Eating Seasonally - Benefits, How and Where You Can Find Them?
Hi! Welcome back!It’s past October and Autumn is evident! I love this season, the weather is perfect! There is no heat to die from, nor cold to limit. It's like the A / C has been turned on in the city, it feels nice.
With the change of season comes the "pumpkin spice" YES! We all agree that the “pumpkin spice” is one of the best transitions of the season, it helps us preserve body temperature, the pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger reinforce our immune system, and it prepares us for the next season! In the same way, the foods that are born this season work, they provide us with the nutrients we need for climate changes, they are subtle in our body and they synchronize us with the natural process of the seasons.
This is how Rituacharya suggests in Ayurveda, an ancient practice in India, where it explains how human beings are interconnected with the outside world, food and lifestyle is key in this discipline to understand and increase our potential during the change (seasons).
Here I will mention some of the benefits of eating seasonal foods:
When you eat seasonal foods, they have reached their maturation process in a natural way, they have been recently harvested, which results in a higher concentration of nutrients, they are fresher and they taste better!
Promote local farmers and helps the environment. Out-of-season foods have to travel long distances to reach your region, which contributes to carbon emissions in the atmosphere. When you buy seasonal foods, you are financially supporting small businesses in the region and contributing to minimize food transportation.
Reduce the consumption of pesticides and preservatives, when you buy locally grown food, seasonal and if possible organic, you are significantly minimizing the ingesting of these chemicals.
How to know which foods are in season?
This can vary according to the area where you live, through the “seasonal food guide” you can find a more specific guide for your region and season!
Where can you find them?
In Philadelphia there are many options to find a variety of locally grown food, for the rest of the USA you can find it through this directory, these are some of the options in Philly:
Philadelphia’s historic s. 9th st. Italian market
America's Oldest & Continuously Operating Outdoor Market is located in South Philadelphia's Bella Vista & Passyunk Square communities.
7am - 7pm Everyday, 919 S 9th St.
This market in “University City” offers organic and local food all year round. These markets, in addition to offering a wide variety of foods, add value to the neighborhood, creating community and facilitating access to fresh and local products.
10am-2pm Saturday (year around) and 3pm-7pm Thursday (June through November), on 43rd St. & Baltimore Ave
Rittenhouse Saturday Farmers’ Market
Farm City is a Philadelphia-based company that brings together local markets in different spots of the city, seeking to bring together communities, families and farmers throughout the year with quality food grown locally.
9am - 3pm Saturdays at Rittenhouse Square Park, on Walnut Street & 18th Street
I hope you liked this post, and are encouraged to enjoy the delicious fruits and vegetables that this season brings! I’ll share my super easy home-made recipe of "hot pumpkin spice"
You will need to:
1/2 tbsp Pumpkin pie spice (Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg)
1/2 cup of any plant-based milk or 1/4 cup if you prefer stronger coffee
1 tsp vanilla
Black coffee
Honey or maple syrup to sweeten
Place the milk in a saucepan, add "pumpkin pie spice" and vanilla, stir and heat over low heat, when it begins to bubble remove from heat. Pour 1/2 cup of the mixture into a cup and 1/2 cup of coffee , and add honey or maple syrup to sweeten to taste! ready :)
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