The Importance of Eating Locally
May, 2010

The global market allows us to buy any food, anytime, and from anywhere. Eating exotic produce grown halfway around the globe is one example of the long distance food system. But, are eating these foods good for us and/or our local economy?

“[R]ising fuel and transportation costs; the near extinction of family farms; loss of farmland to spreading suburbs; and concerns about the quality and safety of food” are only some of the examples of how eating globally affects all of us.

Some 898 million tonnes of food are shipped around the planet each year. Statistics show that produce is traveling, on average, between 2500 and 4000 kilometers from farm to market.

Eating locally grown foods served fresh and in season has not only a taste advantage, but also a higher nutrient content. It also creates jobs and keeps money in our communities.

For more information on this topic or any other nutrition concerns, feel free to contact me at Refresh Nutrition.

The following is a list some of my favorite markets in the Barrie area.

Barrie Farmers' Market
Barrie Hills Farm
Eco Farmers Market
Moondance Organic Gardens
Nicholyn Farms

Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for the community. Whatever the reasons, refresh your nutrition. It's the natural approach.

Article: Chantal Warriner, RHN ROHP. Founder of Refresh Nutrition
Source: Eat Here, Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermaket by B. Halweil

Detoxification
by Chantal Warriner, RHN
March, 2009

Spring is here!  The sun is shinning, the weather is warming, the days are longer and the trees are beginning to bud.  We find ourselves with a new motivation.  Some people use this motivation to spring clean their homes, others clean their bodies by detoxifying their systems.

We are all exposed to chemicals in our local environment.  Much of our food has been refined from much of its nutritional value and replaced with artificial colorings, preservatives and flavorings.  We are exposed to an abundance of antibiotics in both our medical and agricultural culture.  All of this results in an unhealthy internal environment.  This toxicity affects all of our body systems.  The best ways to avoid this toxicity is to follow the below recommendations:

• Remove, if possible, all toxic materials from work and home;
• Eat a good diet with plenty of fresh, whole foods;
• Avoid excess fat, refined sugar and foods high in additives and preservatives;
• Consume meats from organically raised animals, whenever possible;
• Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables, whenever possible;
• Drink plenty of pure water.

A more complex detoxification could include the intestines, the liver and the kidneys.  This approach of detoxification uses specific nutrients to achieve optimal activity of the above organs.  Some benefits from this detoxification may include: weight loss; slow aging; rejuvenation; reduce imbalance symptoms and rested organs.  Therefore, it may allow you to be more relaxed, organized, creative, and motivated!

For more information on detoxification or any other nutrition questions, please contact Chantal from Refresh Nutrition.