Exploring the Rich Benefits of Aligning Our Diets with Nature’s Cycles

Wellness Tips By Sarah Goudie, Nutrition Expert & Guest Writer for IEBJ

In my discussions about nourishment, I often share four crucial elements: what we eat, when we eat, how we eat, and why we eat.

During this time of year, one aspect of “what we eat” stands out to me because I cannot miss the abundance of vibrant berries, melons, and citrus available at local stores and farmers’ markets.

Beyond just the nutrients in our food, it’s worth considering why “what we eat” matters. Seasonal eating plays a pivotal role here. The availability of produce is shaped by climate and geography, which were fundamental to early agricultural societies. Additionally, cultural traditions and holistic practices like Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Indigenous wisdom emphasize the importance of seasonal nourishment.

Here are some how’s and why’s to embrace seasonal eating, on the regular…even in urban or semi-urban settings:

1. Enjoyment: Seasonal fruits and vegetables are a full sensory experience. Fresh, ripe, and bursting with flavor, they offer a taste experience that’s undeniable. This freshness enhances the overall enjoyment of food through taste, visual beauty, and aroma.

Try creating a seasonal meal: Once you know what’s in season, plan your meals accordingly. Look for recipes that highlight seasonal ingredients and incorporate them into your cooking. Experiment with new dishes to fully enjoy the flavors and nutritional benefits of seasonal produce. This may sound like a huge undertaking…but start small. Pick one meal, 1x a week a try it out!

2. Nutritional Benefits: Harvested at peak ripeness, seasonal produce retains higher nutritional content compared to out-of-season counterparts that are often harvested prematurely and ripened during transport. Trying new and seasonally inspired foods introduces a higher variety of vitamins and nutrients into your diet naturally. 

Dive into some research: Learning new things isn’t just good for your recipe making journey, but it is also great for your cognitive health! Do a quick internet search about seasonal eating, grab a book or read an article to learn more about recipes, cultural perspectives and specific facts about this form of nourishment!

3. Support Local: By choosing seasonal foods, we support local farmers and the regional economy. This provides financial support for local farmers and reduces the carbon footprint associated with long-distance food transportation. 

Dine local. Look for restaurants in your area that prioritize seasonal ingredients in their menus. Dining out can be an opportunity to enjoy professionally prepared dishes featuring local and seasonal foods. 

4. Environmental Impact: Seasonal eating promotes environmental sustainability. It encourages biodiversity and reduces reliance on artificial inputs like pesticides and excessive irrigation. This practice fosters a deeper connection to the Earth’s natural cycles and raises awareness about food availability throughout the year.

Visit and support farmers’ markets: I get super geeky and excited about Farmers’ markets! I absolutely love meeting the farmers and family members who grow and harvest food that I can enjoy. They are often very happy to share stories about the crops, fun facts about the food they have harvested or even give amazing recipe recommendations. One of my favorite vendors at my neighborhood farmers market has everything from honey to fresh veggies and they collaborate with a team of foragers who also contribute to the market. 

5. Financial Savings: Seasonal produce is typically more affordable. Its abundance during peak seasons often translates to lower prices, especially when sourced locally rather than imported or grown in controlled environments.

Grow your own: Balconies, rooftops and windowsills can be prime areas to grow your own herbs, small veggies or fruits. I’ve found that mint is the easiest to grow and I love having it available to add to drinks or summer salads. 

By embracing seasonal eating, we enhance our culinary experiences and contribute positively to our health, local communities, and the planet. It’s a simple yet impactful way to align our diet with the rhythms of nature and support sustainable living practices.

THIS MONTH: Before visiting your favorite grocery store, quickly scan this resource to gain a little extra knowledge on what current produce is fresh and appropriate for this season. Try a seasonal item and share some (and your new knowledge) with a friend.

The couple is excited to use their passion for charcuterie and serving the community to offer locals an unforgettable grazing experience

Graze Craze®, the flourishing charcuterie concept known for its hand-crafted grazing boards, boxes and more, opened a new store in east Ontario at 5030 E. Fourth St. in The Exchange Shopping Center. Blessing and Oghenegare “Gare” Uyovbievbo are the local couple behind the concept’s newest Southern California location.  

Graze Craze is the leading creator of graze-style charcuterie arrangements, and each item on their menu is handcrafted by a team of experts, known as Grazologists™. These artisans skillfully design beautiful food displays that incorporate a variety of flavors, colors and textures that delight the senses for the ultimate dining experience. Each grazing spread features high-quality ingredients that complement one another, including premium meats and cheeses, fresh fruits, crisp veggies, house-made sauces, dips, jams and more. 

The Uyovbievbos are residents of Fontana and have been married for 13 years, raising three children in the Inland Empire. They each have a background in psychiatric nursing and are members of The Rock Church and World Outreach Center, and they’re excited to serve the area in a new way through their charcuterie store. 

