January 6, 2025 • 43 mins
Podcast Description:
In this episode, we’re joined by Mandi Garcia, a Clinical Nutritionist, Master Health Coach, and Performance Specialist with over 20 years of experience in the allied health industry. Mandi’s passion for nutrition began with a deeply personal journey—her dog’s lymphoma diagnosis—which ignited her dedication to holistic eating and sparked a profound connection between food, health, and agriculture.
Mandi shares her expertise in tying nutrition to sustainable agriculture, diving into the concept of farm-to-table nutrition and its impact on our health. We explore the benefits of locally-sourced and seasonal foods, from their superior nutrient density to the role of soil health in creating more nutrient-rich crops. Learn why freshness matters, how reduced transportation time enhances flavor and quality, and why seasonal eating can optimize your overall well-being.
Mandi also provides practical tips for incorporating local foods into your diet, from finding fresh produce at farmers markets and CSAs to crafting simple, nutrient-packed recipes. Whether you’re curious about nutrient retention, soil health, or meal prepping with local ingredients, this episode will inspire you to make informed food choices that support your health, local farmers, and the environment.
Tune in to discover how embracing farm-to-table practices can transform the way you eat, live, and connect with your community!
Learn more at: Wellness | Freedom Health and Well-Being
Additional resources mentioned:
SNAP-ed Connection - Seasonal Produce Guide
Fresh From Florida
Mandi's "Chicken in a Pot" recipe
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Become a sponsor today! Your sponsorship is crucial for us to continue providing essential programs, including this podcast. Visit our sponsor page now to learn more and join our community of supporters. Together, we can make a significant impact!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Fresh Take , where we at Florida Organic
Growers speak to food systemsexperts about topics related to
organic and sustainableagriculture, healthy lifestyles
and the environment.
To help us continue ourprograms at FOG, including our
podcast, consider becoming asponsor.
For more information onsponsorship, check out our Get
Involved page on our website,wwwfoginfoorg out our Get
(00:28):
Involved page on our website,wwwfoginfoorg.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome back to another episode of Fresh Take,
where we bring you the latestinsights and expert advice on
sustainable living, organicagriculture and creating a
healthy environment.
Today, we're diving into atopic that is not only crucial
for our health, but also for ourcommunities nutrition and
locally sourced food.
I'm thrilled to be joined byour guest, mandy Garcia, a
clinical nutritionist, masterhealth coach and performance
(00:55):
specialist with over 20 years ofexperience in the allied health
industry.
She believes that what we puton our plates can spark powerful
changes, not just at thecellular level, but across
society as a whole.
Mandy is here to shed light onthe incredible nutritional
benefits of locally sourced farmto table food, and we'll be
exploring why eating local isbetter for your health, how
(01:18):
nutrient density plays a roleand tips for incorporating more
local produce into your dailydiet.
So, without further ado, mandy,welcome to our show.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thank you so much, Lana.
It's so awesome to be here withyou today.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I'm so excited to have you on our show today
because I myself come from anutrition background and I
thought for a moment that I wasgoing to be a registered
dietitian and kind of take thatpath.
But you know, I pivoted alittle bit into the social
justice world when it comes tofood and I'm so curious to know
(01:53):
how you stumbled upon this pathand you know what inspired you
to continue in this journey ofnutrition.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, that's a really great question and it's
something that has always beenon the back of my mind for a
very long time, from the momentI graduated from undergrad.
Right, it took me a while tofigure out where I wanted to
specialize in, but I've alwaysbeen in the health field, doing
a multitude of different work inregards to coaching different
(02:21):
athletes or working in corporatewellness specifically, and I've
dedicated a large portion of mycareer to being a corporate
wellness strategist for numerousorganizations, not only in
Florida but across the country,which has given me a very large
appreciation for the macro levelof things and how it really
(02:41):
affects the micro individual atthe health level level of things
and how it really affects themicro individual at the health
level.
And so, with that being said,nutrition, like I said, has
always been on the back burnerand a key piece of how people
take care of themselves.
But as I narrowed down my focusinto the world of clinical
nutrition, that really didn'tstart until after my dog was
(03:04):
diagnosed with a rare form oflymphoma and this wasn't just
any dog, this was my heart dog.
You know, like that, that petthat everybody has that just
changes your life forever andyou know that you are better
person because of them.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Definitely.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So when we got the diagnosis that she had developed
this lymphoma it was amucocutaneous lymphoma inside of
her cheek it was devastating,and of course, the different
thoughts that were runningthrough my mind about her
mortality and life without hersent me into a tailspin, and so
I spent the next week prettymuch not sleeping and doing
(03:48):
everything that I could possiblydo to better understand cancer,
better understand what I coulddo as her guardian to support
her in the healing process andwhat could be possible options
for us.
And, being always holisticallyminded in general with our
lifestyle, I knew that I neededto pay attention to what she was
(04:12):
eating, because that was goingto be one of our best allies in
her fight for cancer, and so Iended up developing a diet for
her, putting her on differentsupplements that I researched
extensively for dog use and withobviously an integrated
approach with her veterinarian.
We did the surgery.
We had it removed.
(04:33):
There was really great marginsthat were taken from there, but
then we opted not to do atraditional chemotherapy or
radiation just because I knowshe had a very sensitive
constitution.
So from there I worked with alocal acupuncturist a dog
acupuncturist and together withmy diet supplements and her work
(04:54):
we were able to mitigate thegrowth of a future lymphoma,
which was amazing and yeah, itwas incredible and so we were
able to extend her life by acouple of years from something
that was quite aggressive.
So I took that as a massivevictory and it even inspired me
(05:14):
to look into developing mytraining further in the canine
world, and so I was looking togo to back to school at North
Carolina state for caninenutrition, doing the whole nine
yards.
I actually got certified incanine fitness and I was
offering at that point classesfor my clientele that combined
human canine fitness training,and so part of that was the
(05:36):
health coaching aspect and Iwould work together with the
guardians and their pets just tocreate a more symbiotic
relationship with each other.
And so this was wonderful.
But then I realized how could Ireally affect these dogs at the
biggest level?
And it was like, well, I couldsegue down a niche into canine
nutrition, or I could reallyopen up the possibilities for
(05:59):
everyone involved and supporttheir guardians first and help
them understand the benefits oftaking care of themselves from a
broader perspective, becausethat's going to trickle down
into every aspect of their life,especially caring for their
family and their pets, and sothat's what inspired me to go
back to school, get my master'sin nutrition and go through the
(06:20):
rigorous process of becoming acredentialed professional in
this field.
So it was a different pathwaythan most people take to this
industry, but for me, I feltlike it was exactly the path I
needed to take, because my dogshe was everything and she was a
(06:40):
teacher in so many differentways, and so she taught me the
power of nutrition through herexistence and and how she was
able to really have quality oflife before she eventually left
us.
So powerful.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
This is so what a coincidence because I myself am
a cancer survivor and I alsochose the nutritional path
because of that, and so this isa weird coincidence that you
know we're talking about this.
Your dog and I have a verysimilar story and I'm just you
(07:16):
know, I feel really inspired bythis.
You know your passion reallycomes through as a catalyst.
You know, for food that's acatalyst for growth and healing
comes through as a catalyst, forfood as a catalyst for growth
and healing, and that's reallyinspiring.
So I'm curious to know, withthese kinds of credentials that
you've mentioned I know thatincludes the American Nutrition
(07:36):
Association, the NationalStrength and Conditioning
Association, precision Nutritionand HeartM math.
I know that there's so manydifferent types of nutritional
credentials that can be attained.
So for the folks listening, howdo you think that they can be
more aware of these kinds ofcredentials as far as like what
(07:59):
they mean and how they actuallycan serve them?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Oh, this is such a great question and another area
that I'm really passionate aboutbecause, especially in today's
era, I think there are manypathways for people to learn
about nutrition and holisticwell-being.
But the problem is, not everypathway is evidence-based is
(08:29):
evidence-based Not every pathwayrequires the rigor of some
others.
