Distinctly Montana Gal, Fall 2012
Take a look at my first article for Distinctly Montana Gal “5 Things You should Know for Living Everyday Healthy.” You can find the article and photos on page 17 in the print edition and page 15 of the digital edition. This is a beautiful magazine featuring articles and photographs about the very talented women of Montana.
Living Everyday Healthy—the article
Vital. Hardy. Robust. These qualities stood out during my very first visit to a Bozeman farmers’ market more than a dozen years ago. I especially remember the snappy green beans, lush lettuces and sturdy kale and chard. Attribute these qualities to the terrior (terr-wah)of Montana: rugged mountains, glacial valleys and wide-open spaces, short growing season and long days of sunshine, mineral rich soil, pure water and clean air.
Terroir—a French wine-making term loosely translated as “a sense of place” discerned by taste—easily sets apart such well-known and unequaled foodstuff as our Flathead cherries, Dixon melons and Montana wheat. Truly, Montana is a “treasure state” in more than just its minerals.
1. Food is only part of the story
The word diet actually comes from the Greek word diata meaning way of life. Thus, diet includes the food we eat as well as our environment, the quality of our relationships, our careers, physical exercise, stress, spirituality, etc. All of our life choices are important facets of our diet, of living everyday healthy.
2. Eat mainly plants
Eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes in a rainbow of colors to access a full spectrum of nutrients. Appreciate the natural flavors of plant-based foods by minimizing overly salty and sweet foods which dull the palate and compromise our sense of taste.
3. Buy local/grow your own
Just-picked produce has the greatest vitality and nutrients as vitamins and minerals degrade with time, temperature and exposure to air. Farmers’ markets are a great place to buy fresh produce, support local farmers, eat with the seasons, try new foods and spend time among neighbors and friends.
4. Reclaim the kitchen/eat meals at home
Clean out the kitchen pantry—read labels and remove anything that doesn’t support your health, i.e., items with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. Clear off the dining room table, turn off the television and make way for regular meals with family and/or friends. You’ll likely enjoy your meals more, improve the quality of your relationships and have better digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients to boot.
5. Enhance your cooking skills
Cooking is an art. The more you practice the easier it becomes to eat healthier, try new recipes, quickly put a meal on the table, entertain with ease and have fun!