“My wife and I are thrilled to provide beautiful charcuterie to this wonderful community,” said Gare Uyovbievbo. “We’ve always wanted to own a family business, so it’s a dream come true for us to have a charcuterie store where we can offer a premium product coupled with excellent service.”  

Graze Craze boards provide options for every lifestyle, dietary preference or palate and are available in various sizes to cater to any occasion. They incorporate a plethora of flavors, like the fan-favorite Gone Grazey board, a perfectly balanced mix of cured meats, premium cheeses, crackers, fresh produce, nuts and more. The Vegegrazian is impeccably designed with a medley of fresh fruits and vegetables for anyone embracing a plant-based lifestyle. Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy the Sweet & Grazey, which is hand-crafted using an abundance of delectable desserts like chocolates and baked goods paired with sweet dips to accent the irresistible flavors. 

As a great alternative to the typical bagel-and-donut brunch lineup, the store offers a Brunch Board that is packed with breakfast meats, fresh fruits, eggs, pastries and more, providing an innovative gourmet twist on any morning routine. Grazers can also impress guests at family gatherings with the seasonal Springtime Spread board, featuring a vibrant feast of fresh ingredients, like watermelon radish, Italian prosciutto, dried apricots and red wine merlot cheese, to name a few.

The artisan-inspired charcuterie offerings at Graze Craze are available in different size options, from Char-Cutie-Cups and Picnic Boxes for nibbling to sharing-size boards with enough fresh food to feed a large party. The food displays are ideal for elevating work meetings, family gatherings, lavish events and more, while they also make for memorable gifts that impress. 

The new charcuterie store is located at the boundary of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, two popular cities in the Inland Empire, offering convenient access for residents. The store is also near Ontario International Airport, the Toyota Arena and the local mall and movie theater. 

Southern California wine country gets another stylish culinary option, offering beautifully designed, hand-crafted grazing boards and picnic boxes

Graze Craze® has opened a new location close to the wine country of Southern California, where its artfully arranged sweet and savory grazing boards and boxes create a perfect pairing for food lovers. Located at 24530 Village Walk Place, Suite C, in Village Walk Plaza, the 1,021-square-foot store is owned and operated by disabled veteran Chris Stout and his wife, Stephanie Stout, with assistance from their teenage children.

At Graze Craze, highly trained experts known as Grazologists™ skillfully design charcuterie arrangements that feature an assortment of fine ingredients perfect for grazing, like fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats and cheeses, artisanal sweets, nuts, house-made jams and more.

Chris Stout enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2001 and served several deployments before being discharged in 2012. Since then, he has worked as a field service engineer for an electronics company and in manufacturing sales. Stephanie Stout has a bachelor’s degree in business accounting from the University of Phoenix and worked for an insurance broker before the couple’s first child was born; she then devoted herself full-time to raising their three children, who are now in high school.

Graze Craze charcuterie boards offer something for every lifestyle, dietary preference or palate and are available in a variety of size options to cater to any occasion, big or small. They incorporate a medley of flavors, like the fan-favorite Gone Grazey board, a perfectly balanced mix of cured meats, premium cheeses, crackers, fresh produce, nuts and more. The Vegegrazian is impeccably designed with a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables for anyone embracing a plant-based lifestyle. Those with an undeniable sweet tooth can enjoy the Sweet & Grazey, a hand-crafted board featuring an abundance of delectable desserts like chocolates and baked goods paired with sweet dips to accent the irresistible flavors.

New to the Graze Craze menu is the Brunch Board, a gourmet and innovative twist on any morning routine. Packed with breakfast meats, fresh fruits, eggs, pastries and more, this board is the perfect bagel-and-donut brunch alternative. Grazers can also tackle watch-party cravings with a seasonal Game Day Board, featuring a feast of

crowd-pleasing ingredients, like peppered salami, Italian prosciutto, goat cheese, cranberry walnut bread, raspberry jam and chocolate bark, to name a few.

The artisan-inspired charcuterie offerings at Graze Craze are available in different size options, from Char-Cutie-Cups and Picnic Boxes for nibbling to sharing-size boards with enough fresh food to feed a large party. The food displays are ideal for elevating work meetings, family gatherings, lavish events and more, while they also make for memorable gifts that impress.

Besides sharing the flavorful menu with the area, the Stouts are actively involved in numerous local school, business and community organizations. The pair supports the Murrieta Valley High School Marching Band Boosters and California High School Rodeo Association District 8, in addition to the Boy Scouts of America California Inland Empire Council and Friends of Temecula Troop 309, where Christopher Stout is a part of the adult leadership team. The couple has also worked with Homes For Our Troops, an impactful nonprofit organization that builds specially adapted homes for post-9/11 disabled veterans.

Graze Craze Murrieta is open for pick-up, catering and free local delivery Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 951-942-7293.