Greening Austin Daily

Seasonal Foods Provide Health Benefits

12th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

Eating locally and seasonally is very green because it takes less traveling for the food to get to your plate, but it also has the added benefits of making the summertime heat, bugs, sun, and allergies more bearable. This article from the Statesman discusses how eating local, seasonal food can provide all sorts of benefits, from repelling bugs to preventing allergies. Here are some of the suggestions:

- To cool down: tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe and other melons, cucumber, okra, spicy peppers, and cooling herbs like mint

-To protect your skin: summer squash, cantaloupe, tomatoes, watermelon, peaches, broccoli, spinach, green peppers, and aloe

-To repel bugs: basil, rosemary, lemongrass, foods rich in garlic and vitamins B1 and B12

-To prevent allergies: okra and local honey

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