health
Eating Seasonally In the Off Season--February 2011
I have been dreaming of vegetables lately. I am a great proponent of eating seasonally, but what does that mean here in Colorado where we just don't have much growing at this time of year? February is a challenging time to find fresh, healthy foods; this shoulder season is somewhere between using our storage produce such as winter squash and root vegetables and starting to savor the first asparagus and artichokes of spring. So what do we do to get the freshest, most nutrient-packed foods at this time of year? Here are a few suggestions:
Look for what's local. Even if vegetables have been in storage, local means that they haven't had to go far to get here. Colorado-grown produce (which is usually marked clearly at the grocery store) will have had less damage during shipping and fewer chemicals applied to it to preserve it during shipping. Also, less fossil fuels will have been used to get it here.
Flash-frozen produce. Although fresh is definitely the ideal, at this time of year some produce will be superior for taste and quality. For instance, domestically grown, organic, flash frozen berries would probably be a better choice than conventionally grown berries from Chile.
Cold-weather crops. Even though we're not growing much in Colorado at this time of year, some of our neighbors on the West Coast are in climates that can support growing some crops right now. Some of what you may find right now would be the cool-weather crops such as leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli, and possibly some of the root vegetables such as beets, radishes and early turnips.
Make friends with your local produce people! Those guys and gals quietly stacking onions are generally very friendly and chock full of knowledge about where things come from, when they were picked, how they were grown, and what's most delicious right now--remember this great resource!
Happy Eating!
Eating for Skin Health
"You are what you eat"--one of our most familiar platitudes for trying to convince ourselves to put good things into our bodies. However, there is great truth to this statement and nowhere is this more obvious than on our skin. One of the basic premises of Naturopathic Medicine states that if the body has optimum nourishment and is free of obstacles, it will come to a state of ideal health. This is an easy way to think about eating for healthy skin. The basic rules of thumb are as follows:
Obstacles to Avoid:
Any allergens or foods to which you are sensitive. Dairy, gluten, and eggs are common "hidden" culprits that can contribute to skin breakouts. If you are unsure of if you have any sensitivities, blood testing can be helpful to find out.
Refined sugars tend to promote breakouts, as do alcoholic beverages
Fatty meats tend to be pro-inflammatory
Nutrients to Include:
Omega 3 fats such as fish and flax oils decrease inflammation and create healthy skin cell membranes. Eating whole fish and flax are great too!
Fiber from sources such as flax, apples, pears, and psyllium help to move toxins from the digestion and reduce inflammation in the body
Water helps to hydrate the skin and flushes toxins from the body
Bright orange fruits and vegetables are a good source of carotenes which convert to Vitamin A, which is important for making healthy cells
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, which is also helpful for making healthy skin cells
Happy Eating!
Summer '08 Newsletter
Here's our Summer '08 issue of a collaborative effort here in Golden. We have created a newsletter with the intention of helping the people in our community live a life of health and wellness.
Enjoy!
Dr. Kaycie Rosen
Resources in the Golden Community
We have many wonderful resources for health and well-being in the Golden community and surrounding area. Here are some:
InspiritAlive! - Eliza Parker
Guild Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerCM
Body-Mind Centering(R) Practitioner
www.InspiritAlive.com
Golden Cliffs Chiropractic - Colleen Vaillancourt, DC
Chiropractor
www.drcolleendc.com
Green Mountain Yoga
www.greenmtnyoga.com
