Eating in season…are you mad, it’s winter?

Yes it’s winter…better still it’s winter in Canada. One of the colder countries in the worlds (I should know, I grew up in Australia). What is all this hurrah about eating locally and in season? What can one possibly be expected to eat at this bleak time of year?

Well the answer is in fact…lots. The possibilities are endless. All you have to do is wander down to the winter farmers market or find a grocer who labels local produce. I myself, a nutritionist and vegetable fanatic, have been left gob-smacked at the variety and selection. Once I started to scratch the surface, a colourful array of vegetables began to appear.

Even if you ignored the obvious environmental benefits of consuming seasonal produce (and often as a result local produce), there are countless other reasons to do so, starting with being kind to your body and soul.

Eating with the seasons…

• keeps us attuned to the earth and cycles of nature and in turn, the cycles of our own bodies. (There is something to be said for being connected with your local surrounds in this ever-globalizing, disconnected world).
• is a practise that results in tastier, more nutritious and fresher foods. Foods are not travelling great distances; are not being picked before full maturity and are not being bred for specific traveling traits. The result is denser nutrient and water contents.
• ensures foods are generally cleaner, as they have not been doused with chemicals to help them endure a long journey.
• is more economical. How much did that pineapple cost you last week? And how did it actually taste?
• gets you thinking about growing your own food! What better way to feel a connection with the earth and eat seasonally?
• perhaps most importantly, provides us with the right kind of nutrients to deal with that particular time of year.

If you think about it, summer is abound with watery, light and cleansing fruits and vegetables, for the care-free active months. Where-as winter provides us with the heavier, starchier and therefore more building materials to deal with the cold weather and reduced activity. An even more specific case is the example of tropical fruits. They are high in the minerals (namely potassium which promote sweating), therefore keeping us cool. Time to think twice about eating that banana in the dead of winter.

When I get confused about what I should be including in my diet, (usually because of the bombardment of conflicting nutrition information out there) I rely on the stability of two things to tell me what I need; tradition and my own intuition. Traditionally we were forced to eat only what was available to us and it appears to me we were collectively a healthier bunch back in the day. Even Traditional Chinese Medicine theory tells us the qualities of foods to be eaten in the winter are the ones that are grounding, slow growing, descending energies (think root veggies), inward and nourishing. These qualities also mirror the moods many of us feel at this time of year. This is an example of the connection between us and our surrounds, as mentioned earlier.

My intuition plays such a large role in the choices of foods I eat. It naturally leads me towards the warmer, heavier more deeply nourishing foods. When we are more connected with these cycles and ourselves, we are drawn towards what is best for us. What is it you crave at this time of year?

Seasonal vegetables available at this time of year:

Squash
How good does the velvety smoothness of a deep, orange squash feel as it passes over your lips on a cold, wet, West Coast evening? The squash is one of the most warming vegetables you will find. It is full of sweet, starchy goodness and is therefore building and deeply nourishing. It is one of the highest sources of carotenoids (vitamin A) of any food.

It is specifically known for improving circulation and because of its high vitamin A content, is nourishing to the lungs, especially for an asthmatic or a smoker. Diabetics also benefit highly from a diet that regularly includes squash, as it has an inverse affect on insulin resistance.

Beets
“The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.
Tom Robbins Jitterbug Perfume

Beets really do mean business. I find them to be the quintessential vegetable. They are both cleansing (gently so) and building at the same time. Their blood red colour hints at their ability to work wonders on the blood. They improve circulation, purify the blood while providing materials to build it at the same time. They treat liver stagnation and constipation, while treating anaemia. Beets are loaded with calcium, magnesium, iron and B vitamins, particularly folic acid.

Sunchokes (also known as the Jerusalem Artichoke or Sunroots)
The somewhat pale and gnarly looking sunchoke is actually the root of a flower belonging to the sunflower family. It almost looks like a cross between a small potato and ginger.  In my opinion it is an exemplary winter vegetable. Unlike many other vegetables that must be harvested in the fall and stored throughout the winter, the sunchoke can withstand cold temperatures and frosts and is therefore harvestable year round. It doesn’t get fresher than that.

