Discovering Southern Oregon – September 2024

WHEN I MOVED HERE over 20 years ago, what attracted me was the beauty of the mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes. The plentiful outdoor activities allowed me to focus on my passion for hiking, kayaking, biking, rafting and living outdoors.

As I’ve aged, I find myself with the added focus of improving my Healthspan, which means not only living longer, but living healthier. To accomplish this, I have been 1) exercising daily 2) eating a healthy diet 3) drinking water, and 4) getting a good night’s sleep. Eating a healthy diet can be accomplished by consuming locally-grown organic vegetables, fruits and meats provided by our neighboring farms. Not only is Southern Oregon heavily populated with organic farms, orchards and ranches, Jackson and Josephine counties were one of the first to enact a ban on GMOs (Genetically Engineered Organisms).

Determining which foods are the best for your health can be subjective with many opposing views. To cut through the noise and research on the best-known superfoods, I selected articles of eight well-known and trusted sources such as the Mayo Clinic, WebMD, U.S. Center for Science, Harvard, etc. To make the list of superfoods, a food item had to be mentioned in at least 50% of the articles. (*Complete list of sources in the footnotes.)

Superfoods for health and longevity:

Berries—Blueberries appeared on almost all lists, followed by raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. They provide a low-calorie source of fiber, vitamin C and K and are packed with Anthocyanin’s that are linked to memory health.

Salmon—Trout, herring, bluefish, sardines, tuna are all good, but Salmon was mentioned in almost all the articles on superfoods. Known as a great source of protein and high in omega-3 fatty acids that support heart health, brain function and healthy joints.

Beans & Lentils—Both are considered vegetables, and both are a good source of protein and fiber. Beans also bring thiamin, magnesium, iron, zinc, folate, phosphorus and potassium. Garbanzo and kidney beans appeared in the most articles, followed by black beans.

Apples—A great source of fiber and they may lower your risk of getting some cancers and may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease—also a good source of vitamin C.

Nuts—Walnuts & almonds seem to rate the highest, but all are high in protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Most of the fat in nuts is in the form of monounsaturated fatty acids. This type of fat replaces saturated fat and is linked to heart health. Nuts can be high in calories so watching portion size is recommended

Dark Green Vegetables—Broccoli, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, Chard, Collard Greens are vegetables that contain phytonutrients linked to immune health and detoxification—a great source of vitamins C and A.

Sweet Potatoes—Very high in antioxidants and beta carotene that the body uses to make vitamin A, and helps cells manage day-to-day wear and tear. They are low in calories (one half a large Sweet Potato has just 81 calories) and a good source of potassium and vitamin B.

Greek Yogurt—Known as a great source of protein, potassium and calcium and an important source of probiotics. Nutrients in yogurt help build strong bones, aid digestion, and keep your immune system going strong. Greek yogurt has less sodium and fewer carbs than regular yogurt and twice the protein.

Whole Grains—Whole grains like Quinoa, Oatmeal, Barley, Brown Rice have all the edible parts of the grain, and these parts are the bran, the endosperm and the germ. The germ has vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and some fat, and the bran is a great source of fiber.

Tomatoes—High in vitamin C and the antioxidant Lycopene, which is shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and reduces inflammation in the lungs and the number of cells that secrete mucus, in response to allergens.

Mangoes—Low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins A and C. They also have other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and have been linked with multiple health benefits.

The two surprises for me were Sweet Potatoes and Mangoes and some fun foods that only appeared in one article were red wine, coffee, and dark chocolate. I could make a great diet of all three. After seeing the combined list of top superfoods, I realized how fortunate we are to have most of these superfoods grown locally and in the case of Salmon, caught here. To buy these superfoods, we have lots of choices such as farmers markets, farm stands like Fry Family Farm, Pennington Farms, Barking Moon Farm, Salant Family Ranch, Whistling Duck Farm, and grocery stores like Ray’s Food Place, that carry local, organic produce. Also, we have a growing number of local restaurants that source their food from local organic farms.

All our locally grown, non-GMO, organic foods make it easy to eat healthy in Southern Oregon and my passion for hiking makes exercising in the Jacksonville Woodlands a pleasure. Hiking is a great cardio exercise, but to have a complete workout I augment hiking with strength and balance training at Jacksonville’s Snap Fitness. I work out with the direction of a fitness coach to make sure my form is correct, and quite honestly to give me the motivation to show up and work hard.

Lastly, I am trying to drink lots of water every day and I monitor and understand my sleep by using an Oura Ring which tracks many matrixes such as my sleep, my daily activities, and my heart health.

The availability of these locally-grown healthy superfoods, coupled with our area’s outdoor opportunities, makes Southern Oregon an ideal place to pursue a healthy, active lifestyle. There are few better places that combine so many outdoor activities for exercise with the abundance of non-GMO, organically-grown foods, all of which will improve our Healthspan allowing us to live longer and healthier.

*List of sources: MAYO Clinic, Harvard Health, WebMD, UCSF Health, UC Davis Health, Time Magazine, Real Simple, U.S. Center for Science.