Farmers Markets are Good for You!
You can’t beat a good farmers market; fresh produce straight from the field—awesome. Wait, it gets better. According to new research, farmers markets actually boost people’s consumption of fruits and veggies. The New York Times Well blog is on it:
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles tracked the eating habits of 602 area women taking part in the federal W.I.C. program. Some of the women were given $10 in weekly vouchers for vegetable and fruit purchases at a nearby farmers’ market or supermarket, while a control group received coupons for non-food products in exchange for sharing information about eating habits.Now, I’ve said it before, but I hit the local farmers market every week, and in fact, right here on DiseaseProof we’ve looked at farmers markets from all over the world. In case you missed any, here’s a recap:
After six months, women who shopped at the farmers’ markets were eating about three additional servings of fruits and vegetables a day, compared to the control group. Supermarket shoppers consumed 1.5 extra servings.
It’s not clear why mothers visiting a farmers’ market wound up buying more vegetables than grocery store shoppers, but some women told the researchers that the produce sold at markets seemed to be fresher and of higher quality than supermarket offerings.
- St. Louis Organic Farmers Market
- Boston Farmers Market
- Union Square Veggies
- Greens in the City
- Farmers Markets, That Float
- A REAL Indian Veggie Market
- Veggie Market, Far-Far Away
- Vegetable Shanghai
There are over 1,000 important phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are the most recently found class of micronutrients, and they are necessary for your cells to remove waste and to maintain normal immune function. Fortunately, phytochemical are present in foods that also are naturally high in vitamins and minerals (i.e., natural plant foods).You know, looking at all those farmers markets, really makes me want to see the world, either that or flip on the travel channel.
For optimal health, you need lots of phytochemicals in your diet. Consuming abundant amounts of micronutrients will help protect you against disease, and if you already are sick, it can help you recover. Vegetables, beans, and fruit are naturally high in micronutrients, but Americans don’t eat much of them. We eat plenty of meat, cheese, chicken, pasta, white bread, oils, soda, and cookies, which are very low in micronutrients and contain no phytochemicals.
