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Knowing as much as you can about what you are putting in your body is a great way to improve your health.
Not all food is created equal and by simply switching where you are getting your food, you can add many essential nutrients to your diet without changing what’s on your menu. Sourcing high quality, locally grown, farmer-loved food will benefit your body, your community and the environment.
Know Your Farmer
I like to eat food grown by local farmers who really care about what they are producing. When the soil is cared for properly, when animals eat what they are naturally designed to eat, and when pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and antibiotics aren’t overused, the end product is naturally much better for everyone. In the Waterloo Region, we are lucky to have a wonderful group of farmers who passionately create wonderful food for us to consume.
Know Your Chef
We all enjoy a meal out sometimes. A healthy choice I make is choosing a restaurant whose chef cares about sourcing the best, local ingredients. By consciously choosing this way, not only do I feel confident that I am maximizing the health benefits of what I am eating, but also the food tastes better and eating it is a more enjoyable experience.
- Start conversations with chefs and butchers. Don’t be shy! People who take the time to grow and source healthy ingredients are proud to tell you about them. They have a wealth of knowledge about where your food is coming from and how to prepare it well;
- Look for farmers with open-farm policies in your area and get your family involved by going to check out where your food is coming from; and,
- In addition, engaging in our local communities has been shown to improve well-being. Your local food community is a healthy, delicious place to start.
If you have any questions about how to get started or how to source foods locally here in Waterloo Region reach out to me or leave a comment below!
Be healthy. Be Happy.
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