Monast Law Office - September 2017

FRESHER, CHEAPER, TASTIER THE BENEFITS OF SEASONAL EATING

The nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables hardly need explaining. While the

Even better is to cut out the middleman entirely and buy directly from a supplier. In his exceptional cookbook,“Six Seasons: A NewWayWith Vegetables,”Joshua McFadden writes,“The best way to eat with the seasons is to frequent and support local farms, markets, and grocery stores that are doing good things.”Farmers markets have exploded in number and popularity recently, and the USDA website (ams.usda.gov) has a directory of markets that you can search for by ZIP code. Learning what’s in season at a given time might seem like a daunting task, but there are plenty of tools to help you. Again, the farmers market is your friend here. You can ask what’s in peak season now and what to look forward to in the coming weeks. Apps like Farmstand will also let you know the freshest crops in your area and alert you to deals on produce. Even if you opt for a grocery store rather than farmers market, you can still save by eating seasonally. You’ll be shocked howmuch you save by buying what’s on sale. And guess which items are usually on sale? The ones that are in-season and abundant.

stock of protein, carbs, and fat seems to rise and fall at random, the value of fruits and veggies never wavers. These health staples, though, can put a dent in your wallet if you’re not making the right choices at the market. One way to feed your family healthy and delicious produce on the cheap is to eat seasonally. Not only will this save you money, but you will also vary your diet, support local farms, and put the freshest foods on your table. Ever wonder why tomatoes cost so much more in December than in July? The answer is simple: shipping distance. The less a tomato needs to travel to make it to your plate, the less it will cost. Transporting produce long distances is expensive because it needs to be protected and temperature-controlled. Eating seasonally means you’ll save a ton on fruits and veggies.

Getting the nutritional benefits and great taste of fresh produce doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. Eat seasonally and locally, and the savings will pile up.

Ruth K.

Ruth K. worked as a nurse for more than 30 years. She suffered several injuries while working and was always able to bounce back and return to work at a job she loved. While working in the labor and delivery unit at a major hospital, however, she sustained a very serious back injury while quickly pulling up a mechanical bed for a delivery patient who was in the Trendelenberg position. Rupturing discs at three levels in her lower back, Ruth underwent several extensive surgeries and began using a TNS unit. Given that she was in her mid-50s at the time of her accident and could not return to nursing, we suggested Ruth file for Social Security disability benefits in addition to pursuing her workers’ compensation claim. In spite of Ruth’s advanced education, we were able to compile evidence from her treating physicians to establish that Ruth would have been able to engage in no more than sedentary (i.e., sit-down) work. Given Ruth’s age, the seriousness of her injuries, and her inability to return to the work she had enjoyed over the preceding 15 years before becoming disabled, we were able to secure nearly three years of accrued benefits for her as well as monthly benefits in excess of $2,000 per month, plus Medicare.

When her employer became aware of Ruth being declared disabled by Social Security, they asked about her interest in settling her workers’ compensation claims rather than risk her being declared permanently and totally disabled by the Ohio Industrial Commission — meaning the employer would be responsible for compensation and injury-related medical payments for the rest of Ruth’s life. We were able to assist Ruth in negotiating a very favorable settlement of her claims.

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