Tag: locally grown

Locally Grown and Delicious

Posted in Health, WellnessTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Markets abundantly full of freshly picked food that smells and tastes like home.
This is precisely why I love the midwest in summer and early fall.

Right across from where I am living in Lincoln Park, Farmer’s Harvest is a biweekly Farmers Market. I make sure to frequent this small market for all of my produce needs.
A staple to my cleanse, this farmer’s market makes me beam with happiness.

Options, options, what shall I choose?

Strolling through I sample the flavors of the season. The fruits are succulent and sweet, the vegetables taste rich and alive, the eggs are multi-hued with dark orange yolks.
Fresh cheese and milk travel from the Dairy state of Wisconsin. The meats are grass-fed and organic, honestly what more could you ask for?

Why eat locally grown?

Many reasons, first the produce is fresh and picked ripe. Produce that is shipped and picked slightly unripe, which means that the nutrition content is not as high.
I am also supporting the local economy and farming families.

Secondly, it saves on the carbon footprint and I know EXACTLY where all of the food is coming from, the less handling and processing, the better.
There is something comforting knowing that I am eating from soil that I live near, the soil content is much more nutrient dense than overly farmed corporate farms.
While the food may not look as aesthetically pleasing as your everyday grocery store, the taste by far outweighs the looks with the nutritional value still intact.
Who wants an apple that has been sprayed by up to 30 pesticides anyways?
Not I.

If I have a choice, I choose organic.
I ask each stand if they spray their food, and with what. I try to stray from chemicals as much as possible.
Organic food is up to 50% more nutrient dense then produce that has been rigorously farmed. Not to mention the amount of nutrients lost in transporting.
Times are different, the nutrients derived from normal food sources is much less than it was post world war. With the constant bombardment of chemicals and toxins in our environment, I take it upon myself to try to get as many vitamins and minerals as I can.
Longevity of my health is a priority, I gain sense of pleasure in feeding my temple well. I feel a significant difference in my overall well being with how I am eating.

Sprouts are one of the most beneficial foods to eat according to Edmond Szekely. These baby foods alkalinize and assist in cell regeneration, they are chocked full of antioxidants.

At this prized Farmer’s market there is a stand dedicated solely to sprouts, which are cut fresh just for you.
For 2 dollars this stand will juice shots of wheatgrass on the spot.

Wheatgrass is extremely nutrient dense. It contains high amounts of vitamin A, C, E and K as well as B-12, which promotes great energy levels after consumption. Wheatgrass also contains high amounts of Chlorophyll, which helps to heal tissues and serves as an antibacterial. A shot of this super will cleanse and purify the body, while boosting the immune system.

Packing my body full of green power, it aids superbly in my cleanse.

I like to buy my food from farmers who are passionate about what they do, farming as their art form 😉
At this market, the people are friendly, the food is delicious, the choices are abundant.
I am in Farmer’s Market heaven.

How is your local farmer’s market?

xo,
Nicole

Kansas City, a gem of the Midwest

Posted in TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It had occurred to me while along this adventure to call my friend Jen, whom I had connected with on the magical black sand beach in Hawaii. Where we were all students of the power this magical island held, teaching us the ways to live harmoniously, aligned and sustainably.
On this powerful, mystical island, we would discuss something and within minutes to hours the object of our focus would somehow present itself. We were a powerful conduit for creating and abundance. Hawaii would generously give of herself to us with foods and the lushness of her lands. We would pick avocados and coconuts off the trees to take to the beach, and delve into transformative conversations that took us deep down the rabbit hole.
It was happy, bubbly, conscious living with the elements.

What a more suiting person to visit on this trip, someone I learned so much from,
a loving, vibrant light that helped me to become more conscious.

I knew that Jen lived in Kansas city, Missouri, which is on our way out west. I put it out there to her that we would be coming that way.

Come, you can stay here, she told me

Perfect

Kansas city is a hidden gem in the midwest, not a place I would think to come to. I am really glad we stopped here. The city has an older charm to it and an open friendliness to the people we have come across, a laid back, slower pace is felt here. An ease of sorts.

First priority today was yoga. After sitting in the car for 2 days, my body was in dire need of a good workout. Bikram was calling me, getting a workout while also detoxing through sweating is so perfect to unwind.
Finding a studio was simple and the class was more challenging than some I have taken. A smaller class size with a teacher who pushed us to our limits, not so much guiding, as counting and having us hold the poses as he counted.
Exactly what I needed.

So here I am, sitting in a homey, brick enclosed room in Blue Bird Bistro.
We just ate an incredibly natural, nourishing meal. After traveling for a couple of days and eating more dried foods, nuts and fruit, it’s a comfort to eat fresh.
This gem in and of itself is impressive with the local, organic produce including fresh and local dairy and meats.
Amazing, I think to myself.
Their breakfast/lunch dishes contain delectable varieties of cheese, stuffed chicken, shephard pies, fresh eggs, greens, sweet potatoes, vegetables and curry.
Our first thing of course was coffee, all organic up in here, and the cream is fresh from a local farmer.
To eat, we ordered a baked stuffed sweet potato with sauteed veggies and a black bean, carmelized onion and feta tortilla wrap. The taste was exquisite and my heart is singing with the feeling of eating well.
Eating like this every meal, would be a pleasure beyond measure.

Darrin and I are venturing out tonight in this city that I have formed a fondness for. We will see what it has to offer with its artistic nightlife. Jen no doubt will show us a good time, as is her nature.

Until then, here’s to local charm.

xo,

Nicole