Does your gym have fresh produce for you?
Make Friends with a Farmer
If you’re looking to improve your diet, don’t start with the grocery store. Rather, find a farmer! Filling your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest and smartest ways to cut back on calorie consumption, enhance nutrient intake, and improve your health and well-being. And it’s never been easier to access farm fresh foods. There are more options than ever; buy direct from local farmers by visiting farm stands, shop at one of the region’s farm markets, or participate in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.
A recent study found a clear association between fruit and vegetable intake and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, concluding that millions of premature deaths could be prevented if more fruits and vegetables were consumed. Another study suggested that people who eat more servings of fruit and vegetables each day had a lower risk of psychological distress like anxiety or depression.
The benefits of a diet rich in produce are clear. You know it’s the right thing to do. But how will you get that good stuff from the farm to your fork? Here are some tips!
Why Buy Local?
Of course, you can find fruits and vegetables in many forms at the grocery store. But there are so many good reasons to take advantage of locally grown produce. Aside from the economic benefits of supporting a hometown business, local food is fresher, more flavorful, and often, even more nutritious than products that have been picked and processed long before they’re purchased.
Did you know that the quality of vitamins and minerals in food can deteriorate over time? So whenever you can reduce the amount of time that your food spends waiting around, the more you’ll realize the benefits of consuming those healthy foods. Fruits and vegetables that are part of mass distribution are often harvested before their peak. Then they spend days or weeks traveling to warehouses and storage centers before being stocked in stores; by the time you bring them home, they are road weary and past their prime.
By contrast, local farms offer food fresh from the field, often picked the same day that you buy it, fully ripened and bursting with flavor. Not only are you eating the highest quality produce, but but also the most nutritious.
Another advantage is the opportunity to build a relationship with your food producer. You’ll know exactly where your food came from, and how it’s grown. You’re not left wondering whether it’s been genetically modified or exposed to chemicals. You’re going straight to the source for the nutritious food your body craves and deserves.
Farm Fresh Produce From Unify Health & Fitness Studio
This summer, it could not be more convenient for Unify clients to access a bounty of farm fresh food. Unify has partnered withHolland Produce Co. to provide custom CSA Produce Baskets. Starting May 15th, you can select from a variety of seasonal, local food, including fruits, vegetables, and even eggs. Submit an order for the foods that you want, in the amount you will use, and then pick it up at Unify on Fridays! No fighting the crowds (and the temptation of treats!) at a weekly farm market, no traveling out of your way to farms in Pungo or Suffolk, and no subscription fees that require you take home (and waste) produce that you don’t like. You select what goes in your basket, and you only pay for what you want.