The sunchoke is a diabetic’s/ hypoglycaemic’s dream vegetable. Not only does it increase insulin production, but the sugars found within do not have an effect on blood sugar levels. Sunchokes also treat constipation, nourish the lungs and in some circles are considered an aphrodisiac! They are loaded with vitamin A, B, potassium, iron and calcium.

Parsnips
Again parsnips possess a very warming quality, which increases if picked in a frost. As with many vegetables, the frost intensifies the sugar chains, which in turn lends to its’ building quality.

Parsnips are high in silica, a mineral integral to building strong bone, hair, skin and nails. They are also an excellent source of calcium, some say 30% better than milk. The humble parsnip can also be thanked for clearing liver and gallbladder obstructions, lubricating the intestines and increasing bowel action.

Greens (i.e. kale, collards, chard, beet greens)
As we get closer to spring, greens start to pop their little heads through the soil. As a result they do have a slight cleansing component, but are building at the same time. Much like beets, they have the ability to cleanse the blood while supplying the materials to build it.

They are a very important component in bone building, not just because of their high calcium content, but their high levels of vitamin K, the much forgotten vitamin integral to calcium uptake in the bones.

Please be aware, in order to access the minerals in greens, they need to be cooked (at least lightly steamed) to neutralise the oxalic acid that will block their absorption.

So I say, go forth and load your plates with seasonal vegetables. Once you have mastered the art of sourcing and preparing the winter vegetable, as with everything in life, the constancy of change will have you reaching for the vegetables of spring…which, as I look out my window at the sun trying to shine, is just around the corner.

Sarah McMillan RNCP is a Registered Nutritionist with a passion for vegetables and an intense interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory. When she is not traipsing around the farmers markets, she can be found providing one on one nutritional consulting at Bell Chiropractic Clinic in New Westminster.
604.522.3366
grassrootshealth@shaw.ca



Do you love Farmers Markets?  
Vancouver’s Your Local Farmers Market Society (YLFMS) is currently seeking nominations from people interested in joining our Board of Directors in April 2007.  

We are looking for people who are:
* supportive of the goals of the Society;
* can attend monthly meetings;
* organized; and
* knowledgeable about the role of the Board of Directors in a non-profit society,
* available for some committee work and/or are willing to volunteer for specific projects/events at our markets occasionally.
 
Our 9-person Board of Directors aims to represent the full cross-section of farmers, other vendors, consumers and community members that take part and benefit from YLFMS farmers markets throughout the year.  For this reason, nominations from interested individuals in the West End, Kitsilano or Kerrisdale/Point Grey neighborhoods are particularily encouraged.   
 
Board nominees must be members of YLFMS for at least 30 days prior to the AGM to stand for election. Volunteers for committees are being accepted on an on-going basis. Please contact Amy Robertson at amy@happyplanet.com for further info.

Climate CHANGE Lifestyle
Thursday March 1st
Park Theatre, 3440 Cambie Street
Free  Screening of An Inconvenient Truth

Before the movie, join:
Gregor Robertson, MLA Vancouver-Fairview;  
Tom Osdoba, Sustainability Group Manager, City of Vancouver;
Morag Carter, Climate Change Program Director, David Suzuki Foundation;   

and other special guests to talk about steps we can take to make a difference in our lives and our communities.

Program starts at 6:45pm, Movie Screening at 9:00pm
Event is free. No registration required.

Vendor Looking for in town accomodations
Jay Springs Lamb - Jennifer and Chris, are looking for options for a place to stay in the Lower Mainland for the weekends when they make the long journey down from Pinantan Lake. They would love a bed and breakfast and it doesn't need to be anything fancy. They especially need to have access to power to plug in their freezers of frozen lamb. If you can help with a suggestion, please contact them at: jsr.cunningham@telus.net