It was not until I was in the fight of my life, with a stage IV cancer diagnosis in 2008 that I really began to learn why it is important to eat seasonal foods.

After all, I was so busy with life that it never really crossed my mind. I had a lot to learn.

Optimal health happens when the right foods nourish your beautiful body. However, certain foods aren’t always available in grocery stores or local markets. Disease prevention relies on knowing what foods are in season that will provide ideal nutrition and help keep the immune system strong.

Piling the plate high with seasonal foods that connect you to your local environment is an amazing way to ward off disease and obtain peak performance. Raw fruits and vegetables sweep out toxins that lead to inflammation and help keep us feeling great.

Spring Into Spinach

Keep your eyes peeled for artichokes, spinach, broccoli, fennel and mango in the spring. There are so many fun fruits and veggies to try. Always change it up, so you get a wide variety of antioxidants.

Summer Is For Berries

Berries, fruits and raw vegetables are simple choices that help the body feel full, while also contributing to more energy. They’re great snacks-to-go and add a hint of fresh taste to cereals and yogurt. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are luscious in healthy smoothies, salads and desserts.

Fall For Root Veggies

In the fall, carrots, sweet potatoes and squash provide plenty of vitamin A and antioxidants while supporting our bodies. This is important for healing and for anyone inching towards optimal health. Apples and pears are available early fall. There are so many varieties of each; you’ll never go bored. They keep digestion healthy with plenty of fiber. Pears and apples also contain high amounts of vitamin C to help keep the immune system strong and potassium, to balance sodium intake and help keep blood pressure normal.

Other fall vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash keep for quite a while in a cool dry place is available. Having these veggies around will keep your menus colorful and delicious.

Winter Calls For Vitamin D

In the winter, it is essential to load up on foods high in Vitamin D and whole grains. Lack of sunlight requires supplementation of the sunshine Vitamin D. Whole grains provide B vitamins, which help maintain energy levels throughout the day.

It may be more challenging to avoid sweets and baked goods over the winter, particularly around the holidays. However, by learning to use wonderful seasonal options families can keep their immune systems strong to fight off bugs like the Flu and common cold.

Enjoying the harvest of each season is the perfect recipe for shedding pounds, boosting your energy and experiencing extraordinary health.

Knowing which foods are available and how to use them is the key to experiencing more energy and an improved overall sense of well being. Disease prevention is all about being in line with nature’s rhythms.

Relephant Read:

7 Tips for Aligning with the Change of Seasons.

~

Author: Elaine Gibson

Editor: Renee Jahnke

Image: Dragan Milovanovic at Pixoto