That to push somebody beyondtheir own boundaries in terms of
knowledge acquisition andwisdom development, right, and
especially in the social mediaspace, you have a lot of people
calling themselves nutritionists, which I have a little bit of a
beef with because, again,they're bringing a lot of
different things to the tablethat may actually cause harm to
(08:51):
a person, such as individualbiases with what has
specifically worked for them, asopposed to looking at the
broader evidence of what we havein terms of scientific
information and how differentdietary patterns affect
someone's constitution.
So that's one thing, right.
The other aspect is that notmany people really ask somebody
(09:14):
past that point of whether ornot they're a nutritionist, of
what that meant to them in termsof their training, and so for
me, as a certified nutritionspecialist for the American
Nutrition Association, you knowthis is, I would say, like a
sister credential to theregistered dietitian
nutritionist pathway.
(09:36):
They are equal, although theyhave different foci foci.
So for an RD, I know there's alot of acute inpatient training
with all types of differentdiseases in terms of treatment
and prevention.
With certified nutritionspecialists we have more of a
training aligned to thefunctional medicine model and
(09:58):
looking at things from acellular aspect and from a
biochemistry aspect and usingother pieces of lifestyle, which
a registered dietitian will doas well, to create different
protocols and treatmentstrategies for their patients
and clientele.
So case in point an RDN and aCNS.
(10:21):
They are sister credentials.
There's different pathways toreach both and both are
recognized as clinicaldesignations, especially here in
the state of Florida, and sooutside of the RDN credential
and the CNS credential, nobodyelse with a nutrition
certification quote unquote canpractice clinical nutrition
(10:42):
without having one of those twobehind their names.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Yes, yes, no.
Thank you for clarifying that,because I feel like this world
of nutrition can be a bitconfusing for someone that
doesn't know.
You know what all of that means.
So, speaking of that you knowkind of defining some of these
terms.
Can you explain how you definewhat nutrition means and how it
(11:08):
actually ties into agriculture?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Yeah, so nutrition is going to mean something
different for everybody, but, atthe end of the day, what we
focus on with nutrition isproviding the human body with
the basic raw elements tosustain life, right, and so
these are vitamins, these areminerals, these are your
macronutrients, your protein,carbs and fats, water
consumption, the levels ofantioxidants and other
(11:34):
phytonutrients in your diet tosustain the organism which is
you and me and everybody elsewalking around on the planet
today, because without thosecore elements, we do not
function at our best, and so thegoal of a nutritionist is
really to identify, within theirclientele, areas that are
(11:57):
opportunities for improvement,right, and so I know, especially
again in our society, there aremany people walking around with
nutrient deficiencies andinsufficiencies that are
contributors to chronic illness,and oftentimes these
insufficiencies and deficienciesjust are sitting off into the
(12:18):
corner and not being addressed,while, on the other hand,
there's medications and alltypes of different, possibly
controversial, strategies beingused to support one's health,
right, so this is a very simplething that we bring to the table
and help provide awareness toour clients and patients about.
(12:41):
Now, in regards to nutrition andagriculture, they really go
hand in hand, because what isnutrition without high quality
food to begin with, absolutely,you know.
So.
If we're not paying attentionto how our food is produced
right, this is going to create adownstream cascade of how it's
(13:02):
being used in our body, and sothe more sustainable agriculture
practices that we can support,the better the product is going
to be.
So, when we consume the product, it can do its work within us
the way it's supposed to, asopposed to leaving discrepancies
behind because of lack ofnutrient density, which, which I
(13:23):
know is a a big piece of whatwe focus on as nutritionists.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yes, and I.
The reason I'm so excited aboutthis episode is because I don't
think a lot of people putnutrition and agriculture in the
same bucket, and it's um, youknow they're, they're very well
incorporated and you, you know,hit the nail on the head as far
as what we put into our you know, the food that we're growing,
(13:51):
or the food that we'reharvesting, or even the animals
that we are, you know,supporting on the farm, all of
that goes into our bodies andthen affects us as human beings.
So it really is this circular,harmonious process.
And so, you know, there are somany buzzwords out there, right
(14:11):
about related to everythingnutrition, but also even in the
ag world, we have a lot ofbuzzwords like farm to table.
So, in terms of nutritionalvalue, what does farm totable
really mean for the averageconsumer?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I think one of the biggest takeaways that a
consumer can think about withthe term farm-to-table is that
food has had less intermediaryexposure between where and when
it was grown and getting ontotheir plates.
So the further something is awayfrom you, the more hands it has
(14:52):
to touch, right, and the longerit is from getting into your
tables.
Right, and with that durationof time comes with it the loss
of nutrition, especially when weconsider, in most cases,
produce that is shipped in fromareas all over the world.
They need to select them beforethey're even ready for harvest
(15:16):
in order to get them to wherethey're going in one piece.
Otherwise they're going todegrade quite quickly, right?
And so you have food thatreally didn't have a chance to
develop to its full capacity.
It's had so many hands all overit, right, and then it only
gets to us and we have probablyhalf of what we could
(15:38):
potentially benefit from, like,say, for example, an apple.
Right, that poor little appleis not going to be giving us the
best that it can give becauseit wasn't given the opportunity
to truly ripen and develop intoits best form for itself.
And so what's the consequence?
It it ends up in us halfdeveloped and that's that's.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
this is the really important thing I really want to
highlight here is that not onlyis it a food safety matter in
terms of the number of hands andprocessing facilities that food
is traveling to, even throughtrucks and all the different
elements, but it's also a matterof nutrient density and having
(16:25):
optimal nutrient density in thefood that you're consuming on
your plate.
What is?
Is there a number of days orweeks, or you know an actual
timeframe by which nutrient lossreally starts to occur?
(16:51):
What?
What is the actual formula toall of that?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That's a really good question and again, it depends
on what a manufacturer ordistributor has done to preserve
the food.
First, because if they'reselecting something ahead of
time, they're going to beputting different waxes on the
fruits and vegetables to preventsomething called oxidation from
occurring, because the moretime anything is exposed to
(17:20):
oxygen, it's going to start todegrade, including us, right, we
need oxygen to breathe, but theprocess of oxidation is going
to be more of like a breakdownprocess, which is like a
chemical explanation for it.
So this is one of the reasonswhy, when they pick something
too early, they have to putthese different processes in
place to make sure it arrives atthe grocery store or retail
(17:44):
center in its best possibleformat.
But even then, you know, I'vehad clients complain quite
frequently of going to thesupermarket buying something
that looked like it was prettyfresh and then within two or
three days it's starting torotten.
So this should be a telltalesign that that food, wherever
(18:10):
it's coming from, has been faraway from the tree and there's
only a brief window of timewhere you could then actually
prepare it and consume it foryourself to get the benefit from
it, because, ultimately,consuming more fresh fruits and
vegetables is a key to betterliving because of a whole host
of benefits associated.
But regardless of whether ornot it's local or it's shipped
in, nobody's going to get thebenefit of that produce if
(18:33):
they're not able to eat it inthe first place, and I know that
can go down a rabbit hole ofdifferent reasons why.
But from a logisticsperspective, you know we want to
be mindful of those things.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Right.
So as far as the the nutrientretention, it's something that
you know.
Really, what we can take awayis the fresher the product is,
the higher you are going to getin nutrient levels.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And so with that, I think people always think about
freshness with flavor, butfreshness is also important for
the health of our bodies, butalso, obviously, you know the
amount of nutrients that we'reintaking.
So I think it's something Ireally want to emphasize here,
which is that when you're buyinglocally sourced produce, or
(19:27):
even locally raised meats, youare really obtaining the highest
amount of nutrients possible.
When you're consuming it, youknow, right from the farm it's
at its peak.
So as far as the, you know theother methods of trying to
preserve this freshness.
(19:48):
When it comes to freezing,let's say, I know some people
listening, probably thinkingwell, if I freeze my freshly
picked berries, for instance,how does that affect the
nutrient level of those foods?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I personally love freezing because number one,
it's a great way to mitigatefood waste, which is a large
problem that we have in thiscountry today.
