NutritionQuarterly_Summer2020

***Fair warning – sciencey stuff coming... It turns out that the conversation about localvores goes hand-in-hand with the conversation about seasonal eating. Putting aside the idea of globalized cuisine for a moment, there are two main contributing factors to the foods that have been available to us throughout history. The first one is the climate in which we live. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in agriculture, but beyond basic 8th grade biology class, I trained as a sommelier (wine dude) in a former life and have some grasp on farming as it affects viticulture. In the US, the West Coast and southern states have longer growing seasons and have more available fresh foods as a result. Climate also affects what is grown in those areas. Can you imagine trying to grow oranges in Maine? The second contributing factor is the daily light/dark cycle, which is a result of the season and distance from the equator. Summer has the longest daylight and winter has the longest darkness. Recent studies have revealed that not only do our bodies have an “internal clock” that is affected by seasonal light and darkness, but that every cell in our bodies has its own individual internal clock. What’s more is that each of your individual organs has internal clocks of their own that operate independently of other organs. These clocks, all of which are themselves affected by the seasons, can affect your sleep/wake cycle, hormone levels, blood glucose levels and even hunger. As it turns out, all of these systems and clocks can affect your activity levels, fitness, performance and even your waistline. The result is that all of these factors affect your nutritional needs…seasonally. The takeaway from all of this should be that evolution and habit has formed a specific pattern in our eating throughout the ages. It should follow that by aligning our diets to nature and eating with the seasons, we stand a better chance of minimizing imbalances within our bodies that may negatively affect our health. There are simple, everyday seemingly innocuous choices that make perfect examples of misalignment with the seasons. I mentioned that I live on the east coast, specifically in the northeast. I love a good salad with vibrant greens and all sorts of veggies. I eat them all the time, no matter the season. It would seem difficult to argue that this is an unhealthy choice, however it doesn’t make any sense seasonally. Having a raw salad in the northeast on a cold day in the middle of winter (when those veggies aren’t available here) probably isn’t what the cells in my body are screaming for. An optimal meal might be a thick hot stew of root vegetables and beans. It may just mean switching out the spring mix in my salad for a cold- weather cabbage. Continued on next page. “...by aligning our diets to nature and eating with the seasons, we stand a better chance of minimizing imbalances within our bodies that may negatively affect our health.” Nutrition Quarterly · 2020 – Volume 3 15 The Good Life