seasonal

After a long, bountiful summer, autumn is finally here. To some, it's a welcomed change; to others, not so much. Regardless, I's a time of year we all must go through, and there are several ways to make it a great one. To ensure your health and happiness are at their peak this season, here are a few ways to celebrate the arrival of fall. By celebrate, I simply mean ways in which you can transform this season into something worth celebrating. By following these tips, you will enjoy a bountiful autumn and prosper.  

In many parts of the country, this year’s transition to fall isn’t being marked with the changing colors of leaves. With hurricane season taking a devastatingly fierce toll in the south and southeast and a heat wave and wildfires spreading across the west and northwest, I’m not feeling the signature crispness and anticipation of autumn just yet.

September is often the time to reminisce on summer enjoyed and a fall to come; it’s that transitional month where kids are going back to school, schedules are picking back up, and the summer heat is finally beginning to dissipate. While you might not associate September with the best of what the garden has to offer, in many ways it’s actually the prime month for seasonal foods. Here are five surprising seasonal foods you should be trying now (and what, exactly, you should do with them). Happy eating!

It's 9 a.m. on a Saturday and my mom comes in to wake me up. Even though I was up until 2 a.m. the night before (I'm secretly an owl), I don't mind. I get out of bed, grab a bite to eat, get myself together, and off we go. Where are we heading you ask? To the farmers market of course!  

Every season is amazing, but summer is my favorite by far. That's probably because there's so much that grows in the summer, especially fruit! Out of all the seasons, summer hosts the most fruit and I cannot get enough of their juicy goodness. Just pop by any farmers market and you will see exactly what I mean.

Summer is my favorite season, hands down. That's why I'm always so excited when June 21st rolls around (it means summer is officially here!). It reminds me of days spent with my friends, good laughs, and pool parties. Throughout my childhood, I would be in the pool practically every day in the summer. I lived in an apartment complex (and still do) that had a community pool for residents only. All my friends would always be there and we'd spend hours upon hours swimming, playing pool games, and just goofing off.

We've all heard how good it is to eat seasonally, but sometimes it can be hard to know what to do with seasonal produce. After all, once you find out what's in season, how do you concoct that into a healthy meal? Well, thankfully, I'm here to help. I do my best to eat seasonally, so I wanted to share with you some of my go-to recipes for the spring. These four spring dishes will make your mouth water and bring a new appreciation to seasonal foods. After all, plants that are in season taste so much fresher and tastier than in other seasons.

The temperatures are on the rise, flowers are in bloom and farmer’s markets are stocked full of this season’s finest. If you look, you will find asparagus most dominantly known in its green variety, but also available in white and purple, stocked on the shelves. This nutrient dense vegetable is only available in the produce aisle of your local supermarket from February to June, with its peak harvest in April, when the price for these gems may come down a bit.

Why all the hype about asparagus?

May tends to be a pretty cool month because it’s not really “cool” at all. That’s right! It’s time to rejoice in the fact that warm sunshine is basically going to be a thing now—at least for the next five months. (Did I mention I live in California?)

While some of us are basking in the glory of all that is spring, others are upset. Why? Because summer is inching nearer and nearer with each passing moment, and some of us may have gained a few unwanted pounds this past winter. However, don’t let the vicious cycle of the seasons get you down! To get summer body ready, all you need to do is begin your clean eating with the fresh, seasonal produce of April!