The four pillars of healthy lifestyle are nutrition, sleep, activity and managing stress.
Eating well promotes health and wellness. Include a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables, proteins, whole grains and low- or non-fat dairy products. These provide vitamins, minerals, nutrients and fiber for our bodies.
However, where you get your fruits and vegetables and what types you choose can affect the nutrition you receive. In a perfect world, we’d all eat only fresh and local. Our produce would come from gardens, orchards, farms and dairies within walking or driving distance of our homes.
The reality is that we shop for our food in nearby markets, groceries, wholesale clubs and, if we’re lucky, farmers markets. Decision-making is loaded with variables. Organic? Pesticide-free? No GMOs? What does it mean? How much does it matter? And what is the cost?