The power of native plants – Health and Wellness Nashville

How can the use of native plants and ingredients better connect us to our environment? Author and holistic chef Kassia Emily Fiedor explains more…

It’s undeniable that humans and plants have evolved alongside each other, creating a symbiotic relationship that is strengthened when we consciously engage in this connection. Consider the wisdom of an ancient oak tree, the intelligence in the DNA of wild nettles, the nutritional profile of the blackberry bramble in your backyard. Feel the vibrancy of organic heirloom tomatoes from your local farmer, the warm connection when your neighbor gifts you persimmons from their yard, and the deep-rooted sense of self-reliance eating the wild pawpaws you found in the woods. Contemplate the terroir in the local olive oil if you’re living in Italy, the history in the ancestral corn in the tortillas in Mexico, and the potent fragrance in the fresh ground cardamom in India. No matter where we grew up, or our lineage, we are in a sense made from the plants in the places we’ve called our homes.

Being a world traveller, I find what makes me feel most connected to a new place – whether I’m living there or just visiting – is through the local food and native plants. Eating locally grown organic vegetables is a great way to connect with farmers as well as the land. Supporting local farmers is a wonderful way to practice sustainability! “Organic,” while on the surface a positive concept, can still be approached in the same way we use commercial foods – mindlessly reaching for an organic mango that was shipped halfway across the world is not the best eco-friendly option. When we know where our food comes from, it fosters a sense of mindfulness as well as empowerment over our health. Vegetables grown organically and bought locally maintain their nutrient values, and do not need extra processing or preservation methods to ship far away.

When we know where our food comes from, it fosters a sense of mindfulness as well as empowerment over our health

Native, indigenous wild plants offer us powerful tools to reconnect with nature and the land around us. Sunny Savage, an author and wild plant enthusiast, describes wild foods as perfect packets of genetic information about where you live. These plants have been in that particular location for thousands of years, offering themselves as food and healing medicine to our ancestors. If you really think about it, eating wild foods connects us to years of ancestral intelligence that is a part of our shared human experience. Not to mention, wild indigenous foods are packed with micronutrients, trace minerals, and antioxidants lacking in our diets. Nature’s free multivitamins are just waiting to be eaten!

I think of food as our health insurance. Grassroots healthcare means taking responsibility for our health choices, while being mindful of how these choices are affecting the planet. I invite you to explore all the wild foods growing in your area, and to support the farmers and artisans cultivating a connection between food, nature, and health. No matter our lineage, eating locally – whether it’s wild foods or organic vegetables – has the capacity to connect us to each other and to our roots. It feels good to support the health of the planet by eating organic local whole foods because, in turn, we are supporting our own health!

It feels good to support the health of the planet by eating organic local whole foods because, in turn, we are supporting our own health!

Every time we put something into our bodies, we have a choice – to choose foods that will nourish us, give us energy, prevent disease, and support the environment or foods that will feed disease, promote inflammation, and harm the planet. Incorporating just one local or wild food each day can make a significant difference to your health and the planet. Give it a try!

Kassia Emily Fiedor is a holistic chef and author of Cocina Holistica: Plant-Powered Recipes Inspired by Guatemalan Superfoods. Join her for a live cooking demonstration at the Nashville Winter Wellness Fest on January 18.