The Benefits of Eating Seasonal Produce

The spring season is upon us here at Hippocrates Wellness in West Palm Beach, Florida, and while we are winding down our local growing season and watching the local farmers markets start to close down for the summer months, most other parts of the country and world are experiencing the beginning of their growing season. Gardens are being planted, certain fruits and vegetables are being harvested and farmers markets are opening.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season and grown locally has not only health benefits, but also financial benefits as well. One of the best benefits of eating food that has been grown both locally and in-season is that you get the best tasting, healthiest foods available, when nutrients are at their peak. When you are able to buy organic fresh fruits and vegetables from a local farmers market, where the food has been grown and harvested nearby, you are able to purchase foods that have not lost their flavor of health benefits from sitting in shipping containers that are being shipped across the ocean. Crops picked at their peak of ripeness are also better tasting and more flavorful. The cost for purchasing these foods are usually lower as well because transportation costs are minimal and the number of hands involved is greatly reduced.

Here at Hippocrates, we are able to use our greenhouse throughout the entire year, which allows us to continue growing sprouts and wheatgrass no matter the season. Most people do not have access to a greenhouse, but learning the art of sprouting can help you maintain the raw, living foods diet even during the fall and winter months when seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables might be limited.

As this spring season begins, remember to try to shop for fruits and vegetables that are in season and grown locally to maximize your health as well as support the farmers and businesses in your local community. A great to start is by joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in your area and supporting restaurants and businesses who are committed to seasonal, local food. This is an excellent way to establish relationships with the farmers in your community and really understand where your food is being harvested and the practices they are using to grow the food. By eating and buying fruits and vegetables locally and in season, you are also supporting the local economy and the farmers and growers in the community and other businesses and restaurants by creating jobs and stimulating the local economy.

Article by Andrea Nison