Full Bellies, Full Hearts.
Happy Monday, y’all! We made it to another week! I’m so proud of us! I feel that there has been a collective sigh of relief that has reverberated through my bones and those of my community and it feels so. good. I hope you’ve been able to feel it too.
One of my dear pandemic-pod friends and I have started a standing farmers market date every Sunday (I might be rich in most produce but I sure go through eggs fast—it happens when it’s one of your main protein sources) and I came across one of my favorite veggies—baby white turnips! And boy did I do a little happy dance. I’ve been trying to eat as seasonally as I can (it’s been over a year of such a practice) which keeps me creative in the kitchen when certain things are out of season and also means I get VERY excited when items I’ve been missing start popping up again. And I was sure excited to see these babies.
I’ve had a wee theory about seasonal eating that seems to be playing out for me pretty well. Our bodies, which have been slow on the evolution scale the last few thousands of years, were built to eat with the seasons. We found ways to store food past it’s harvest time, but ultimately we survived on what we had growing in the fields. Of course, different parts of the world have different fruits and vegetables available at different times (some parts like the tropics have yearly goods) but when you live in a certain climate with certain foods available, why wouldn’t our body adapt to thriving when consuming what was at hand? Since moving to the PNW and experiencing more seasons than I did growing up (Las Vegas doesn’t change tooooo much) it’s been fun to see how my diet has changed with the trees. Winter brings root veggies full of vitamins, squash to fill us up, sturdy greens to keep our system working. The kinds of foods to keep us full and warm when it’s cold and dreary. And summers bring sweet bounties of bright veggies, tomatoes to hydrate us, sweet lettuce to give us texture. A bounty to reward us for getting through the colder part of the year. Our bodies flow and change with the seasons, getting us through them the best it can. And I’ve definitely noticed a change in my sweet vessel as I’ve moved with the weather, feeling energized, sturdy and grateful.
Modern farming and transport allows us to enjoy all kinds of produce all year around, but there’s something pretty exciting about the waiting game. It creates a gratitude I didn’t have for Mama Gaia I didn’t have before. And it allows for spontaneous dances at farmers markets when you get reacquainted with a crop you haven’t seen in months. Those little moments of joy keep me going theses days, highly recommend you try it too.
Alright, I’ll stop ranting and raving now. I love you, your body loves you, don’t forget to fill it with good food today. Be well, lovelies!
