Eat Locally and Seasonally but most importantly Mindfully!

It’s that time of the year again when the skies touch the Earth through pitter patter rain. I am instantly and instinctively craving the delish butter smothered corn-on-the-cob. Also I plan to make the most of this dewy weather by gorging on the seasonal and juicy peaches and plums. And will not shy away from eating an occasional platter of aloo-pyaaz pakoras alongwith steaming masala chai when the skies are overcast and rains spread lushness all around.

So it has become much more advisable to eat local and seasonal foods. Local food is fresh and more nutrient dense. As soon as a food is plucked from the plant, the nutrients start to deteriorate. The fresher the food the more nutrient dense it will be. Eating locally also supports eating seasonally. Dr Hunar Verma, consultant Dietician & Nutritionist, who runs diet & nutrition hub, says, “The most important advantage of eating seasonally is the health benefits. Seasonal eating includes eating fresh fruits and vegetables that haven’t been processed or transported long distances. Processing foods includes techniques such as tinning, blanching and dehydrating foods to enhance their life span. Blanching involves heating a food very quickly with steam or water and this often removes a number of vitamins in the food. This frequently occurs before a food is tinned or frozen. Freezing processes themselves do not cause too much damage; it is the blanching that occurs beforehand that does the harm. Dehydrating can reduce the Vitamin C in some fruits but on the other hand can enhance other nutrients. Therefore, it is best to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Most of us these days obsess over weight loss or maintaining a physical appearance like celebrities. With the kind of lifestyle and diet that we follow, is it doable? It is extremely important to realise that an optimum weight can be achieved through a lifestyle which is as close to the natural resources that we are endowed with. Why fret over consuming the exotic quinoa and kale when we all have grown up with milk and even ghee for the wholesome protein that they provide.

The key is eating mindfully. We need to decide for ourselves what works best for us. Eating what is in the season and available locally is an easy way to beat the illness as well. As Dr Hunar further explains, “Having the option to purchase locally grown food has many benefits. Locally grown food is full of flavor as well as it supports the local economy. local foods promote a safer food supply and yes is environment friendly too. “

So in order to achieve a healthy life pattern do we have to consume food which can be dull. Can eating locally produced and seasonal foods be boring? Who says? They can be combined to produce some most amazing and delectable food combinations. Also in moderation the popular comfort foods can be consumed. But I will prefer a platter of poori-aloo with some dryfruit laced sweet Lassi rather than a bowl of twirly noodles or a chewy bagel. These are great foods too but my locally adapted tastebuds will give more preference to super yummy yet humble poori aloo!