Eating Locally

For centuries, Ayurveda has upheld the principles of eating organic, seasonal, and local food. Ayurveda encourages us to limit our intake of processed foods – which is anything not in its proper/natural form whether frozen, packaged with preservatives, refined, carbonated, microwaved, or genetically modified.  If health is our priority, we should take more time to prepare our food!

The recent craze to eat organic, local, and seasonal food is certainly one to be praised. Given we are what we eat (or ultimately what we digest), it is in everyone’s best interest to eat fresh foods that are full of life and vitality and are not tainted by the indigestible residues of chemical pesticides, preservatives, and other processing agents.  Eating organically, seasonally, and locally helps ensure that our food, and in turn our body, is full of nutrients and energy.

In addition, if we eat foods that are in season and grown traditionally in our local climate and community, we are able counterbalance the inherent environmental hardships in the most natural way.  For example, squashes and root vegetables that traditionally grow in cold or winter climates are naturally heartier than summer greens and fruits that grow in warmer climates. Indeed, we all could use more grounding and warming foods in winter to endure the wind and cold, just as we need lighter and cooler foods during the summer to counter the dense heat of the sun.