some reason, the celebration of New Year's is tied to an expectation of promises for the year ahead. I will....lose weight, start to exercise, get more organized, anything that we think needs to be fixed.

The problem, as I see it, is that many people try to do this in an absolute fashion. It's all or nothing for the diet, the gym, the insert-your-choice-here. My trainer at the gym laughingly tells me that although the gym is starting to get very crowded these days I should be patient because in another 30 days it will empty out again.

People will start the New Year with good intentions and lots of motivation. But it is hard work and, if they've done no mental preparation other than making a vague promise to themselves, overwhelming. It doesn't last long.

When I work with clients I encourage them to not work in absolutes. If you slowly and mindfully make changes, just one or two at a time, they are more likely to stick.

As an example, I have one client who is trying to break a fast food habit. Instead of never ever ever going to a fast-food restaurant again, we started by having her give up the soda (that was her choice). Then we began to cut down on the number of times she went out for fast food. Next, it was to downsize the meal (get a Jr. burger and a small fries). Eventually, it will not even be a temptation.

In the past, because she would say, "that's it, I'm never eating fast food again" she would not have much success and usually within 30 days found herself standing in line to order and feeling really bad about it. Feeling bad about it may be modestly motivating in the short term, but I believe it just helps build up that "I don't care" callus and gets in the way of making positive changes.

I don't make grand sweeping resolutions anymore. I personally see no need to tie all my motivations and changes to one day. Instead, I try to live mindfully; to make thoughtful, achievable choices. Don't make a huge, possibly overwhelming, promise to yourself later tonight. Consider a modest goal that, when you reach it, will make you feel good about yourself and encourage you to keep going.

Some suggestions might be:

Adding a gratitude practice to your day - writing down five things a day that you are grateful for
Choosing to leave five minutes early for appointments to reduce stress
Planning to turn off or not answer the phone the first 15 minutes after you arrive home from work to give yourself some decompression time
Deciding that at least one day a week you will set a beautiful table for yourself and your family to eat dinner at
Choosing to eat one more piece of fruit or vegetable a day than you normally do
Drinking one (or one more) glass of water every day if you, like most people, don't drink enough

Think about what you want to achieve, why you want to accomplish that goal, and a small step as part of the process to get you there. With this kind of mental preparation and reasonable expectations, you will achieve your goals.

Have a happy, healthy New Year, and be well.

Kitchen Questions

by Miraproduce, questions, seasons

My friend Helene had a couple of questions for me:

1. “My cookies require fresh ginger….the last root I bought turned out to be very fibrous…..little strings and after the cookies were made they look like they are full of cat hair. taste delicious…look unappealing….on the Food Channel I noticed them mincing ginger and there were no hairs at all…how can I tell if the ginger I am about to buy will be smooth?“

I too have frequently had a problem with fibrous shredded ginger. But since all ginger is fibrous the answer lies not in finding one that has no fiber but in finding the right tool to shred your ginger. I used to use a box grater but it wasn't great. The best is a rasp-type file. The story is that a woman who was frustrated by her inefficient lemon zester one day grabbed her husbands' microplane rasp and found that it did an excellent job.

My local Sur la Table has one very reasonably priced at $10 but I'm sure you can find them at any upscale cookware store.

2. “Potatoes and squash are on sale this week…I have 3 bags of potatoes, a cold basement, lots of boxes and newspaper….could you discuss cold storage for produce for those of us in NE climate?“

It's much easier to store foods for long harvest in colder climates. The process is known as cold storage, or root cellaring. According to my favorite source book Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables, “Second-crop potatoes are best for storing…they should be cured before storing to give them a chance to heal surface nicks and toughen their skins. Spread them out in a protected place where the temperature is 60-75 degrees F. They should not be exposed to rain, sun or wind during curing. After a one-week to two-week curing period, potatoes are ready for storage…for winter keeping, put your potatoes ina cold damp spot…[they] keep best at 36-40 degrees F with high humidity, around 90 percent.”

Squash also need to be cured (except for acorn squashes) and recommended storage is warmer and drier than for potatoes, an unheated side room or attic can be ideal.

I highly recommend the Root Cellaring book as well as Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long. Both of these books have a lot of excellent information, presented in an easy-to-read-and-understand format. I believe that they are very good resource books for anyone interested in food storage.

If you have any questions about food, nutrition or holistic health just let me know…the answers may appear here on the blog.

photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nino_Barbieri