(NaturalPath) Spring is in full swing and there are many different kinds of foods all over the United States that are readily available and in-season to supplement your diet with as you try to be healthy. Since these foods are in-season, you should be able to find them at a discount.
Apart from the vegetables and fruits expounded upon below, there are some other categories of foods that are in-season.
While pasture-raised meat and wild game are best in the fall and winter, you can stock up on frozen and aged meats in the spring. Depending on where you live, you may be able to get some turkey from the spring season. Considering fish, you’ll be able to get freshwater fish including bass, carp, catfish, crappie, pike, salmon, sunfish, trout, and walleye.
Now on to some specifics on some vegetables and fruits for the spring season.
Asparagus
This vegetable is good for your mood as it has a B vitamin called folate that can improve your outlook. Get that asparagus in your diet, maybe add in a serving of fortified pasta for a delicious meal that improves your mood.
Spinach
Spinach is good for giving you the energy to get through the day as it is a good source of iron, especially for you vegans and vegetarians. That iron is a key component in red blood cells that fuel our muscles with oxygen for energy. It may even increase the efficiency of our mitochondria (energy-producing factories inside our cells).
Artichokes
This vegetable is also good for energy. They are loaded with magnesium that is important for a whole bunch of biochemical reactions in the body, including generating energy. Forrest Nielsen, PhD, a U.S. Department of Agriculture research nutritionist notes, “If you’re not getting enough magnesium, your muscles have to work harder to react and you tire more quickly.”
Strawberries
As we are on to fruits, strawberries can help with your skin. They are loaded with antioxidants that help your skin repair damage caused by environmental factors like pollution and UV rays. Plus they have vitamin C that can help with wrinkles and dryness.
Blueberries
This fruit has many health applications including aiding in memory retention. The secret to how blueberries are so helpful is their antioxidant called anthocyanins that, “Have been shown in animal studies to increase signals among brain cells and improve their resilience, enhancing learning and memory,” said Robert Krikorian, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Cincinnati.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.