ForestFit... It’s the way we eat; seasonal; homegrown or locally-sourced; homemade and nutritious.
It’s the way we train; controlled and in a private setting. No distractions. Personal. It’s appreciating the outdoors, and what nature has for us; the good and the tough. ForestFit is a mindset. It’s a discipline. It’s a reward. ForestFit is an attitude, dusk ’til dawn. ForestFit is about transforming, inside and out. For the better... forever. For your own health, for your happiness and for everything around you.
It’s the way we train; controlled and in a private setting. No distractions. Personal. It’s appreciating the outdoors, and what nature has for us; the good and the tough. ForestFit is a mindset. It’s a discipline. It’s a reward. ForestFit is an attitude, dusk ’til dawn. ForestFit is about transforming, inside and out. For the better... forever. For your own health, for your happiness and for everything around you.
How To Do It
To succeed and enjoy this lifestyle I want you to ask yourself three things when planning your meals and activities:
1/ Is this healthy? (is there a good amount of protein; am I getting in some vitamins and minerals; does this have a good amount of fibre; is this good for my muscles and healthy for my joints)
2/ Does this make me happy (really this is a loaded question, if it is healthy for your body and green to the planet then this will make you happy! But expanding on this, does it taste good, that’ll surely make you happy. Do you enjoy the style of exercise or is there an alternative? For me I am not keen on running, but a bike is a happier alternative to me, I would prefer to ride than run, so this is the happier option and therefore I am more likely to do it more often)
and...
3/ Is this a greener option for the planet (did you grow it at home yourself or even purchase from a local farmer - or has it travelled from abroad).
If all three of these boxes are ticked then it’s the perfect lifestyle choice, chow down and enjoy! Not all of your choices are going to perfectly suit this, but so long as most of your choices are hitting at least two of these categories then you’ll be well on your way to a healthier, happier and greener lifestyle!
1/ Is this healthy? (is there a good amount of protein; am I getting in some vitamins and minerals; does this have a good amount of fibre; is this good for my muscles and healthy for my joints)
2/ Does this make me happy (really this is a loaded question, if it is healthy for your body and green to the planet then this will make you happy! But expanding on this, does it taste good, that’ll surely make you happy. Do you enjoy the style of exercise or is there an alternative? For me I am not keen on running, but a bike is a happier alternative to me, I would prefer to ride than run, so this is the happier option and therefore I am more likely to do it more often)
and...
3/ Is this a greener option for the planet (did you grow it at home yourself or even purchase from a local farmer - or has it travelled from abroad).
If all three of these boxes are ticked then it’s the perfect lifestyle choice, chow down and enjoy! Not all of your choices are going to perfectly suit this, but so long as most of your choices are hitting at least two of these categories then you’ll be well on your way to a healthier, happier and greener lifestyle!
The Cycle Of The Seasons
Britain may be small, but the variations in weather from the cold North to the warmer South and the drier East to the wetter West are very different. We also benefit from solid, separate seasons, which I’ve always enjoyed since I was a little boy. And why shouldn’t we embrace their diversity? Winter is eerily dark and icy, but warmed by a glowing log fire and a hearty stew. Spring brings light and new life, long forest walks with spots of light rain and a Sunday roast lamb. Then hits the prolific Summer, vegetation in full green, barbecued meats on the beach and long, bright evenings. This, followed by beautiful Autumn, arguably my favourite of the seasons (if I really had to choose), crunchy leaves under our feet, canopies of red and gold, stockpiling for the coming return of Winter.
Winter - even though the end of November and all of December seems very cold, winter actually begins just a few days before Christmas, around the 20th, right up toward the end of March, when we are most likely to get snow!
Spring - the sun is higher and spring starts toward the end of March. We lose an hour as the clocks go forward on the last Sunday of March. To remember whether to set your clock forward or back remember the very simple “spring forward, fall back”.
Summer - similar to misconceptions in winter, May can be very warm but the summer season doesn’t actually start until toward the end of June.
Autumn - the end of summer comes toward the end of September and then autumn sets in. We gain an extra hour at the end of October.
I let these changes dictate what I eat and it's an incredible way to live! Having the same foods available all year round is actually unnatural, but consumers’ demands mean that our food travels for miles and miles as it is flown in from all around the world so that our supermarkets are consistently stocked with the same range all throughout the year. This added to the generic lazy attitude corners us into having the same meals week in week out, month after month, with no variety. But it can be so much more exciting than that!Through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter nature offers us a different selection of homegrown items, so let’s make it our task to simplify this into month-by-month ingredients and then into recipes. While some things must be imported, food grown closer to home will cost you less financially, provide your body with superior nutrients, and will reduce the energy needed to grow and transport out-of-season food from abroad. Of course we live in a modern world and we are bound to deviate now and again, it would impractical for me to say we should neglect some of these items, we deserve to enjoy some of the luxuries that are too tricky, or even impossible, to grow in our climate. But if we can source most of our ingredients locally then we will have healthier bodies, be kinder to our earth and in turn this will make for very happy lives.
So, give yourself to the seasons - some months you will have an abundance, some will offer less choice - but it’s easy because the choices are selected for you. “Availability drives variability”, meaning the seasons will change and offer you different choices over the year, while the average person eats the same things day-in-day-out with minimal variability. You will increase your palette while transforming your body for the better!
Winter - even though the end of November and all of December seems very cold, winter actually begins just a few days before Christmas, around the 20th, right up toward the end of March, when we are most likely to get snow!
Spring - the sun is higher and spring starts toward the end of March. We lose an hour as the clocks go forward on the last Sunday of March. To remember whether to set your clock forward or back remember the very simple “spring forward, fall back”.
Summer - similar to misconceptions in winter, May can be very warm but the summer season doesn’t actually start until toward the end of June.
Autumn - the end of summer comes toward the end of September and then autumn sets in. We gain an extra hour at the end of October.
I let these changes dictate what I eat and it's an incredible way to live! Having the same foods available all year round is actually unnatural, but consumers’ demands mean that our food travels for miles and miles as it is flown in from all around the world so that our supermarkets are consistently stocked with the same range all throughout the year. This added to the generic lazy attitude corners us into having the same meals week in week out, month after month, with no variety. But it can be so much more exciting than that!Through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter nature offers us a different selection of homegrown items, so let’s make it our task to simplify this into month-by-month ingredients and then into recipes. While some things must be imported, food grown closer to home will cost you less financially, provide your body with superior nutrients, and will reduce the energy needed to grow and transport out-of-season food from abroad. Of course we live in a modern world and we are bound to deviate now and again, it would impractical for me to say we should neglect some of these items, we deserve to enjoy some of the luxuries that are too tricky, or even impossible, to grow in our climate. But if we can source most of our ingredients locally then we will have healthier bodies, be kinder to our earth and in turn this will make for very happy lives.
So, give yourself to the seasons - some months you will have an abundance, some will offer less choice - but it’s easy because the choices are selected for you. “Availability drives variability”, meaning the seasons will change and offer you different choices over the year, while the average person eats the same things day-in-day-out with minimal variability. You will increase your palette while transforming your body for the better!
“Availability drives variability”
Now all we need to do is make a list of all of our favourite foods for each month. Start with the current month and have a think about how to use those ingredients to make a ‘Happier, Healthier, Greener’ meal! A top tip here, look at the months around the current month too as some things come in to season early or late, or sometimes there may be an abundance of something from a previous month. These items will make for more variety!