Monthly Archives: May 2011

tomato - eating seasonally

Seasonal Eating For Best Health

by fruit, 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

  1. 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?
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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:

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:

Serendipity

by reviews, vacation, vegetarian

For those of you who don't know, I”m a vegetarian.  I became one back in 2005 due to health reasons.  I felt so much better that I've never looked back.  It does however, at times, become a bit of a problem.  Finding vegetarian choices in the United States is not so much of a problem but when traveling it can be more of a challenge.

Currently my husband and I are on a ten day tour of Northern France, enjoying the sights, sounds, and history of the Picardy and Normandy regions.  Sadly I've discovered that many times there is not much of an option for vegetarians.  I've eaten a lot of salad crudite, pain et fromage, and green salad.  All, I must confess, quite delicious, but sometimes it gets boring to eat the same thing over and over.  When asking at a restaurant if they serve vegetarian meals and having the hostess start with poisson — fish — is not a hopeful beginning.  I did have one bad aftermath from a meal of vegetables that apparently were cooked in a meat broth, I paid for that the next day with abdominal distress.

So tonight was an absolute delight.  We stopped at Restaurant de la Halles in Lyon de Foret looking for dinner of some kind.  Our server inquired of the chef if he could accomodate a vegetarian.  His proposed menu was a dish of asparagus and green beans accompanied with a leek and potato creme fraiche gratin.  Delicious?  This meal was wonderful and one of the most satisfying I've had on the entire trip.  I ate every bit and seriously wanted to lick the dish that those potatoes were cooked in.  My husband had a fish dish that he said was very delicious.  Thank you sir for a delicious meal and for being so thoughtful.  Thank you also for the amazing Poire belle Helene that I shared with my husband for dessert.

I don't limit my travel due to my dietary restrictions, however I am always pleased when I find a restaurant that is willing to be so accommodating (and creates such good food).

Your Right To Choose

by government

I just finished attending the annual conference of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP), held in San Francisco, CA,  where I met up with many wonderful “nutrition nerds”, learned an amazing amount of information, and enjoyed fabulous food.  The NANP is the premier organization within the U.S. guiding standards for holistic nutrition.  Part of the requirement for professional membership is the continuation of our education, whether through conferences or other sources, we are all committed lifelong learners.

When I work with a client in my capacity as a Certified Nutrition Educator I am always careful to let them know that I am not a doctor.  I do not diagnose anything, I do not treat anything.  I do, however, know a lot about food and it's effects on the body; I am always engaged in learning more so that I can teach my clients how to meet the needs of their bio-individual bodies.

Along with all of the amazing and exciting information about nutrigenomics, epigenetics, and more I was shocked to learn about pending legislation in the State of California.  Under pressure from the American Dietetic Association, California is considering Assembly Bill 575.  As I understand it this Bill, if it passes, would mean that without ADA credentials, non-Dieticians would not be allowed to practice any form of nutritional therapy.

There are several problems with this legislation as I see it:

1.  Dieticians and Nutrition Professionals do different things.  Most Dieticians work in clinical settings, offering acute care.  Nutrition Professionals tend to work with clients from a more holistic point of view, providing education and support for chronic health issues.  There is a much needed and valuable use for Dieticians, but I believe what they do is frequently different from Nutrition Professionals and therefore we need both.

2.  The ADA has several major corporation such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mars, and Hershey on their board.  I do not believe they are unbiased against the suggestions and education offered by many holistic health professionals which in turn potentially impacts their products.

3.  This type of legislation could potentially prove devastating to a client's ability to seek integrative health care.  It would remove the right of choice.

California is not the only place where this is happening.  Similar legislation is being considered in Nevada, New York, and New Jersey.

I was horrified to learn at the conference that one of my heros in the nutrition world, Dr. Liz Lipski, has been issued a Cease and Desist order in the State of North Carolina and is no longer allowed to practice. This is a woman who holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Nutrition, an M.S. in Nutrition, is credentialed by two different boards, is a respected faculty member at several different universities and institutes, and has published a number of books.  However she has been deemed by the ADA as unqualified.  According to information found on her website someone with a BA in Dietetics, 6 nutrition courses, and no further experience is more qualified than she is from the ADA perspective.

I find that to be simply unbelievable and quite frankly disturbing.  As I mentioned above, there is a need for both.  This is not an either or issue.  Unfortunately I believe it is corporate bullying on the part of the ADA and possibly some members of it's board.  I also believe that the public has a right to choose.

This issue is on-going and likely to change rapidly.  If you live in one of the affected states I urge you to write to your Representatives and let them know that as a consumer and a constituent you are asking them to protect your right to choose.  Ask them to consider the position of the State of Colorado which in 2007 decided that this type of licensing did not meet the needs of it's citizens (letter found here).  If you do not live in one of the currently affected states it is important to be mindful that the situation could change.  Additionally there may be other action items that can be taken down the road so keep your eye out for further news and legislation.