In addition to the cost of foodoverall, it does not make sense
for us to purchase things tothrow it away two or three days
later.
So if you do pick somethingfresh and you don't intend on
(20:25):
using it immediately, freezingis an incredible way to lock in
that freshness and enjoy it at alater time.
And so, for one, I absolutelyrecommend freezing to my
clientele all the time as acost-effective and a nutrient
dense excuse me way to focustheir investment, because that's
(20:48):
exactly what buying food shouldbe it's an investment in your
personal wellbeing, and when weapproach it that way, it takes
on a whole different perspectiveas to the process of sourcing
different foods, preparing andconsuming them.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yeah, and this makes me think too, as far as even
cooking certain foods, I know,can increase their nutrient
density, which I think is truefor tomatoes.
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yes, absolutely.
Tomatoes is one of them.
In many cases, dark leafygreens like your kale spinach
absolutely, they could beconsumed raw, but light cooking
methods help to unlock and makesome of those nutrients more
bioavailable.
So what that means is it helpsto break down some of the
(21:39):
plant's defense mechanisms,because plants, they have a
defense system and sometimesthose components found in plants
inhibit our ability to absorbthem.
So when we think of absorption,what also comes to mind is the
large percentage of people inour country struggling with
(22:00):
issues with gut health.
Right, and so if we're eating alot of raw foods, that may not
be helpful for somebody who hasa compromised gut.
But lightly cooking them like asteam or a low simmer, even
with some cooking liquids thatyou intend to consume, in and of
itself these are some excellentways to increase the level of
(22:23):
nutrients that you're able tobenefit from at the end of the
day.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Amazing, and so are there specific examples of
locally grown foods that areparticularly nutrient dense?
And I guess for the folkslistening who are also thinking,
well, what does that actuallymean, nutrient dense?
Yeah, let's, I guess, take astep back and define what that
means and then, if you canprovide a couple examples of
(22:51):
foods that are really high innutrient density, I think that
would be a really good highlightfor this episode as well.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Absolutely a really good highlight for this episode
as well.
Absolutely so.
When we look at a term likenutrient density, we want to
assess a food for its percentageof nutrient content in
relationship to its caloriccontent.
So when something has a highnutrient density, it's going to
be very high in nutrition, butfor relatively low calories.
(23:20):
So these are foods that again,contain your vitamins, they
contain your minerals, theycontain the phytonutrients,
antioxidants and other types ofcompounds that support your
well-being, and these can befound in things like your
complex carbohydrates.
So some examples are your sweetpotatoes or regular potatoes,
oatmeal, whole grain breads and,of course, your fruits and
(23:41):
veggies.
And then we have proteins, soyour chicken, beef, fish, lean
pork products, if you choose toconsume those, and, of course,
healthy fats.
So when we say the term healthyfat, this is a fat that's going
to be rich in a compound calledomega-3 fatty acids, which,
again, society is quitedeficient in this nutrient.
(24:03):
So when we are consuming fats,we want to make sure the ones we
choose are going to be high inthis particular nutrient,
because we can't even produce itourselves, so we have to rely
on our food intake to supply itto our body.
Some other examples ofnutrient-dense foods could be
dairy products, right.
Some other examples of nutrientdense foods could be dairy
products, right.
And then you also have youreggs peas beans are fantastic
(24:25):
and they're highly nutrientdense and, of course, your nuts.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Well, all of those are things that I consume.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yes, there you go.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Definitely a good sign.
But, no, those are great.
That's a great list.
I mean, I'm thinking more ondigging deeper into the
agricultural side.
Are there certain methods thatyou think contribute to a more
(25:05):
nutrient dense crop?
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Absolutely so, not only just from my own preference
, but research supports thatorganic farming and regenerative
farming produces an environmentin which produce can really
thrive, and it can do this bysetting the soil in a way that
creates diversity within thesoil itself.
(25:29):
So I'm going to use the exampleof gut health again, because
that's one of the areas that Isupport a lot of my clients with
.
And so gut health everyoneknows by now that having a
diverse gut microbiome is goingto be key right To not only
being able to enjoy the benefitsof good gut health, but also
(25:51):
enjoy the downstream effects ofwhat that means.
So less overall inflammationwithin the body, improved
immunity right Better skin,better mental clarity, more
energy throughout the day, andit's all because of the
diversity within the gut itself.
But then you have to ask thequestion what creates the
(26:12):
diversity in the gut?
And that is down to having avariety of different organisms
within it to help work together,to help us with multiple bodily
processes and also to createthese metabolites that support
some of these benefits that Ipreviously mentioned.
Now, when we go back to soilquality or soil integrity, right
(26:33):
, it's going to mean somethingdifferent to each person,
depending on what their role is.
So, for example, if somebody isin agriculture, soil integrity
is going to be something that'saligned with having productive
land space, or they're going tohave better profits as a result
(26:54):
of that and even a level ofdiversity of the organisms in
the soil itself, because that isa key component of quality soil
.
For us consumers, soil qualitymeans we have plentiful,
healthful and inexpensive foodsfor us to enjoy and also our
future generations to enjoy.
Right that food safety andavailability is something that
(27:18):
we can't lose sight of.
And then, you know, for someonewho's deeply passionate about
the environment, soilfunctioning is really looking at
the potential of an ecosystemat whole to maintain all types
of different species and waterquality and keeping that
(27:39):
biodiversity across multiplesystems in place.
And so all of these differentthings come together with things
like regenerative and organicagriculture practices.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
This is so I just like a light bulb went off in my
head, which is that, basically,a diverse group of
microorganisms in the soil isequivalent to a diverse
microbiome in your gut.
Yeah, and it's.
It's just like how did I notthink about this before?
That's incredible, and I thinkthat you know this is such an
(28:16):
important thing to touch onbecause, for, for people that
are not growing or have a gardenthat they tend to, the soil is
a very overlooked element infood.
So, it's a really importantfoundation for where our
nutrients travel from ground toplant and then into our own
(28:38):
bodies, so it's a reallyimportant element that we cannot
forget.
And so, touching on what yousaid earlier, as far as
regenerative and organicpractices, those are really
important for verifying that thefood that you're purchasing is
going to be supporting your gut,you know, and your overall
(29:00):
health.
So that's, those are reallyimportant pieces to take away
from this.
And another thing I wanted tokind of shed light on is
seasonal eating and how thatalso plays another role in how
we uptake our nutrients.
So, in terms of eating withinseasons, can you explain what
(29:22):
that typically means and howthat might affect our overall
well-being?
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Foods have differentenvironmental needs to grow at
their best.
So you're not going to findsomething available in summer
which are warmer climates,wetter, because there's likely
more storms, at least here inFlorida right during that time
as opposed to another type offood that grows best during the
(29:47):
fall, winter months, where it'scolder, a little bit drier right
, and they have different needs.
And so when we think abouteating seasonally, it really is
going back to the basics of ouragrarian culture and what the
early settlers focused on andthe type of lifestyle and honor
(30:09):
that they gave towards theseseasons.
You know, not necessarilyworshiping seasons themselves,
but using the environment andworking with the environment to
produce something that's goingto support us.
And so, even looking at thesummer months, we tend to
gravitate towards foods that arelighter in texture and are
(30:29):
cooling, as opposed to the latermonths where it's colder.
We want things that are richerand warming and produce more
energy to keep us going.
Florida we don't necessarilyhave that issue because it's hot
all year long except for twoweeks or so.
But, as a whole, right, workingwith the seasons, paying,
(30:50):
paying respect to theenvironment and working with it
it's.
It's a different approach toliving instead of being on this
constant, almost like groundhogday, of every day being the same
and being rushed and busy,having to do all these different
things and losing at our corethe essence of who we are and
how we work together with ourenvironment.
(31:12):
You know so, this isn'tnecessarily something that a lot
of people talk about, but Ithink it's important to come
back to, especially now, becauseI feel people are looking for
simplicity and they're lookingto slow down, and this is a
great way to do that bypurchasing foods that are in
season and supporting themselves, because our bodies change as
(31:32):
well as the seasons go.
