With warmer months just around the corner, now is the time to soak up the sunshine, plant your seedlings, and start to think of making healthier food choices in your day-to-day.

“It is important to add more healthy options to your daily routine,” said Lindsay Rojas, nutritional therapist and certified GAPS practitioner at Truckee’s Traditional Roots Nutrition.

She explained that the majority of illness and disease emerge due to two factors:

---

---

1. A lack of nutrients from nutrient-dense foods and poor digestion

2. Toxin overload from processed foods and our environment,” Rojas said.

---

---

“A great habit for people to start for a healthier lifestyle regarding their eating habits would be to lessen the inflammatory foods that are commonly consumed, such as sugar, alcohol and refined grains, such as wheat and flour products,” Rojas said.

Shifting meal options can seem like a difficult task at first, as produce manager at New Moon Natural Foods, Colin McCormick explained.

“When you’re younger you may develop tendencies to dislike certain foods,” he said. “But as you get older and learn new ways to prepare them, you realize it had nothing to do with that vegetable’s taste, for example.”

New Moon Natural Foods in Truckee is a fantastic option for fresh, 100 percent organic produce, ready to join the other ingredients in your kitchen.

“I’ve been coming here twice a week,” said shopper Jane Rothman, who travels from Incline Village specifically for New Moon’s produce and soup selection.

“They have the freshest organic produce anywhere; it tops Whole Foods,” Rothman said. “They’ve got just the most beautiful and tasty kale, I am so glad I discovered this place.”

Rojas and McCormick offered five superfoods that they suggest people try incorporating into their diet this spring in order to adopt healthy eating habits to last a lifetime.

1. Clean, pastured ingredients

Rojas suggests adding homemade bone broth from clean, pastured animals to the weekly menu.

Pastured eggs, as well as liver and other organ meat from clean, pastured animals are fantastic additions to your diet for clean protein.

2. Truly fermented vegetables

Kimchi and sauerkraut are wonderful options to add probiotics, Omeva-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and healthy enzymes to your daily nutrition intake.

3. More vegetables

Adding more vegetables in general, especially dark leafy greens are nutrient-packed meal options that will help your body thrive.

Dino kale, collard greens and dandelion greens are easy additions to a smoothie, omelet or salad. Try juicing them raw with fruits for a refreshing, powerful health beverage.

4. Brussels sprouts

McCormick swore off Brussels sprouts long ago, which is the same story for many. He suggests trying a different preparation method to enhance their flavor, making them a wonderful side dish or salad topping. His tip: sauté them with scallions, garlic and olive oil.

5. Roots & more roots

Ginger and turmeric have a strong flavor to match their strong anti-inflammatory and positive digestion benefits. Peel the outer skin and add to a smoothie, or grate the root into a salad dressing to introduce them to your diet.

Cassandra Walker is a features and entertainment reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at cwalker@sierrasun.com, 530-550-2654 or @snow1cass.