Seems everywhere you look there is a colorful sticker with a bounty of fruits and vegetables encouraging us to "Eat Local". While the supports local farmers and small businesses there are also important health implications.
Eating a diet of mainly plant based foods has been demonstrated in increased health, reduce risk for chronic disease, and increased mood. However many of these fruits and vegetables are picked before they are ripe.
This allows them to make the long trip by plane and truck to the warehouse long before they reach your local grocery store. Not only do they miss the opportunity to ripen naturally, increasing their flavor they're also missing some other essential elements; good bacteria and enzymes.
When we eat plant based foods that are growing locally, they contain lots of good bacteria and enzymes that are essential to our gut. These good bacteria and enzymes are indigenous to our locales, just like us. They support our health and mood by giving us all the things our guts need to function properly.
This aids in digestion and the absorption nutrients and antioxidants all of which reduce inflammation in the body. Another benefit is the boost in our mood. We actually have more of the mood boosting neurotransmitter serotonin in our stomach than anywhere else in the body. So keeping our gut happy, keeps us happy. So next time you're thinking about supporting your local grower remember you'll also be supporting your health and happiness. This article was written by Julia Swartz MSW, LICSW, CEIS reposted by permission. Julia's practice is right inside our office!