We are never the same personthat we were six months ago or a
year ago.
We are in constant change, andthat's reflected in, you know,
even our weight, which changeson a daily basis, based off of
what we're doing and what we'reexposed to.
So, honoring all of thesedifferent systems and how they
(31:57):
fit in together in thisbeautifully delicate but
harmonious balance is a way thatwe can really start to feel
better and more grounded,literally, in who we are and
what we're offering to the restof our communities.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Yeah, and I love the idea that there's you know how
do I say this, I guess, a changein persona, I guess, with the
change in seasons and this newbuzzword of seasonally based
diets.
You know, that's something thatwe, I think, should be doing
(32:35):
just to make sure that we'restaying in line with our locally
sourced foods that we caneither get from a local farmer's
market or even your local farmstore.
There's just so many differentways of incorporating these
types of foods, and so I'mcurious to know what other tips
you have for our listeners intrying to adapt or adopt a diet
(33:00):
of this type.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I think this is a really important question,
because when you ask somebodywhether or not they eat locally
or in season, they're just goingto say, well, I buy whatever
it's at the grocery store and Icook that.
Which is fine, which mayrequire some effort, right, but
(33:29):
like anything else in this life,anything that requires a little
bit more of you is ultimatelygoing to be a beneficial
investment.
So finding the different typesof local markets that may be
available by maybe even doing asimple Google search, by typing
in local farmer's market andpopping in your county and
seeing what comes up, could be areally simple first step to
seeing what could be available,to maybe spend a weekend with
(33:51):
your family seeing what's there,talking to the farmers because
I know the farmers also love anyinteraction with their
community to help share whatthey do and educate on what they
do.
This could be really great onboth sides of the coin.
That's one simple way to do it.
There's also, you know, a SNAPeducation connection by the USDA
(34:17):
and they provide all types ofdifferent resources for eating
more seasonally.
I can share the link with you,or you may already have it
probably, but just in case, Ithink this is also a really good
resource just for basicinformation on finding local
foods and seasonal foods.
And then, of course, fresh fromFlorida is another great
resource that I look to to keepin touch with what's in season.
We have also fruitsandveggiesorg, which I love because it gives
(34:41):
nutritional profiles aboutdifferent foods and they offer
different recipes based off whatyou may be looking to try and
really approaching this way ofeating and taking care of
yourself from one of curiosity,right.
It is going to be the foundationto allowing this whole new
(35:01):
world to open up to you, becauseyou don't know what you don't
know.
But just starting with a simplesearch can be a great first
step to getting more activelyinvolved in participating and
supporting these sustainableagricultural practices that,
ultimately, that we benefit fromright.
And then, of course, talkingwith the farmers themselves may
(35:22):
lead to information, with thingslike community supported
agriculture programs, where youpay the farmer directly and you
get everything that they have tooffer based off of the season
and what they're growing, andthey may throw in a couple of
different things based off ofwhat they have available.
But that it takes you out ofthe driver's seat, it keeps the
farmers busy, right, supportingus, and we have more of a
(35:46):
community around food.
So these are just some of thesimple ways that I would suggest
anybody looking to become moreminded in consuming more local,
seasonal produce.
They can take these stepsforward.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Those are great, and I want to really emphasize a
couple of things you mentioned.
As far as you know, looking upyour local farmers markets.
We do have a tool by which youcan do that
FarmersMarketToolkitorg.
That is run by Florida OrganicGrowers, actually under the
Florida Farmers MarketAssociation.
(36:21):
So that is a really good placeto go check out what markets are
close to you and your zip code.
And I do also want to reiteratethe Fresh From Florida label.
That is something that you canfind in your grocery store on
products that are grown in thestate.
So just the other day I wasbuying a bag of potatoes from
(36:43):
Walmart and I found a Fresh FromFlorida label on the potatoes,
not knowing that we grewpotatoes in Florida.
That blew my mind, so I wasjust floored.
Because of number one, Iactually don't live in an area
that has a lot of farmersmarkets nearby and I know
(37:04):
several people that have thesame struggle and that's you
know.
It's important to know that.
You know there are options inthe grocery store and luckily,
we have that opportunity to buylocally through that label as
well.
So, um, those are really reallygreat tips, and I also wanted
(37:24):
to ask if there are certain youknow recipes that you recommend
for folks to highlight specificflavors and nutritional benefits
of local food, or even tips formeal prepping that folks can
take away today.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Oh, this is my favorite subject.
I'm all about cooking, I lovecooking and I do meal prep
myself, and I've been doing itnow for 20 odd years, which is
kind of funny to hear myself say.
But the key with meal preppingis to find a way that works with
your lifestyle and doesn'tbecome your lifestyle and become
an added stress.
Right, because it can easilyturn into a whole production if
(38:05):
you're not careful.
Right.
And so the best tip that I canshare is really understanding
what it is that you like.
Right, understand the flavorsthat you like and, if you're not
really sure, start exploringand, again, adopt that curiosity
mindset to see what you canbegin to incorporate in terms of
(38:26):
these different types ofproduce available.
A recipe that I always cook, nomatter what, is something that I
like to call chicken in the pot.
It's a family recipe.
It's been passed down since mygrandmother.
My mom makes it.
I make it all the time formyself, but it's taking some
(38:47):
chicken and it's tossing it in acrock pot or a saute pan or a
Dutch oven, right, and cookingit with all types of different
vegetables, and you can rotatethe vegetables to whatever it is
.
Isn't season, adding some bonebroth to it as the cooking
liquid and keeping it on a lowand slow type of approach
(39:08):
because, number one, it's goingto make your house smell amazing
.
Number two, because you'recooking it with bone broth, you
can consume the liquid andeverything that was cooked in
there you're going to get thebenefit from.
Nothing is going to be wastedand it just creates a very
comforting, very supporting typeof comfort, right?
(39:30):
I just I can't describe it Like.
I eat this every single week.
I can't have a week without it.
But it's also very gutsupporting because of the
protein, the differentvegetables in there, the bone
broth to help realign thatintestine, make it stronger and,
like I said, it's easy to swapout different veggies.
So many times I'll put inthings like dark leafy greens
(39:52):
right at the end of cooking,when the chicken's done, and
that'll be ready to go with somefresh herbs.
Or other times I'll put inthings like onion and garlic and
maybe some parsnips and havemore of a white veggie
concoction and you can playaround with it and have all
purple veggies, all greenveggies, orange veggies.
Sky's the limit.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
I'm salivating, I'm honestly so hungry.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
It's great.
It's so good.
You could have it on its own.
You can serve it with a littlebit of rice or some baked
potatoes.
Maybe add some additionalveggies with it.
Throw in some cilantro on topsome fresh lime juice.
It's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Yeah, that's with that.
I'm about to go make up mylunch.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Actually, that's exactly what I'm going to cook
now as part of my meal prep.
I have it sitting in the fridgeready to go with my chicken and
veggies.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
That sounds delicious .
So I mean, those are amazingtips and I, you know, want to
give you any chance to leave ourlisteners with any last bit of
advice or information on livinga nutritional, well-balanced
life.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Oh gosh.
Well, there's so much to sayhere, and I think it's important
to mention that it doesn'tmatter where you've come from or
where you're starting, but allthat matters is where you're
going.
So, understanding what'simportant to you, you know,
developing the differentpersonal standards that align
(41:20):
with your future vision ofyourself right, and adhering to
that on a daily basis is goingto help you become whatever it
is that you're looking to become.
Appreciation for each food,from growth to consumption, is
(41:51):
going to change the way yourbody receives it and how your
body uses it.
So have fun out there.
Right, the sky's the limit.
There are no barriers as longas we don't perceive them
ourselves.
And, yeah, if anybody wants toconnect, I'm happy to chat
through more.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Wow, that's that resonated so much.
Thank you so so much, Mandy,for joining us and sharing your
incredible knowledge on thepower of locally sourced
nutrition.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
This was wonderful.
Thank you so much, lana, Ireally appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
It's been such a pleasure.
