Healthy Eating and a Healthy Lifestyle
This month we continue to dive deeper into “Living a Healthy Life”. For this particular blog, I would like to focus on one of my favorite places on the planet and that is the Farmers Market.
There is just something to being outside in the sunlight cruising from tent to tent looking at all of the local vendors. Some of my favorite vendors, (besides Impact Family Chiropractic of course) are all of our food vendors!
There are hundreds of views when it comes to food and what you should and should not eat with hot topics such as GMO, Grass Fed, Organic, Dyes, Antibiotic Free, Cage Free, Pesticide Free etc. Most of the food that my family buys from the farmer’s market comes with small simple labels where we can easily digest where the food came from and the journey from growing it to serving it.
I believe that we can take a very complicated conversation and make it very easy with a few small rules to follow. Now having said that I understand that some people need to supplement and some have restrictions with their diet but I still believe these rules apply across the board.
The “Rules” to Finding Healthy Food (in Round Rock or Anywhere!)
Rule #1: Food was meant to go bad.
I understand that there is no worse feeling than cleaning out your fridge and calculating the amount of wasted money and food as you throw things away. Fresh food that is not packed with preservatives is supposed to spoil over time.
One reason we go almost every weekend is that the food does not last much longer than that. Whether it is locally sourced met or local fresh produce they will go bad because they are meant to.
Most of us have seen that picture of a Mcdonald’s cheeseburger that looks exactly the same years later! Anything that can sit on the counter and show no signs of going bad is typically not intended to be nutritious or serve our body and health.
Rule #2: Know where your food comes from if at all possible.
Most weeks we know where all of our meat, eggs, produce and bread come from. There is a big difference between eating salmon that was caught wild and fresh then salmon living in a tank and fed chemicals.
Much of the food represented at the Farmer’s market is from local ranches and gardens and they can tell you the story of how their products were grown or raised. The general rule of thumb is the fewer stops from the garden to your table the better.
Rule #3: KISS or keep it simple silly!
We can overcomplicate with micros and macros but at the end of the day, a balanced diet full of vegetables and fruits gives you most of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
You can find healthy fats and proteins from local meat, eggs, avocados and many other sources. The foundation of your diet can typically (depending on the season) be met in one place.
Another tip if you have picky eaters is to take them with you! One of my kid’s favorite things is to go along and pick out crazy or weird-looking vegetables. Some they like and some they don’t but the process of them choosing allows for them to be open about trying them.
Keep an eye out for other immune boosting products like locally sourced honey (great for allergies) or homemade elderberry syrup which is packed with antioxidants.
Go explore, try new things and be confident with where your food is coming from.
If you live here in Round Rock or surrounding areas you can check out our market which is on Saturdays 10-2 behind IKEA in I-35. https://www.farmergeorge.market/.
See you there!
Are you looking for a way to help the Round Rock community right now? Join us for our annual “UNDIE 500′ clothes drive!