Local Food is Medicine

The food you choose to eat can be medicine, or lead to disease.

You can no longer walk into your neighborhood grocery store without thinking twice about the quality of food you are buying.

Supermarket foods have ingredient lists the size of a small novel, filled with words we don’t recognize. The ingredients aren’t necessarily good for us either. These lists are more of a disclaimer than a recipe.

Ask yourself: Why does frozen broccoli even have an ingredient list… isn’t it just frozen broccoli?

The Truth About the Average American Diet is that it’s Bad and Getting Worse 

According to a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the overall composition of the average U.S. diet has shifted towards a more processed diet, and the consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased from 2001 to 2018. 

Trends in dietary intakes according to the NOVA food classification system.

Only 1 in 10 adults in the United States eats the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables, and more than 50% of all calories consumed come from ultra-processed foods. 

The largest item increases in the average American diet were ready-to-eat/heated meals, which are almost entirely made up of processed food.  

As defined by the Department of Agriculture, processed food is any raw agricultural commodities that have been altered in any way, including washing, cleaning, cutting, chopping, pasteurizing, canning, freezing, dehydrating, or packaging food. And adding preservatives, flavors, nutrients, and other food additives or substances such as salt, sugars, and fats turn whole food into processed food.

Worldwide, diets and food supplies are increasingly based on ultra-processed foods. In this current industrial food environment, most of the foods that are marketed to us are, in fact, industrial formulations that are far removed from whole foods.

Not so surprisingly, your “local” supermarket is serving anything but local and non-processed foods. From ultra-processed to minimally-processed foods, the majority of the food selection in every grocery store in America is made up of processed foods. And when it comes to fresh food, the options are limited - vegetable availability in the US has been declining for decades.

The Truth About Mass-Market Organic Produce

Any processed food item is simply a less nutritious option compared to fresh produce. And when comparing produce, organic produce is better for your health and wellness than non-organic produce. According to this report by the Mayo Clinic, organic produce contains more nutrients than non-organic produce, has higher omega-3 fatty acids, and has less pesticide residue. 

The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products. In organic farming, synthetic pesticides and sewage fertilizers are not allowed. But that only protects the produce while it’s growing.

What about after it’s picked? 

As soon as a fruit or vegetable is plucked from its plant, it starts to lose nutrients. Organic food found in grocery stores is not as fresh as you think, because this food has been on the move longer than in the ground. 

In an effort to preserve freshness, farmers harvest the food before it’s fully ripe so it can make the long trip to stores before rotting or spoiling. Unfortunately, food that is not fully ripe or finished growing does not have all of its nutrients. And further, most produce is coated in a concealing wax to preserve color and crispness. The wax is not intended for human consumption. 

During the long journey after harvest, the remaining nutritional value is reduced by intense artificial lights and changes in air quality, as well as violent temperature fluctuations. And if the journey began before the plant had even finished growing, the health benefits started at a loss. 

By comparison, locally-grown food is more nutritious because it’s only transported short distances. It isn’t exposed to artificial lights or air with chemicals or concealment waxes used to preserve food for long-distance transport. Nope, local food is just that: food from here. 

Three Primary Health Benefits Of Local Produce vs. Mass-Market, Organic Produce

Local produce from neighborhood farms has more health benefits and nutrients than the produce that has traveled thousands of food miles to reach your supermarket. 

1. Local food is fresh, and fresh food is more nutrient dense.

In the average American diet, the foods are typically higher in calories and lower in nutrients, resulting in what we have come to know as empty calories. By contrast, local foods are rich in the vitamins and minerals and other nutrients that are important for your health. 

By prioritizing nutritious, local food, you are prioritizing your health and wellness. 

How can you tell if food is more nutrient dense? According to the American Heart Association, nutrient-dense food has more vitamins and more protein, at least three times the magnesium, and more than double the fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, and zinc. 

But it’s hard to compare apples and oranges. Literally. 

Different produce inside the food rainbow offers different vitamins and minerals. Each one is rich in its own way and provides nutrients that are necessary for health and wellness. 

That’s why you should be prioritizing a colorful diet, tasting all the colors in the fruit and vegetable rainbow. 

The importance of a colorful diet:

For decades, nutritionists believed the most important color to remember to include in your well-balanced diet was green. But now, it’s been proven that the rest of the spectrum has to be taken into serious consideration if you want a healthy, well-balanced diet. 

The beautiful range of color is caused by phytochemicals. According to the Rush University Medical Center, these phytochemicals are natural bioactive compounds that, in addition to giving fruits and veggies their eye-catching hues, also indicate the nutrient density essential for good health. The varying colors found in fruits and vegetables are formed by a unique combination of phytochemicals, which all offer different vitamins and minerals.

Eating the rainbow has many benefits.

By choosing colorful, local produce (not Skittles), you are choosing the most healthful and nutrient-dense food option available to you and your loved ones. 

Local produce is the best option because of its high nutrient density and shortest trip of everything in the supply chain. The shorter the time from ground to plate, the more nutritious and delicious the produce is. 

2. Local food means short supply chains.

Short supply chains help everyone - they are better for you, your food, and the planet. They also foster a relationship with your local farmers. You can learn about delicious, nutritious food, find out exactly where your food comes from, and maybe even know the names of the farmers who grew it.  

Less travel time for your food keeps it away from harmful artificial chemicals and preservatives, which means you get produce that’s fresher and loaded with nutrients and vitamins. The shorter the supply chain, the richer the color of your produce will be and the better it will taste.

Local food is just that: local. 

Enter the neighborhood farm, where the food on your table comes directly from a specific local farm without making stops at  a store, market, or distributor along the way.

So, the farm-to-table food option has the shortest supply chain. To get your vegetables any fresher, you’d have to grow them yourself. 

