Seasonal Eating, Mindful Living: How to Align Your Diet with Nature's Rhythms
Seasonal Eating: Putting seasonal into thoughtful, mindful eating!
By Roxane Shymkiw
While it’s easy to buy and eat out of convenience, returning to the rhythm of seasonal eating can be a powerful way to realign your body, the food you eat, and the environment around you. Mindful seasonal eating is more than simply enjoying what’s on your plate; it’s about developing an awareness and appreciation of where your food comes from, how it nourishes you, and how it connects you to the land and community around you.
Seasonal eating is more than a wellness trend; it’s about tuning in to what naturally grows in your area at different times of the year. Have you ever considered why you crave a comforting, warm stew made with hearty root vegetables in winter or cool, crisp salads in summer? That’s your body’s way of aligning with the seasons and nature providing us with what our bodies need most. By embracing seasonal, local foods, you are not only choosing freshness, flavour, and sustainability, but also bringing awareness to your environment and creating a connection to the growing community. The small act of choosing to shop at a farm stall or market makes a meaningful impact by supporting local farmers, reducing your carbon footprint, and cultivating a more intuitive eating relationship with yourself.
Why does eating seasonally matter?
Better nutrition and flavour - Produce picked at its peak will be more nutrient-dense and flavourful. Fruits and vegetables lose nutrients the longer it takes to get from the field to your plate.
Environmental impact - Eating seasonally reduces our reliance on produce shipped over long distances. The shorter the distance between the field and your plate helps to reduce energy use and shrink the carbon footprint of your meals.
Support for local farmers - Shopping at farmers’ markets or subscribing to a local CSA directly supports local growers and keeps our food dollars in our community.
A more diverse diet - Eating with the seasons naturally adds variety to your diet, promoting nutritional diversity and supporting a healthy gut microbiome.
So, the next time you’re eating, pause and ask yourself - where did this come from? Is this something that grows naturally right now? How does it make me feel? Taking a moment to reflect on the journey of your food can turn a simple meal into a nourishing, mindful ritual. By tuning into the seasons, we not only eat better, but live better.
Want to know more about how we can shop local and seasonal in Calgary?
Here are just a few of the great options in our community:
YYC Farm Stand Program – The City of Calgary supports bringing more locally and regionally grown food into our communities while supporting local farmers. Check out the full list of vendors and interactive map here: https://www.calgary.ca/environment/events/transit-pop-up-farm-stands.html#interactivefarmstandschedule
Community Supported Agriculture programs (local CSA) – This is a direct link between consumers and local farmers (Apple Lady, Fast Family Farms, Summit Hill Farm).
Hillhurst Sunnyside farmers’ market https://farmersmarket.hsca.ca/
Dalhousie, Bridgeland, Parkland – farm stands / markets https://www.dalhousiecalgary.ca/farmersmarket-summer/
Delicious Jems (DJ) Farmers Market https://www.djmarket.ca/index.html
Farmers and Makers Market https://www.farmersmakersmarket.ca/
Calgary Farmer’s Market South and West location
Crossroads Market
At No Shoes Nutrition, we’ve been exploring the practice of mindful eating this month—not just what it is, but why it’s important to our well-being. With farmers’ stands popping up around the city and farmers’ markets starting to fill, now is the time to embrace mindful seasonal eating. It’s more than just nourishing our bodies; it’s about cultivating awareness, deepening our relationship with food, and building meaningful connections with the land and the people who grow what we eat. When we slow down and eat with intention, we’re not just feeding ourselves—we’re nurturing a sense of community, sustainability, and healthy living.
Are you ready to align your nutrition with the seasons and your unique health goals? Book your Discovery Call today and let’s see if we can create a mindful plan that works with your body—not against it.
References
Macdiarmid J. I. Seasonality and dietary requirements: will eating seasonal food contribute to health and environmental sustainability? Proc Nutr Soc. 2014 Aug;73(3):368-75.
Managa M.G., TInyani P.P., Senyolo, G. M., et al. Impact of transportation, storage, and retail shelf conditions on lettuce quality and phytonutrient losses in the supply chain. Food Sci Nutri. 2018 Jul6(6):1527-1536.
https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.685
Loupy K., Your seasonal food guide: the importance of eating what’s in season. Integrative Psychiatry. 2024 July
