#ygkChallenge: Eating Local for Your Heart’s Sake
The #ygkchallenge is an ongoing series where we dare you to be different, resolve to be better, and or do something awesome in support of our beloved community. Each week, Kingstonist establishes a new, ambitious or quirky goal, encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone and do something great, and hopefully a little out of the ordinary. By taking part in this community-wide initiative, we hope to make Kingston (and the world) a slightly better place to live, work and play.
This week’s #ygkchallenge encourages you to:
Eating Local for Your Heart’s Sake. It’s often said that abs are made in kitchen, and not the gym. Perhaps the same thing can be said about a healthy heart, or at the very least, that your ticker is profoundly affected by what you choose to eat. While I am far from a medical expert, those who are agree that good nutrition is vital to maintaining a healthy weight, waistline, cholesterol levels, blood pressure as well as your overall cardiovascular system. Staying current with respect to the latest superfoods and diet fads can be an impossible chore, whereas the golden rule of sticking to whole foods, is far easier advice to follow. With February being heart health month, this week’s challenge encourages you to source great tasting, nutritious foods and ingredients that support overall heart health from local growers, producers and grocers.
- Fruits and vegetables from a CSA or a Kingston-area greenhouse.
- Whole grain foods from natural grocers such as Tara or Sigrids.
- Protein packed fish, beans and lentils, tofu, and lower fat dairy products (see above links).
- Olive oil from The Kingston Olive Oil Company.
- “Reasonable” amounts of red wine from one of over 35 wineries in PEC.
- Dark chocolate sold by Cooke’s Fine Foods.
Join us in completing this week’s #ygkchallenge by liking it on Facebook and/or re-Tweeting it on Twitter. By liking and sharing, you’re not only committing to doing something great, but you’re also helping us spread the word and hopefully encouraging others to participate.
Photo credit to U.S. Department of Agriculture.