Special contributor to Real Mama, Inc.
When it’s cold outside, we do our best to stay warm. It’s also at this time of year that we crave warm, heavy, fat and sweet foods. And if they are the right kind of foods, it’s exactly what our bodies need to keep warm. Our energy is lower too, and we tend to sleep more. No, it’s not just you. It’s the human race. However, most people aren’t tired and have low energy because of the seasons. It also has a lot to do with eating the wrong foods and living a lifestyle that is damaging to our bodies and our minds. And that’s not all it’s damaging.
Ten thousand years ago, we were hunter gatherers. We lived in synch with nature and the rhythm of the seasons. We had no choice, for it’s all we knew. Today, our bodies are still in tuned to the seasons, even if our minds are not. As animals adapt to the weather by storing fat and growing thicker coats, so do we. Our hair grows faster (on our heads and bodies). You may also notice that you gain a little weight in the winter. Our bodies need that extra fat to keep us warm, and it needs to make sure we have our reserves because food is scarce in the cold—at least it was 10,000 years ago.
In fact, food was scarce for the majority of the population until very recently. As recent as 100 years ago, our culture was heavily dependent on local farms and the seasonal offerings. But since our world has become industrialized, we’ve gone in a direction away from the natural order of things and the repercussions are devastating, to the epidemic of obesity and disease to the destruction of our environment and humanity.
Sounds bleak, doesn’t it? Well, things are looking up. Just in the past few years, the move toward a more conscious living has taken off. People are actually thinking about what they are eating in a way like never before and the effect is that we’re moving back toward the way is was when people lived in synch with nature and the seasons. But now it’s a matter of choice.
Here are some things you can do to reverse the destructive industrialization practices of the past few generations and , at the same time, improve your own health:
Eat less red meat. Make it a side dish a couple days a week at most. Our bodies were not built to eat the amounts most people eat regularly. When you do eat meat, look for locally raised animals that are organic or grass fed. There are scary statistics attached to the amount of water and oil used in the production of one factory farmed animal, not to mention the more immediate effects on the environment because of land clearing, chemicals, medications, and animal waste. The inhuman treatment of these animals is also something that would make even non-animal lovers cringe.
Eat local (and, therefore, seasonally). The food most people eat for dinner has traveled an average of 1,500 miles. According to Good Guide, one Canadian study estimated that choosing 58 locally selected food items could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49,485 tons annually — the equivalent of removing 16,191 vehicles from the road. Choosing local foods not only helps our environment, but is healthier for us as well. Unless they are also organic, local produce requires less pesticides and little if any preservatives (yes, on produce!). The nutritional integrity is also maintained when it’s eaten within 24 hours of being harvested.
Choose organic. The philosophy of organic food production maintains certain principles: biodiversity, ecological balance, sustainability, natural plant fertilization, natural pest management, and soil integrity. The practices of organic farmers are in balance with the natural environment, using methods and materials that minimize negative impact on the environment. The health benefit? Think of it this way: pesticides aren’t just poison to pests.
It’s simple to get started on the right track just by abiding by these three suggestions. If we could simply get half of America to do so, we’d see amazing positive results in our health and the environment. And on a personal level, I promise, you’ll feel better both physically and emotionally. Getting back to the natural order of things does this quite easily. So, make a commitment to be conscious and pass the idea along.
The following resources were used in gathering information for this article. Please visit them yourself to learn more information about healthy eating choices.
www.michaelpollan.com
www.GoodGuide.com
Waistland by Deirdre Barrett
Debbie Peterson MA, CHC is an Integrative Health and Nutrition Counselor trained at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and certified by Columbia University. She is the mother of a nine year old son and seven year old daughter and lives in Monmouth County, NJ. She also is an adjunct writing instructor at Brookdale Community College and Monmouth University.
Tags: local, organic, seasonal foods, sustainable eating
