TNT Service Team Newsletter & Training Bites

Spring into summer is an exciting time to step into seasonal eating in the Pacific Northwest, as farmer’s markets overflow with local crops, like asparagus and apricots.

While outside, forests and fields sprout unexpected surprises like dandelion greens, stinging nettles, chamomile, .

Open the door to your backyard, take a walk in the forest, sign up for delivery and/or explore your local farmer’s markets to explode your imagination and vitality!

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Let's consider for a moment, a definition of the word "medicine"

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🥗💖 The word medicine is Latin and derived from the verb root mederi, to heal.

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The Wisdom of Seasonal Foods in Our Diets

Mother nature offers an abundance of nutrients through her seasonal crops according to the local climate, soil conditions and many other factors.  These nutrients, in turn, nourish the people who choose the locale as their home, making this a sustainable model for holistic health.

What are some examples of Seasonal Foods?

• Freshly harvested, ripe produce
• Locally raised meat
• Honey derived from local bees

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How to Incorporate Seasonal Eating

This ancient model of adapting our diets to locally-sourced, seasonal foods provides peak nutrition density and exponential vitality.

So, asking ourselves how we might connect with the local foods growing around us is a great start!

• Are there edible foods growing in my area I could gather?
• When does my farmers market open for business?
• Would I be interested in having local/seasonal foods delivered to me?

We can begin our search by exploring surrounding habitat for edible plants, or we can schedule our next grocery trip to a weekly neighborhood farmers market.

And since it’s 2022… there are now a variety of local produce delivery services to choose from if you’d rather allow your groceries to arrive at your doorstep.

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Foraging For Herbs and Other Wild Plants

Always make sure you are foraging from an area that has not been treated with pesticides.

Pick young tender dandelion greens, before the plant flowers, and toss with your favorite salad or sauté for an antioxidant rich immune boost.

Stinging nettles can be blanched to take out the sting then added to any dish, or dried to make a mineral rich tea.

Add Chamomile flowers to any dish for beauty and nutrition, fresh or dried. Chamomile tea from fresh or dried blooms is a soothing, delicious bedtime sipping nervine.

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Explore Your Neighborhood Farmer’s Market

Check out local markets for bright, local apricots packed with vitamin A, beta-carotene, lutein and other eye and whole health promoting nutrients.

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Asparagus aids in purging carcinogens and flushing waste from the kidneys, reducing the load within your system. Explains aromatic asparagus pee. Asparagus kicks up any spring cleanse along with beets, which are high in potassium, iron and vitamin A.

Fresh local fruit is an excellent way to up your water intake. As we roll into late summer and feel more parched, notice the abundance of berry offerings for sweet hydration.

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Here’s a handy website for finding local farmers markets around Seattle - Every day of the week! https://do206.com/p/seattle-farmers-markets

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Consider A Delivery Service for Local Produce

No time for markets or forest walks? Try a weekly local produce delivery service. Let the contents of each week’s delivery and recipes surprise and delight, and be the container for exploration.

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Organizing Our Diets by Local, In-Season Foods

Embrace seasonal eating and release the need to organize by prescribed meals. Instead organize by local harvest! Allow cooking and eating to be a playful curiosity informed by the beauty of local bounty, noticing how simple ingredients speak volumes in flavor and delight.

Be willing to take detours and sub in what is in season in your favorite dishes, to create new favorites.

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