If you follow our Facebook page (as I’m sure you all do) you may have seen an article I posted about an extreme case of diet restriction. The article was from the United Kingdom and you can read the full story on BBC news here . The short version is a teenager ate only potato chips, french fries, white bread and occasionally a piece of ham. The lack of proper nutrition and vitamins in his diet damaged his optic nerve and left him legally blind. If it is caught early enough it can be reversible but it seemed his was too far progressed to help. Something else I found interesting in the article is that it is recommended that everyone in the UK supplement with vitamin d during the winter months. I could write a whole newsletter on vitamin d alone. In fact I think I will. Check that out next week.

This extreme case got me thinking about the importance of having a varied diet. We should be getting most of our nutrition from the food we eat. I’m a big fan of supplementing with vitamins, but they should be just that, a supplement to a healthy diet.

Most of our diet should be nutrient dense foods. These are foods that have a great deal of vitamins, minerals and nutrients we need. They are easy to find, as most real food would fall in this category. Our diet should be primarily meats, vegetables and fruits. If it comes in a box or package it isn’t likely to be as healthy.

Food like substances such as chips, crackers, cookies, even most bars masquerading as health food are empty calories. They are loaded with sugars, simple carbohydrates and not much else.

We should also be trying to eat fresh and local foods as much as possible. Only a few generations ago, and for most of our existence as humans, this was the only way to eat. If you lived in the North East you couldn’t just load some California grown fruits and ship them on a truck in a few days. Now this isn’t to say you shouldn’t enjoy an orange late winter when they aren’t available here but you should be checking out the local fare when it is in season.

I personally enjoy the changing of the seasons here and the different local foods available at different times. I know it’s been warm and beautiful out right now (and don’t hit me for this when you see me) but cooler weather is right around the corner. This is New England after all. I’m looking forward to apple picking, acorn and butternut squash dishes and plenty of soups and stews. Just like in spring I was looking forward to watermelon, fresh peas, and fresh blueberries. I mean are you really going to enjoy a hot bowl of soup in the middle of July or a crisp cold slice of watermelon after skiing?

Get your kids involved in the process too. Its the best way to prevent picky eaters. If they help pick it out, look up how to prepare it and then help cook it they will be much more likely to enjoy it. The alternative is to just put it down in front of them and getting to hear “What’s this!? I’m not eating THAT!”. Then you’re in the freezer getting chicken nuggets to put in the toaster oven.

So get out there and sample what’s available. Go to local farmers markets and try something new. There are one’s open year round. You’ll be supporting the local economy and reducing environmental impact since it didn’t have to be shipped across the country. All in addition to doing something good for you and your family.