We've learned how eating freshlocal food can not only elevate
our health but also support ourlocal farmers and communities,
and remember, when you're at thefarmer's market or the grocery
store, about the journey thatfood has taken to get to your
plate and how choosing local canmake all the difference for
your body and your community.
(42:42):
Plus, it's a delicious way tomake your meals more exciting
and nutrient-packed.
Thank you for tuning in anduntil next time, stay healthy,
stay curious and savor thegoodness of real local food.
Speaker 1 (42:57):
We hope you enjoyed today's episode.
Florida Organic Growers is a501c3 nonprofit organization, so
to keep our content availableand free to the public, we need
your help.
Please subscribe, rate andreview wherever you listen, and
consider making a tax-deductibledonation or become a sponsor.
Learn more about our work andhow you can become a sponsor
from our website, wwwfoginfoorg.
Welcome to Fresh Take , where we at Florida Organic
Growers speak to food systemsexperts about topics related to
organic and sustainableagriculture, healthy lifestyles
and the environment.
To help us continue ourprograms at FOG, including our
podcast, consider becoming asponsor.
For more information onsponsorship, check out our Get
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(00:28):
Involved page on our website,wwwfoginfoorg.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome back to another episode of Fresh Take,
where we bring you the latestinsights and expert advice on
sustainable living, organicagriculture and creating a
healthy environment.
Today, we're diving into atopic that is not only crucial
for our health, but also for ourcommunities nutrition and
locally sourced food.
I'm thrilled to be joined byour guest, mandy Garcia, a
clinical nutritionist, masterhealth coach and performance
(00:55):
specialist with over 20 years ofexperience in the allied health
industry.
She believes that what we puton our plates can spark powerful
changes, not just at thecellular level, but across
society as a whole.
Mandy is here to shed light onthe incredible nutritional
benefits of locally sourced farmto table food, and we'll be
exploring why eating local isbetter for your health, how
(01:18):
nutrient density plays a roleand tips for incorporating more
local produce into your dailydiet.
So, without further ado, mandy,welcome to our show.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thank you so much, Lana.
It's so awesome to be here withyou today.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I'm so excited to have you on our show today
because I myself come from anutrition background and I
thought for a moment that I wasgoing to be a registered
dietitian and kind of take thatpath.
But you know, I pivoted alittle bit into the social
justice world when it comes tofood and I'm so curious to know
(01:53):
how you stumbled upon this pathand you know what inspired you
to continue in this journey ofnutrition.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, that's a really great question and it's
something that has always beenon the back of my mind for a
very long time, from the momentI graduated from undergrad.
Right, it took me a while tofigure out where I wanted to
specialize in, but I've alwaysbeen in the health field, doing
a multitude of different work inregards to coaching different
(02:21):
athletes or working in corporatewellness specifically, and I've
dedicated a large portion of mycareer to being a corporate
wellness strategist for numerousorganizations, not only in
Florida but across the country,which has given me a very large
appreciation for the macro levelof things and how it really
(02:41):
affects the micro individual atthe health level level of things
and how it really affects themicro individual at the health
level.
And so, with that being said,nutrition, like I said, has
always been on the back burnerand a key piece of how people
take care of themselves.
But as I narrowed down my focusinto the world of clinical
nutrition, that really didn'tstart until after my dog was
(03:04):
diagnosed with a rare form oflymphoma and this wasn't just
any dog, this was my heart dog.
You know, like that, that petthat everybody has that just
changes your life forever andyou know that you are better
person because of them.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Definitely.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So when we got the diagnosis that she had developed
this lymphoma it was amucocutaneous lymphoma inside of
her cheek it was devastating,and of course, the different
thoughts that were runningthrough my mind about her
mortality and life without hersent me into a tailspin, and so
I spent the next week prettymuch not sleeping and doing
(03:48):
everything that I could possiblydo to better understand cancer,
better understand what I coulddo as her guardian to support
her in the healing process andwhat could be possible options
for us.
And, being always holisticallyminded in general with our
lifestyle, I knew that I neededto pay attention to what she was
(04:12):
eating, because that was goingto be one of our best allies in
her fight for cancer, and so Iended up developing a diet for
her, putting her on differentsupplements that I researched
extensively for dog use and withobviously an integrated
approach with her veterinarian.
We did the surgery.
We had it removed.
(04:33):
There was really great marginsthat were taken from there, but
then we opted not to do atraditional chemotherapy or
radiation just because I knowshe had a very sensitive
constitution.
So from there I worked with alocal acupuncturist a dog
acupuncturist and together withmy diet supplements and her work
(04:54):
we were able to mitigate thegrowth of a future lymphoma,
which was amazing and yeah, itwas incredible and so we were
able to extend her life by acouple of years from something
that was quite aggressive.
So I took that as a massivevictory and it even inspired me
(05:14):
to look into developing mytraining further in the canine
world, and so I was looking togo to back to school at North
Carolina state for caninenutrition, doing the whole nine
yards.
I actually got certified incanine fitness and I was
offering at that point classesfor my clientele that combined
human canine fitness training,and so part of that was the
(05:36):
health coaching aspect and Iwould work together with the
guardians and their pets just tocreate a more symbiotic
relationship with each other.
And so this was wonderful.
But then I realized how could Ireally affect these dogs at the
biggest level?
And it was like, well, I couldsegue down a niche into canine
nutrition, or I could reallyopen up the possibilities for
(05:59):
everyone involved and supporttheir guardians first and help
them understand the benefits oftaking care of themselves from a
broader perspective, becausethat's going to trickle down
into every aspect of their life,especially caring for their
family and their pets, and sothat's what inspired me to go
back to school, get my master'sin nutrition and go through the
(06:20):
rigorous process of becoming acredentialed professional in
this field.
So it was a different pathwaythan most people take to this
industry, but for me, I feltlike it was exactly the path I
needed to take, because my dogshe was everything and she was a
(06:40):
teacher in so many differentways, and so she taught me the
power of nutrition through herexistence and and how she was
able to really have quality oflife before she eventually left
us.
So powerful.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
This is so what a coincidence because I myself am
a cancer survivor and I alsochose the nutritional path
because of that, and so this isa weird coincidence that you
know we're talking about this.
Your dog and I have a verysimilar story and I'm just you
(07:16):
know, I feel really inspired bythis.
You know your passion reallycomes through as a catalyst.
You know, for food that's acatalyst for growth and healing
comes through as a catalyst, forfood as a catalyst for growth
and healing, and that's reallyinspiring.
So I'm curious to know, withthese kinds of credentials that
you've mentioned I know thatincludes the American Nutrition
(07:36):
Association, the NationalStrength and Conditioning
Association, precision Nutritionand HeartM math.
I know that there's so manydifferent types of nutritional
credentials that can be attained.
So for the folks listening, howdo you think that they can be
more aware of these kinds ofcredentials as far as like what
(07:59):
they mean and how they actuallycan serve them?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Oh, this is such a great question and another area
that I'm really passionate aboutbecause, especially in today's
era, I think there are manypathways for people to learn
about nutrition and holisticwell-being.
But the problem is, not everypathway is evidence-based is
(08:29):
evidence-based Not every pathwayrequires the rigor of some
others.
That to push somebody beyondtheir own boundaries in terms of
knowledge acquisition andwisdom development, right, and
especially in the social mediaspace, you have a lot of people
calling themselves nutritionists, which I have a little bit of a
beef with because, again,they're bringing a lot of
different things to the tablethat may actually cause harm to
(08:51):
a person, such as individualbiases with what has
specifically worked for them, asopposed to looking at the
broader evidence of what we havein terms of scientific
information and how differentdietary patterns affect
someone's constitution.
So that's one thing, right.
The other aspect is that notmany people really ask somebody
(09:14):
past that point of whether ornot they're a nutritionist, of
what that meant to them in termsof their training, and so for
me, as a certified nutritionspecialist for the American
Nutrition Association, you knowthis is, I would say, like a
sister credential to theregistered dietitian
nutritionist pathway.
(09:36):
They are equal, although theyhave different foci foci.
