The value of eating fresh, local produce cannot be overemphasized! Eating locally grown foods has many benefits…not only for our health but also for the farmer and the community. The foundation of good health, no matter what the goal is, is determined by the quality of the food you eat. Whether you are trying to lose weight, increase your energy, train at an elite level, or are simply wanting to eat better, nothing will have more impact than the quality of the food you consume.
It is time to really care about where your food comes from and how it gets onto your plate. The benefits of eating locally produced foods far outweigh commercially produced, over processed foods, and even the supplements you might use to try to prop up a poor diet.
So what are the benefits of eating locally sourced foods?
- Let’s start with the best benefit. Locally grown food is full of flavour and is fresher.The crops are picked at their peak of ripeness rather than being harvested early to be shipped and distributed to your local retail store. Our local producer SoHip Organics gets them to us within 48 hours of being picked. Fresher food also means safer foods and less requirement for processes and additives for preservation.
- Eating local food is eating seasonally. Modern food productions finds a way to keep bringing food to you all year round. This might mean you end up eating veggies that are months old and may have traveled thousands of kilometres! This degrades the nutritional value and the vital energy in them. Even though we wish strawberries were grown all year round, the best time to eat them is when they are in season and can be bought from a local grower. Easting seasonally is the most natural way to eat and is the best way to get nutritional and energetic value out of your food.
- Local food has more nutrients. Local food has a shorter time between harvest and getting onto your table. It is less likely that the nutrient value has decreased. We support local growers and farmers on small family farms who are committed to farming sustainably and ethically. They know the value of putting effort into keeping their soil healthy, which means more nutrients in the fruit, veg and animal produce that gets to you. Grass-fed and sustainably reared animals produce healthier meat for eating. That’s why we support Chef 2 Farmer and Grazed and Grown Farm. Eating nutrient dense foods means that your body will not crave more calories in the hope of you giving it the nutrients it really needs.
- Local food supports the local economy. We love that choosing to support local business means that the money stays close to home and is reinvested with businesses and services in our community.
- Local food benefits the environment. The cost to the environment of shipping and transporting foods across the world and country is huge! When you purchase locally grown foods you reduce that impact. You also help maintain farmland and green, open space in your community.
- Get to know your local grower. Our producers are passionate about producing the best quality, nutrient dense foods on the planet. They are committed to doing so in ways that continually replenish the soil and have the least or even a positive impact on the environment, They are all about sustainability. You can ask what practices they use to raise and harvest the crops and rear the animals. When you know where your food comes from and who grew it, you will know that what you are investing in is the future of your health and the planet.
So, let’s support local producers!
Your body will thank you for giving it nutrient dense food which means in the long run you will need to eat less, and you will be well nourished.
How can you add more locally grown foods to your diet?
Whole Health Store is committed to sourcing as much as we can from local producers.
