What is eating seasonally? I would say that eating seasonally is eating what nature provides naturally each season and trying to buy locally. 

Buying locally grown fruits and vegetables is a great idea, but it’s even better if the foods are in season in your area. When you buy foods that are locally in season, your money typically goes directly to the farmer, you get rid of environmental damage (from shipping foods around the world), and you get to enjoy fresh non-processed fruits and vegetables.

Better yet, the food you buy will taste amazing because it is grown in season!

Here is a great website that you can go to and choose your state and the current month– it will tell you what vegetables are in season right now and local farmer’s markets that you can buy them at!

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My theory on winter weight gain

I have been thinking lately about how most people tend to gain weight in the winter and crave “comfort foods” that are starchy and have fats in them. I think it’s important that we listen to our bodies and honor our cravings in a proper way. I crave things like starchy soups, bread with peanut butter, eggs, and hearty meats in the winter.

My theory is that if I’m craving specific food groups like fats and carbohydrates in the winter, my body is probably telling me to eat these foods so that I can gain a few pounds of “padding” to protect me from the cold weather. 

As I have grown up the past few years I noticed that I have gained weight in the winter, but it is a welcome gain because I am able to play outside in the snow and not be shivering 24/7. Adding a little bit of extra body fat can be good-in my opinion.

When spring and summer come along, I am naturally more active because the weather is nice. I walk my dog more, I’m not sitting at a desk all day in school, and the weather is usually great for running + I have more daylight. As spring turns into summer, I notice that I naturally “shed” the winter weight (about 5 – 7 pounds) that protected me from extreme cold just a few months ago.

I guess I’m not getting at a specific point, I’m just sharing my thoughts 🙂

What do you think? Do you eat seasonally and/or do you gain weight in the winter?