So for an RD, I know there's alot of acute inpatient training
with all types of differentdiseases in terms of treatment
and prevention.
With certified nutritionspecialists we have more of a
training aligned to thefunctional medicine model and
(09:58):
looking at things from acellular aspect and from a
biochemistry aspect and usingother pieces of lifestyle, which
a registered dietitian will doas well, to create different
protocols and treatmentstrategies for their patients
and clientele.
So case in point an RDN and aCNS.
(10:21):
They are sister credentials.
There's different pathways toreach both and both are
recognized as clinicaldesignations, especially here in
the state of Florida, and sooutside of the RDN credential
and the CNS credential, nobodyelse with a nutrition
certification quote unquote canpractice clinical nutrition
(10:42):
without having one of those twobehind their names.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Yes, yes, no.
Thank you for clarifying that,because I feel like this world
of nutrition can be a bitconfusing for someone that
doesn't know.
You know what all of that means.
So, speaking of that you knowkind of defining some of these
terms.
Can you explain how you definewhat nutrition means and how it
(11:08):
actually ties into agriculture?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Yeah, so nutrition is going to mean something
different for everybody, but, atthe end of the day, what we
focus on with nutrition isproviding the human body with
the basic raw elements tosustain life, right, and so
these are vitamins, these areminerals, these are your
macronutrients, your protein,carbs and fats, water
consumption, the levels ofantioxidants and other
(11:34):
phytonutrients in your diet tosustain the organism which is
you and me and everybody elsewalking around on the planet
today, because without thosecore elements, we do not
function at our best, and so thegoal of a nutritionist is
really to identify, within theirclientele, areas that are
(11:57):
opportunities for improvement,right, and so I know, especially
again in our society, there aremany people walking around with
nutrient deficiencies andinsufficiencies that are
contributors to chronic illness,and oftentimes these
insufficiencies and deficienciesjust are sitting off into the
(12:18):
corner and not being addressed,while, on the other hand,
there's medications and alltypes of different, possibly
controversial, strategies beingused to support one's health,
right, so this is a very simplething that we bring to the table
and help provide awareness toour clients and patients about.
(12:41):
Now, in regards to nutrition andagriculture, they really go
hand in hand, because what isnutrition without high quality
food to begin with, absolutely,you know.
So.
If we're not paying attentionto how our food is produced
right, this is going to create adownstream cascade of how it's
(13:02):
being used in our body, and sothe more sustainable agriculture
practices that we can support,the better the product is going
to be.
So, when we consume the product, it can do its work within us
the way it's supposed to, asopposed to leaving discrepancies
behind because of lack ofnutrient density, which, which I
(13:23):
know is a a big piece of whatwe focus on as nutritionists.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yes, and I.
The reason I'm so excited aboutthis episode is because I don't
think a lot of people putnutrition and agriculture in the
same bucket, and it's um, youknow they're, they're very well
incorporated and you, you know,hit the nail on the head as far
as what we put into our you know, the food that we're growing,
(13:51):
or the food that we'reharvesting, or even the animals
that we are, you know,supporting on the farm, all of
that goes into our bodies andthen affects us as human beings.
So it really is this circular,harmonious process.
And so, you know, there are somany buzzwords out there, right
(14:11):
about related to everythingnutrition, but also even in the
ag world, we have a lot ofbuzzwords like farm to table.
So, in terms of nutritionalvalue, what does farm totable
really mean for the averageconsumer?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I think one of the biggest takeaways that a
consumer can think about withthe term farm-to-table is that
food has had less intermediaryexposure between where and when
it was grown and getting ontotheir plates.
So the further something is awayfrom you, the more hands it has
(14:52):
to touch, right, and the longerit is from getting into your
tables.
Right, and with that durationof time comes with it the loss
of nutrition, especially when weconsider, in most cases,
produce that is shipped in fromareas all over the world.
They need to select them beforethey're even ready for harvest
(15:16):
in order to get them to wherethey're going in one piece.
Otherwise they're going todegrade quite quickly, right?
And so you have food thatreally didn't have a chance to
develop to its full capacity.
It's had so many hands all overit, right, and then it only
gets to us and we have probablyhalf of what we could
(15:38):
potentially benefit from, like,say, for example, an apple.
Right, that poor little appleis not going to be giving us the
best that it can give becauseit wasn't given the opportunity
to truly ripen and develop intoits best form for itself.
And so what's the consequence?
It it ends up in us halfdeveloped and that's that's.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
this is the really important thing I really want to
highlight here is that not onlyis it a food safety matter in
terms of the number of hands andprocessing facilities that food
is traveling to, even throughtrucks and all the different
elements, but it's also a matterof nutrient density and having
(16:25):
optimal nutrient density in thefood that you're consuming on
your plate.
What is?
Is there a number of days orweeks, or you know an actual
timeframe by which nutrient lossreally starts to occur?
(16:51):
What?
What is the actual formula toall of that?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That's a really good question and again, it depends
on what a manufacturer ordistributor has done to preserve
the food.
First, because if they'reselecting something ahead of
time, they're going to beputting different waxes on the
fruits and vegetables to preventsomething called oxidation from
occurring, because the moretime anything is exposed to
(17:20):
oxygen, it's going to start todegrade, including us, right, we
need oxygen to breathe, but theprocess of oxidation is going
to be more of like a breakdownprocess, which is like a
chemical explanation for it.
So this is one of the reasonswhy, when they pick something
too early, they have to putthese different processes in
place to make sure it arrives atthe grocery store or retail
(17:44):
center in its best possibleformat.
But even then, you know, I'vehad clients complain quite
frequently of going to thesupermarket buying something
that looked like it was prettyfresh and then within two or
three days it's starting torotten.
So this should be a telltalesign that that food, wherever
(18:10):
it's coming from, has been faraway from the tree and there's
only a brief window of timewhere you could then actually
prepare it and consume it foryourself to get the benefit from
it, because, ultimately,consuming more fresh fruits and
vegetables is a key to betterliving because of a whole host
of benefits associated.
But regardless of whether ornot it's local or it's shipped
in, nobody's going to get thebenefit of that produce if
(18:33):
they're not able to eat it inthe first place, and I know that
can go down a rabbit hole ofdifferent reasons why.
But from a logisticsperspective, you know we want to
be mindful of those things.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Right.
So as far as the the nutrientretention, it's something that
you know.
Really, what we can take awayis the fresher the product is,
the higher you are going to getin nutrient levels.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And so with that, I think people always think about
freshness with flavor, butfreshness is also important for
the health of our bodies, butalso, obviously, you know the
amount of nutrients that we'reintaking.
So I think it's something Ireally want to emphasize here,
which is that when you're buyinglocally sourced produce, or
(19:27):
even locally raised meats, youare really obtaining the highest
amount of nutrients possible.
When you're consuming it, youknow, right from the farm it's
at its peak.
So as far as the, you know theother methods of trying to
preserve this freshness.
(19:48):
When it comes to freezing,let's say, I know some people
listening, probably thinkingwell, if I freeze my freshly
picked berries, for instance,how does that affect the
nutrient level of those foods?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I personally love freezing because number one,
it's a great way to mitigatefood waste, which is a large
problem that we have in thiscountry today.
In addition to the cost of foodoverall, it does not make sense
for us to purchase things tothrow it away two or three days
later.
So if you do pick somethingfresh and you don't intend on
(20:25):
using it immediately, freezingis an incredible way to lock in
that freshness and enjoy it at alater time.
And so, for one, I absolutelyrecommend freezing to my
clientele all the time as acost-effective and a nutrient
dense excuse me way to focustheir investment, because that's
(20:48):
exactly what buying food shouldbe it's an investment in your
personal wellbeing, and when weapproach it that way, it takes
on a whole different perspectiveas to the process of sourcing
different foods, preparing andconsuming them.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yeah, and this makes me think too, as far as even
cooking certain foods, I know,can increase their nutrient
density, which I think is truefor tomatoes.
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yes, absolutely.
Tomatoes is one of them.
