3 Reasons Why Eating Seasonally May Improve Your Gut Health

Written by: Marissa Hughes, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

Are you tired of feeling bloated and sluggish after meals? You may be surprised to learn that eating seasonally can bring you a happier, healthier gut!

Not only does seasonal produce have better flavor, but it supports a healthy microbiome and may reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.

Let’s dive in and discover the top reasons to embrace seasonal eating for gut health! 1. Improved flavor and nutrient content

Fruits and vegetables picked and eaten at their peak ripeness are more flavorful and nutrient-dense than those that are picked before ripening and travel long distances before being consumed. Finding out what produce is grown locally to you will provide you with more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to help you improve your health.

2. Supports the gut microbiome

Eating real whole foods that your body seasonally expects will support the natural rhythm and flora of your body. For instance, throughout time, spring has been a season for detoxification after a long winter, and the intelligent human body instinctually knows that spring foods are coming. Disrupting the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature will also disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut.

3. Reduction of harmful chemicals

When you consume produce that is out of season, it is often grown in faraway places, which will require things like pesticides and chemicals to preserve the produce for its long travels. Eating from a local farm may give you a better chance of eating fruits and vegetables that are grown organically and without harmful chemicals. By choosing to eat seasonally, you are also choosing to support local farmers and you are improving the environment by reducing the carbon footprint of your food! The shorter the distance between you and your food, the better it is for the planet. Finding your local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a great way to experiment with produce that is local to you and can be delivered to your front door. You may even find new fruits and veggies to love that you don’t usually eat, even further improving your health and gut microbiome! Now that spring is upon us, it’s a great time to eat a bit lighter than in the winter and eat foods that will help you detox like asparagus, spinach, and dandelion greens. It’s no coincidence that many spring foods are green, which are the best detoxifiers!

In-season veggies

• Arugula

• Artichokes

• Asparagus

• Beets

• Carrots

• Fava beans

• Fresh herbs

• Kale, collards, mustard, and turnip greens

• Kohlrabi

• Lettuce

• Morels

• New potatoes

• Nettles

• Peas, sugar snap peas, and pea shoots

• Radishes

• Ramps/wild garlic

• Spring onions/green onions

• Spinach

• Swiss chard
  

In-season fruits

• Grapefruit

• Lemons

• Mangoes

• Pineapple

• Rhubarb

• Strawberries
  

Download my sample 3-Day Spring Cleanse, complete with shopping list, HERE!

And join my free Facebook group with more gut health tips and workshops HERE!

Happy Spring Cleaning!

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Read more from Marissa!

Marissa Hughes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Marissa is a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach, specializing in Digestive Health. She had been down a very long health journey of her own before deciding to take matters into her own hands and is now dedicated to helping other women feel as good as she does every day. She gets to the root cause of her client's gut issues by using a microbiome testing process, so each client receives a totally personalized plan, based on their individual results. She uses a combination of specific foods, supplements, stress management, detoxification and Pilates in her online program, The Happy Belly Method.