Food, glorious food! Every “body” needs and craves it. We base our life around it: What’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? My father was always asking what the next meal would be before he even finished the one he was enjoying. My boys have the same habit, which over the years has given me stress. You know what it’s like to feed teenage boys. It’s like a train with no brakes. It never stops!

I was raised by a mother who was always watching her weight. She ate yogurt and cottage cheese every morning, and I don’t think she ever enjoyed desserts. My father was the opposite; I’d come home from school to find some sort of goodie in a white box from the bakery near his work. My father was telling me to enjoy, while my mother was telling me to watch what I ate. 

Our standard dinner consisted of a salad to start; a protein, another vegetable, and a starch; then Dad’s dessert. Pretty well balanced. We’d bring in food from our vegetable garden, which both my parents took pride in. They also gave vegetables away to our neighbors. For me, it was an early peek into the urban garden and farm-to-table movements—but without the appreciation, I have for them now. 

The pandemic boosted the burgeoning interest in urban gardens, which are popping up in cities all over. More people are taking charge of two things they may previously have taken for granted—their food supply and their health.

How what and when you eat is critical for good health. We know that the healthiest diet is colorful, well-balanced, not processed, organic, farm-fresh, and low in sodium. We also know that by removing certain foods from your diet, you can lower your cholesterol, prevent or manage diabetes, and even sleep better. There’s still a lot to learn about the timing of our meals. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting helps with weight loss, reduces insulin resistance, and lowers the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, but the long-term sustainability of those benefits is not yet known. 

Bottom line: There’s a lot of information out there, and it can be mind-numbing. This issue on Food As Medicine brings you the latest and best. Always a safe bet: Head to the closest farmers market or farmstand. New York is full of them.

See you there!

Always in health & happiness, Cyrece