In many cases, dark leafygreens like your kale spinach
absolutely, they could beconsumed raw, but light cooking
methods help to unlock and makesome of those nutrients more
bioavailable.
So what that means is it helpsto break down some of the
(21:39):
plant's defense mechanisms,because plants, they have a
defense system and sometimesthose components found in plants
inhibit our ability to absorbthem.
So when we think of absorption,what also comes to mind is the
large percentage of people inour country struggling with
(22:00):
issues with gut health.
Right, and so if we're eating alot of raw foods, that may not
be helpful for somebody who hasa compromised gut.
But lightly cooking them like asteam or a low simmer, even
with some cooking liquids thatyou intend to consume, in and of
itself these are some excellentways to increase the level of
(22:23):
nutrients that you're able tobenefit from at the end of the
day.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Amazing, and so are there specific examples of
locally grown foods that areparticularly nutrient dense?
And I guess for the folkslistening who are also thinking,
well, what does that actuallymean, nutrient dense?
Yeah, let's, I guess, take astep back and define what that
means and then, if you canprovide a couple examples of
(22:51):
foods that are really high innutrient density, I think that
would be a really good highlightfor this episode as well.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Absolutely a really good highlight for this episode
as well.
Absolutely so.
When we look at a term likenutrient density, we want to
assess a food for its percentageof nutrient content in
relationship to its caloriccontent.
So when something has a highnutrient density, it's going to
be very high in nutrition, butfor relatively low calories.
(23:20):
So these are foods that again,contain your vitamins, they
contain your minerals, theycontain the phytonutrients,
antioxidants and other types ofcompounds that support your
well-being, and these can befound in things like your
complex carbohydrates.
So some examples are your sweetpotatoes or regular potatoes,
oatmeal, whole grain breads and,of course, your fruits and
(23:41):
veggies.
And then we have proteins, soyour chicken, beef, fish, lean
pork products, if you choose toconsume those, and, of course,
healthy fats.
So when we say the term healthyfat, this is a fat that's going
to be rich in a compound calledomega-3 fatty acids, which,
again, society is quitedeficient in this nutrient.
(24:03):
So when we are consuming fats,we want to make sure the ones we
choose are going to be high inthis particular nutrient,
because we can't even produce itourselves, so we have to rely
on our food intake to supply itto our body.
Some other examples ofnutrient-dense foods could be
dairy products, right.
Some other examples of nutrientdense foods could be dairy
products, right.
And then you also have youreggs peas beans are fantastic
(24:25):
and they're highly nutrientdense and, of course, your nuts.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Well, all of those are things that I consume.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yes, there you go.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Definitely a good sign.
But, no, those are great.
That's a great list.
I mean, I'm thinking more ondigging deeper into the
agricultural side.
Are there certain methods thatyou think contribute to a more
(25:05):
nutrient dense crop?
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Absolutely so, not only just from my own preference
, but research supports thatorganic farming and regenerative
farming produces an environmentin which produce can really
thrive, and it can do this bysetting the soil in a way that
creates diversity within thesoil itself.
(25:29):
So I'm going to use the exampleof gut health again, because
that's one of the areas that Isupport a lot of my clients with
.
And so gut health everyoneknows by now that having a
diverse gut microbiome is goingto be key right To not only
being able to enjoy the benefitsof good gut health, but also
(25:51):
enjoy the downstream effects ofwhat that means.
So less overall inflammationwithin the body, improved
immunity right Better skin,better mental clarity, more
energy throughout the day, andit's all because of the
diversity within the gut itself.
But then you have to ask thequestion what creates the
(26:12):
diversity in the gut?
And that is down to having avariety of different organisms
within it to help work together,to help us with multiple bodily
processes and also to createthese metabolites that support
some of these benefits that Ipreviously mentioned.
Now, when we go back to soilquality or soil integrity, right
(26:33):
, it's going to mean somethingdifferent to each person,
depending on what their role is.
So, for example, if somebody isin agriculture, soil integrity
is going to be something that'saligned with having productive
land space, or they're going tohave better profits as a result
(26:54):
of that and even a level ofdiversity of the organisms in
the soil itself, because that isa key component of quality soil
.
For us consumers, soil qualitymeans we have plentiful,
healthful and inexpensive foodsfor us to enjoy and also our
future generations to enjoy.
Right that food safety andavailability is something that
(27:18):
we can't lose sight of.
And then, you know, for someonewho's deeply passionate about
the environment, soilfunctioning is really looking at
the potential of an ecosystemat whole to maintain all types
of different species and waterquality and keeping that
(27:39):
biodiversity across multiplesystems in place.
And so all of these differentthings come together with things
like regenerative and organicagriculture practices.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
This is so I just like a light bulb went off in my
head, which is that, basically,a diverse group of
microorganisms in the soil isequivalent to a diverse
microbiome in your gut.
Yeah, and it's.
It's just like how did I notthink about this before?
That's incredible, and I thinkthat you know this is such an
(28:16):
important thing to touch onbecause, for, for people that
are not growing or have a gardenthat they tend to, the soil is
a very overlooked element infood.
So, it's a really importantfoundation for where our
nutrients travel from ground toplant and then into our own
(28:38):
bodies, so it's a reallyimportant element that we cannot
forget.
And so, touching on what yousaid earlier, as far as
regenerative and organicpractices, those are really
important for verifying that thefood that you're purchasing is
going to be supporting your gut,you know, and your overall
(29:00):
health.
So that's, those are reallyimportant pieces to take away
from this.
And another thing I wanted tokind of shed light on is
seasonal eating and how thatalso plays another role in how
we uptake our nutrients.
So, in terms of eating withinseasons, can you explain what
(29:22):
that typically means and howthat might affect our overall
well-being?
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Foods have differentenvironmental needs to grow at
their best.
So you're not going to findsomething available in summer
which are warmer climates,wetter, because there's likely
more storms, at least here inFlorida right during that time
as opposed to another type offood that grows best during the
(29:47):
fall, winter months, where it'scolder, a little bit drier right
, and they have different needs.
And so when we think abouteating seasonally, it really is
going back to the basics of ouragrarian culture and what the
early settlers focused on andthe type of lifestyle and honor
(30:09):
that they gave towards theseseasons.
You know, not necessarilyworshiping seasons themselves,
but using the environment andworking with the environment to
produce something that's goingto support us.
And so, even looking at thesummer months, we tend to
gravitate towards foods that arelighter in texture and are
(30:29):
cooling, as opposed to the latermonths where it's colder.
We want things that are richerand warming and produce more
energy to keep us going.
Florida we don't necessarilyhave that issue because it's hot
all year long except for twoweeks or so.
But, as a whole, right, workingwith the seasons, paying,
(30:50):
paying respect to theenvironment and working with it
it's.
It's a different approach toliving instead of being on this
constant, almost like groundhogday, of every day being the same
and being rushed and busy,having to do all these different
things and losing at our corethe essence of who we are and
how we work together with ourenvironment.
(31:12):
You know so, this isn'tnecessarily something that a lot
of people talk about, but Ithink it's important to come
back to, especially now, becauseI feel people are looking for
simplicity and they're lookingto slow down, and this is a
great way to do that bypurchasing foods that are in
season and supporting themselves, because our bodies change as
(31:32):
well as the seasons go.
We are never the same personthat we were six months ago or a
year ago.
We are in constant change, andthat's reflected in, you know,
even our weight, which changeson a daily basis, based off of
what we're doing and what we'reexposed to.
So, honoring all of thesedifferent systems and how they
(31:57):
fit in together in thisbeautifully delicate but
harmonious balance is a way thatwe can really start to feel
better and more grounded,literally, in who we are and
what we're offering to the restof our communities.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Yeah, and I love the idea that there's you know how
do I say this, I guess, a changein persona, I guess, with the
change in seasons and this newbuzzword of seasonally based
diets.
You know, that's something thatwe, I think, should be doing
(32:35):
just to make sure that we'restaying in line with our locally
sourced foods that we caneither get from a local farmer's
market or even your local farmstore.
