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and fava beans, you’ll find no shortage of delicious veggies to signal the blossoming of a new season. Spring is also the best time to eat strawberries, which is something even the pickiest of eaters can get behind. The downside with spring produce is that the season tends to be relatively short, so you’ll have to enjoy these treasures while you can. S ummer Variety is at an all-time high during the summer months, but a few categories of produce deserve particular attention. Nightshades, including tomatoes, peppers, chilis, and eggplant, shine during this time of year. In fact, eating a tomato in December is a pale imitation of what you’ll get in July, making it one of the best examples of the stark difference between eating seasonally and grabbing whatever is languishing on the shelves at the grocery store. The same goes for corn and stone fruit like peaches, which are summer- barbecue staples for a reason. F all Think of the Thanksgiving color palette, and you’ll have a good idea of what’s
in season. Hearty greens like kale and Swiss chard will begin appearing more frequently, as well as unique varieties of carrots and apples. Fall is also the best time of year for foraged mushrooms like oysters and chanterelles. As with the weather, autumnal foods are the bridge between the brightness of summer and the depths of winter. T ools for E ating S easonally SeasonalFoodGuide.org is a great to tool to find up-to-the-minute lists of what’s in season in your state, from traditional favorites to obscure vegetables you’ve probably never heard of. When it comes to seasonal cookbooks, you can do no better than Joshua McFadden’s “Six Seasons,” which divides the calendar beyond our traditional four quarters for maximum specificity. Here’s to a year of enjoying seasonal, local produce. It will expand your horizons and improve your health — a win-win by any measure.
To help make 2019 a year of seasonal eating, you’ll need to know what’s at peak ripeness each season. Of course, some of what’s available in your area will vary based on the climate where you live, but the vast majority of this guide will be applicable to the 48 contiguous states. W inter While you may not expect it, the coldest portion of the year produces a bounty of vegetables that are earthy and subtly sweet. At the top of this list is cabbage, which comes in many varieties and is at its peak during winter. Root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, and kohlrabi are also in abundance. On the fruitier side of things, winter in the warmer parts of the country yields delicious citrus harvests. At no other time of the year will you find such an awesome variety of oranges, lemons, limes, and more. Be on the lookout for exotic varieties like blood oranges and pomelos. S pring Unsurprisingly, spring is when bright green vegetables start to emerge en masse. From asparagus and artichokes to snap peas
L ive L ong and P rosper H ow L ongevity V itamins C an H elp Y ou L ive a H ealthier , L onger L ife
longevity vitamins are found in fruits and vegetables, but we often don’t eat enough of these foods.
New research suggests that you aren’t getting the key vitamins and minerals you need to live a longer, healthier life.
“Survival vitamins” are even more critical to your health, and the symptoms are noticeable when you’re deficient. For instance, the main symptom of vitamin C deficiency is scurvy, which causes weakness, soreness, and a number of skin issues, including bruising. It usually takes about a month of vitamin C deficiency before symptoms show. Vitamin K deficiency, on the other hand, can be tougher to diagnose. Vitamin K is essential in forming blood clots. When your body doesn’t get enough vitamin K, excessive bleeding can occur. The vitamin is also needed to produce an enzyme that promotes better blood flow. Over time, low vitamin K levels in the body increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you want to live a healthier and longer life, make sure your diet includes these longevity vitamins and minerals. They can give you a significant advantage when paired with a healthy diet and exercise so you can enjoy many more years with your loved ones.
A 10-year study published in October 2018 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified several “longevity vitamins” as necessary to living a healthier, longer life. These are vitamins and minerals that can keep chronic diseases such as
heart disease, certain types of cancer, and dementia at bay.
Researchers classified the following as “longevity vitamins”: vitamin D, vitamin K, carotenoids (alpha carotene and beta carotene), astaxanthin, ergothioneine, pyrroloquinoline quinone, quinine, taurine, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene. Some of these vitamins and minerals may sound familiar. Lycopene, for example, is another carotenoid. It’s found in tomatoes and other red fruits and is a powerful antioxidant. In fact, many
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