3. Local Food means less mass-production contamination potential.

Where there is mass production, there is contamination. 

In today’s supermarket supply chain, the sheer variety and quantity of food creates a perfect storm of contamination and even some threats we may not be prepared for. And it will only get worse as more food is transported to meet global demand.

Contamination in produce can be anything from pathogens (such as the potentially lethal salmonella or E. coli) to foreign objects like metal or glass.

Growing fruits and vegetables locally eliminates the need for pesticides and nasty fertilizers because local crops are smaller and can be better maintained than mass-produced crops. And there are fewer threats of foreign objects when crops come from just down the road. The shortest distance between the farm and your table. 

Until we are all relying on local produce to feed our communities, we risk eating contaminated produce due to mass production, a risk that we take every time we purchase international produce from the supermarket.  

To protect ourselves from food contamination, we're going to need to shop more locally. 

Choose Local, Choose Healthy

Buying produce from local producers protects us from multiple risks associated with food purchases at modern supermarkets, with their thousand-mile supply chains and processed foods.

• Local food is fresh, and fresh food is more nutrient dense.

• Local food has a shorter supply chain which can provide more nutritious produce.

• Local food also has a reduced risk of all kinds of contamination. 

• Local food has benefits, including reversing chronic disease and promoting strength in our bodies and across our communities.

• Local food is packed with the nutrients you and your family needs. 

The Secondary Health Benefits Of Local Produce

Chronic disease vs. whole foods diet

Without proper care, chronic disease can feel like a one-way ride, but with recent research promoting the positive effects of whole foods and and their ability to reverse and prevent chronic diseases, lives can be turned in the right direction. 

Diet plays a central role in our current battle against the chronic disease crisis.

According to this research from the National Library of Medicine, 80% of chronic diseases are preventable with improved diet, along with other healthy lifestyle adjustments. 

Even for an American with a better-than-average diet who makes conscious choices about what to eat, there are still some roadblocks to enjoying a healthy and well-balanced diet. 

There are many reasons why people end up with poor diets:

• Nutritionally poor, but convenient, food choices.

• Limited, low cost options.

• Food that is inaccurately labeled or marketed.

• Processed foods carefully formulated with specific proportions of salt, sugar, and fat to make them addictive. 

But it’s well worth it to make the effort to eat a whole-foods-based diet that can be easily accessed with local food. A diet rich in whole foods can halt, and even reverse, some life-threatening diseases. And further research indicates that whole foods can even encourage weight loss, decrease cholesterol, decrease the risk of heart problems, and increase energy.  

Chronic disease vs. whole foods diet: whole foods for the win. 

Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are medicine

“Food is medicine” is a concept that combines nutrition and medical care to treat diet-related diseases. 

It’s not a new concept, either. In 400 B.C., Hippocrates advised people to prevent and treat disease by eating nutrient-dense foods. 

Fast forward a few thousand years from Hippocrates’ time, and we now have food banks that are working with companies like DoorDash and Instacart to get food to people in need. 

Produce prescription programs (PRx), for example, have allowed providers to prescribe fruits and vegetables to patients with diet-related diseases or those facing food insecurity. With a PRx, healthcare providers prescribe nutritious produce instead of medications.

This concept is (finally) being taken seriously by scientists and researchers, but more research is needed to optimize best practices. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development recognizes that produce prescription programs help people from all walks of life manage their health, improve their diets, and reduce risks caused by disease. 

Health benefits of the farmers’ market

The weekend farmers’ market has traditionally been a place for delicious morning coffees with pastries, wrapped-up flowers in tote bags, and maybe some treats from sweet-creating vendors. 

But the real prizes of your local farmers’ market are the potential health and wellness benefits they provide: fresh fruits and vegetables, handmade whole-grain bread, and delicious jams and preserves, all packing the best taste and most nutrition.

Local food is full of health benefits, and we are just beginning to appreciate  all the wonders these healthier choices are capable of.

Keeping it local and staying healthy

Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are more nutritious (and delicious) than the produce available in your supermarket. Local, organic food is sustainable and grown just for people like you - the people in our neighborhood.

• Only 1 in 10 adults in the United States eats the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables.

• In the average American diet, the foods are typically higher in calories and lower in nutrients, coining what we know as “empty calories.” 

• Nutrient-dense foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are important for your health.

• Prioritize eating the rainbow of produce: each color is formed by a unique combination of different phytochemicals that also have a unique combination of different vitamins and nutrients. 

• Local produce is the best option because of its high nutrient density and shortest trip in the supply chain. The shorter the time from ground to plate, the more nutritious and delicious the produce is. 

• Local produce also has no need for pesticides and nasty fertilizers because local crops are smaller and can be better maintained than mass-produced crops. And there are fewer threats of foreign objects when produce is just coming from down the road. Soil to truck to you - farm to table.

• 80% of chronic diseases are preventable with improved diet and other healthy lifestyle adjustments. Diet plays a central role in our current battle against the chronic disease crisis.

• Produce prescription programs, for example, have allowed providers to prescribe fruits and vegetables to patients with diet-related diseases.

Remember: you don’t need to dive in head-first off the deep end. It’s okay to take incremental steps and integrate more local food into your diet and lifestyle a little at a time. 

Taste What It’s Like To Be Part Of The Change

Let Area 2 Farms bring the farm to you. Every day, more people and families are turning to local, fresh, organic, neighborhood farm food to keep their tables full of delicious, nutritious, and truly local food. 

By joining us, you’re joining a path to a greener and brighter future. 

Area 2 Farms for Locals

Your food should be equally accessible and nutritious. Which is where we come in. We’re Area 2 Farms, we grow organic produce, deliver it to your door weekly, and operate all within 10 miles of you.