There's just so many differentways of incorporating these
types of foods, and so I'mcurious to know what other tips
you have for our listeners intrying to adapt or adopt a diet
(33:00):
of this type.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I think this is a really important question,
because when you ask somebodywhether or not they eat locally
or in season, they're just goingto say, well, I buy whatever
it's at the grocery store and Icook that.
Which is fine, which mayrequire some effort, right, but
(33:29):
like anything else in this life,anything that requires a little
bit more of you is ultimatelygoing to be a beneficial
investment.
So finding the different typesof local markets that may be
available by maybe even doing asimple Google search, by typing
in local farmer's market andpopping in your county and
seeing what comes up, could be areally simple first step to
seeing what could be available,to maybe spend a weekend with
(33:51):
your family seeing what's there,talking to the farmers because
I know the farmers also love anyinteraction with their
community to help share whatthey do and educate on what they
do.
This could be really great onboth sides of the coin.
That's one simple way to do it.
There's also, you know, a SNAPeducation connection by the USDA
(34:17):
and they provide all types ofdifferent resources for eating
more seasonally.
I can share the link with you,or you may already have it
probably, but just in case, Ithink this is also a really good
resource just for basicinformation on finding local
foods and seasonal foods.
And then, of course, fresh fromFlorida is another great
resource that I look to to keepin touch with what's in season.
We have also fruitsandveggiesorg, which I love because it gives
(34:41):
nutritional profiles aboutdifferent foods and they offer
different recipes based off whatyou may be looking to try and
really approaching this way ofeating and taking care of
yourself from one of curiosity,right.
It is going to be the foundationto allowing this whole new
(35:01):
world to open up to you, becauseyou don't know what you don't
know.
But just starting with a simplesearch can be a great first
step to getting more activelyinvolved in participating and
supporting these sustainableagricultural practices that,
ultimately, that we benefit fromright.
And then, of course, talkingwith the farmers themselves may
(35:22):
lead to information, with thingslike community supported
agriculture programs, where youpay the farmer directly and you
get everything that they have tooffer based off of the season
and what they're growing, andthey may throw in a couple of
different things based off ofwhat they have available.
But that it takes you out ofthe driver's seat, it keeps the
farmers busy, right, supportingus, and we have more of a
(35:46):
community around food.
So these are just some of thesimple ways that I would suggest
anybody looking to become moreminded in consuming more local,
seasonal produce.
They can take these stepsforward.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Those are great, and I want to really emphasize a
couple of things you mentioned.
As far as you know, looking upyour local farmers markets.
We do have a tool by which youcan do that
FarmersMarketToolkitorg.
That is run by Florida OrganicGrowers, actually under the
Florida Farmers MarketAssociation.
(36:21):
So that is a really good placeto go check out what markets are
close to you and your zip code.
And I do also want to reiteratethe Fresh From Florida label.
That is something that you canfind in your grocery store on
products that are grown in thestate.
So just the other day I wasbuying a bag of potatoes from
(36:43):
Walmart and I found a Fresh FromFlorida label on the potatoes,
not knowing that we grewpotatoes in Florida.
That blew my mind, so I wasjust floored.
Because of number one, Iactually don't live in an area
that has a lot of farmersmarkets nearby and I know
(37:04):
several people that have thesame struggle and that's you
know.
It's important to know that.
You know there are options inthe grocery store and luckily,
we have that opportunity to buylocally through that label as
well.
So, um, those are really reallygreat tips, and I also wanted
(37:24):
to ask if there are certain youknow recipes that you recommend
for folks to highlight specificflavors and nutritional benefits
of local food, or even tips formeal prepping that folks can
take away today.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Oh, this is my favorite subject.
I'm all about cooking, I lovecooking and I do meal prep
myself, and I've been doing itnow for 20 odd years, which is
kind of funny to hear myself say.
But the key with meal preppingis to find a way that works with
your lifestyle and doesn'tbecome your lifestyle and become
an added stress.
Right, because it can easilyturn into a whole production if
(38:05):
you're not careful.
Right.
And so the best tip that I canshare is really understanding
what it is that you like.
Right, understand the flavorsthat you like and, if you're not
really sure, start exploringand, again, adopt that curiosity
mindset to see what you canbegin to incorporate in terms of
(38:26):
these different types ofproduce available.
A recipe that I always cook, nomatter what, is something that I
like to call chicken in the pot.
It's a family recipe.
It's been passed down since mygrandmother.
My mom makes it.
I make it all the time formyself, but it's taking some
(38:47):
chicken and it's tossing it in acrock pot or a saute pan or a
Dutch oven, right, and cookingit with all types of different
vegetables, and you can rotatethe vegetables to whatever it is
.
Isn't season, adding some bonebroth to it as the cooking
liquid and keeping it on a lowand slow type of approach
(39:08):
because, number one, it's goingto make your house smell amazing
.
Number two, because you'recooking it with bone broth, you
can consume the liquid andeverything that was cooked in
there you're going to get thebenefit from.
Nothing is going to be wastedand it just creates a very
comforting, very supporting typeof comfort, right?
(39:30):
I just I can't describe it Like.
I eat this every single week.
I can't have a week without it.
But it's also very gutsupporting because of the
protein, the differentvegetables in there, the bone
broth to help realign thatintestine, make it stronger and,
like I said, it's easy to swapout different veggies.
So many times I'll put inthings like dark leafy greens
(39:52):
right at the end of cooking,when the chicken's done, and
that'll be ready to go with somefresh herbs.
Or other times I'll put inthings like onion and garlic and
maybe some parsnips and havemore of a white veggie
concoction and you can playaround with it and have all
purple veggies, all greenveggies, orange veggies.
Sky's the limit.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
I'm salivating, I'm honestly so hungry.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
It's great.
It's so good.
You could have it on its own.
You can serve it with a littlebit of rice or some baked
potatoes.
Maybe add some additionalveggies with it.
Throw in some cilantro on topsome fresh lime juice.
It's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Yeah, that's with that.
I'm about to go make up mylunch.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Actually, that's exactly what I'm going to cook
now as part of my meal prep.
I have it sitting in the fridgeready to go with my chicken and
veggies.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
That sounds delicious .
So I mean, those are amazingtips and I, you know, want to
give you any chance to leave ourlisteners with any last bit of
advice or information on livinga nutritional, well-balanced
life.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Oh gosh.
Well, there's so much to sayhere, and I think it's important
to mention that it doesn'tmatter where you've come from or
where you're starting, but allthat matters is where you're
going.
So, understanding what'simportant to you, you know,
developing the differentpersonal standards that align
(41:20):
with your future vision ofyourself right, and adhering to
that on a daily basis is goingto help you become whatever it
is that you're looking to become.
Appreciation for each food,from growth to consumption, is
(41:51):
going to change the way yourbody receives it and how your
body uses it.
So have fun out there.
Right, the sky's the limit.
There are no barriers as longas we don't perceive them
ourselves.
And, yeah, if anybody wants toconnect, I'm happy to chat
through more.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Wow, that's that resonated so much.
Thank you so so much, Mandy,for joining us and sharing your
incredible knowledge on thepower of locally sourced
nutrition.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
This was wonderful.
Thank you so much, lana, Ireally appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
It's been such a pleasure.
We've learned how eating freshlocal food can not only elevate
our health but also support ourlocal farmers and communities,
and remember, when you're at thefarmer's market or the grocery
store, about the journey thatfood has taken to get to your
plate and how choosing local canmake all the difference for
your body and your community.
(42:42):
Plus, it's a delicious way tomake your meals more exciting
and nutrient-packed.
Thank you for tuning in anduntil next time, stay healthy,
stay curious and savor thegoodness of real local food.
Speaker 1 (42:57):
We hope you enjoyed today's episode.
Florida Organic Growers is a501c3 nonprofit organization, so
to keep our content availableand free to the public, we need
your help.
Please subscribe, rate andreview wherever you listen, and
consider making a tax-deductibledonation or become a sponsor.
Learn more about our work andhow you can become a sponsor
from our website, wwwfoginfoorg.
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