WEEK 7 - "The concept of being a locavore, or one who chooses whenever possible to incorporate locally grown or locally produced food into one's nutrition plan, is of great importance." Chef - Tyler Florence

I love the quote above from Chef Tyler Florence, "The concept of being a locavore, or one who chooses whenever possible to incorporate locally grown or locally produced food into one's nutrition plan, is of great importance."

 And, when it comes to those who live in Portland OR there is no such thing as too close to home.  Many people own laying hens that they house in their back yard so they can have fresh eggs as local as possible.  The bed and breakfast I was staying at had laying hens living next door and I was told by the hostess that the hens may wake me up in the morning.  The hostess went on to share that she only wishes that she had some of the fresh eggs that the neighbor collected...but, alas, the neighbor ate all of the eggs herself (or found others to share them with).  I went downtown and it was interesting to talk with the man who was selling the laying hens.  He mentioned that different hens have different color shells.  The shell color does not dictate nutritional content at all.  Although many people have a perception that the brown eggs are healthier than the white eggs.  Note: there is little/no evidence to support that claim.  As sated in a fun article on the topic, the difference between the two is that "brown eggs are brown and white eggs are white" 

Even in mid to late September, customers were buying flats of produce to plant and grow for their meals.  Seasonal vegetables changed monthly as did the plates of the local meals.  If you check out a resource on finding fresh Oregon vegetables (link here), you will notice that you can have a plate full of brightly colored delicious fare every month of the year.  And as if the local vegetables weren't enough to satisfy your healthy cravings...they have amazing shops that provide the bacteria needed to make your own yogurt, breads and more!  It was such an experience going out there and thinking outside the box by thinking about what things you can make at home.  And, ultimately, it can save you a lot of money and time.  Let alone the joy in having a day like this one...you wake up in the morning to your hens greeting you.  You grab some feed for them and they come running to get fresh grains.  In exchange, you get their fresh eggs collected and brought into the house.

Picture this: You walk into the kitchen and grab your coconut oil from the cabinet placing a dollop into the skillet to melt  and blend with fresh garlic.  You wash off the outside of the eggs you just gathered and crack three of them into the skillet hearing what sounds like the faint applause as the albumin changes from clear to white.  You grab a loaf of the locally grown bread and you slice off a piece to put into the toaster oven.  It toasts as the kitchen fills with the smell of fresh bread.  You pull the hot toast out with your hands and throw it onto a plate just as the eggs need to be flipped (you love eggs easy over).  You stone ground mustard and spread it onto the toast as you sprinkle some fresh herbs from the garden onto the top of the eggs...this happens right before you have all the ingredients become one breakfast feast.  The fridge is then opened and a small jar of homemade plain yogurt is pulled out; blackberries from the counter are delicately placed on top and you bring your jar and plate to the table to eat.  The sights, sounds, smells and tastes associated with your breakfast satisfy you in a way that driving through McDonald's cannot. You are at one with your environment.  You feel accomplished.  You believe you have started your day in a healthy way.  Overall, you are happy.  And as I shared in my prior blogs, happiness coupled with good food choices and physical activity make for a very healthy individual.  

Watch this video as one local reflects on why Portland is known as one of the healthiest cities (despite the smoking and drinking).