Harvesting Health This New Year

The new year gets off to a good start with the Harvest Festivals. Every year, around the 14th of January we celebrate it with great enthusiasm and gratitude in our hearts. These celebrations are commonly referred to as "harvest festivals" because they mark the end of the traditional winter farming season. Not only do they represent agricultural importance, but it is also a good time to detox and cleanse our digestive systems.

So, with fresh hopes, new goals, and the end of the Winter season, let’s learn how to incorporate seasonal foods and their impact on our immune system.

Eating Right, Eating Seasonal & its Benefits

While we all may enjoy the occasional chat and deep-fried junk (some more than others and more frequently so), health is of utmost importance to all of us! Right? Why, with all the new spiking of the COVID cases amongst us, there is all the more reason for us to eat the right food that can help us increase our immunity.

Eating seasonal foods has been said to increase our immunity in many folds. Choosing and eating our indigenous seasonal fruits and vegetables can provide essential nutrients that can aid you and defend you from the seasonal flu and virus of that season.

Below is a list of how and what to include in your diet this season and reap the maximum benefits-

Food that is in the season has a high nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables that naturally ripen have a better flavour, are fresher and contain more nutrients than those that have been preserved. The newest, tastiest, and most nutritious seasonal fruits and vegetables naturally ripen in the sun. They also contain the most antioxidants and phytonutrients. The longer the produce is stored or allowed to sit while transported, the less nutritional value it retains. The most nutrition is obtained when seasonal produce is consumed shortly after harvested.

Food produced seasonally is less expensive because farmers invest in them and harvest them in large quantities. Seasonal foods have many other advantages besides being nutritious, one of which is that they are affordable. When something is produced in a place during its season, the food price naturally decreases because the farmer doesn't have to pay for transportation or storage.

Nutrition

The body gets the nutrition it needs when consuming seasonal fruits and vegetables. We have access to various citrus fruits in the winter that are high in vitamin C, which helps the body fight colds and coughs. Soups, stews, and casseroles are deliciously warm and nourishing dishes that can be made with winter vegetables. On the other hand, summer foods like stone fruits and salad vegetables for those delectable cool summer salads give us extra beta-carotene and other carotenoids that help protect us against sun damage. They also provide more sweetness for an energising summer.

Taste

Produce in season is more flavorful, sweeter, and perfectly ripe. When taken for consumption, fruits and vegetables naturally ripened on the vine or tree and harvested at the proper time will have much more flavour and nutrition.

Cost

Additionally, customers end up paying more for foods that must be transported from a great distance because the cost of storage and transportation is passed on to them. And that is why buying locally also significantly lowers the cost of logistics. Eating in season also reduces the demand for out-of-season produce, boosts local farming consumption, and, most importantly, shortens the time that food needs to be refrigerated and lowers the expense of transportation and crop irrigation.

These solutions boost the regional economy while also being environmentally friendly.

It's important to note that these locally grown fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides to prevent insects and pests from spoiling them. Each season offers a variety of gorgeous fresh vegetables, each rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and phytonutrients in their unique ways.

But remember that these could also spread germs because they go through many hands. So make sure your food is safe to eat by washing it with a fruit and vegetable wash that has a natural action.

Immunity

There needs to be more emphasis on eating seasonal foods to boost your immunity. Although, it is not that everyone can eat seasonally and locally, both in terms of their health and budget. It involves choosing options that are better for your health and wallet whenever possible. Choose suitable fruits and vegetables that are healthy, in season, and not priced hefty!

It's important to note that these locally grown fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides to prevent insects and pests from spoiling them. Each season offers a variety of gorgeous fresh vegetables, each rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and phytonutrients in their unique ways.

But remember that these could also spread germs because they go through many hands. So make sure your food is safe to eat by washing it with a fruit and vegetable wash that has a natural action.

We at Medibuddy wish everyone a very happy New Year! May this article nudge you in the right direction and help you choose healthier options! Healthy lifestyle decisions lead to a healthy and happy you!