A whole foods diet is important for our bodies and our communities. That's why everyone, yogis and non-yogis alike, have a lot to gain from bringing more fresh, local produce into their daily eating habits, but, while this is ideal, it isn't easy. We all face at least some challenges when it comes to making good food choices.

In an attempt to make things easier, I'm addressing two major questions when it comes to eating whole, local foods: (1) What is considered "local" and, (2) how do we improve our diets, our minds, and our communities with whole, local foods, no matter what the season, or which area of the country we live in?

Let's start with the first question, what is considered local? Sometimes, local means from the garden next door, or the farms on the outskirts of town. Other times, it means from a small town 70 to 100 miles outside of your city. "Local", however, can also simply mean, "not factory-farmed" "fair trade", or, "grown sustainably".

These are important points. For instance, your "local" corn farmer may be using patented seeds, manufactured and owned by a deeply insidious corporation, or, he or she may be associated with a number of big businesses, which insist on growing or livestock-rearing conditions which are nothing short of grotesque. So, eating food from these farms may save some fuel for shipping, but, ultimately, it isn't subtracting from the larger problems with our food.

Yes, the fact that food travels miles and miles to get to your grocery store is a problem, but, more of a problem is the disconnect which occurs in a society when food consistently comes in boxes, bags and bundles, full of pesticides, prepackaged, or genetically altered in laboratories. For non-vegetarians, it's even worse.

No one likes to think about the horrifying conditions food animals endure on large scale farms. Just because an animal is raised to be eaten, doesn't mean it should be tortured, shut in, or, again, genetically altered to the point it cannot even walk or breathe, the way commercial chickens and turkeys are. The very fact that such horrors take place can serve to show how imbalanced we are as a society; how consumerism has replaced morality.

So, thinking local, fresh, and whole, means thinking complexly. It means making food decisions, when you can, that are based on your idea of how food should be grown, and, maybe, what constitutes food in the first place. For instance, how far from it's natural state can something be and still be considered "natural", or "food."

And these are not merely questions of our environment, our communities, and morality; they can, literally, come down to life and death.

We ingest poisons, like pesticides, herbicides, chemical food coloring, and noxious preservatives everyday from our food. These chemicals end up in our rivers, lakes, ground water, and, eventually, our oceans. Even when we eat fruits and vegetables, or foods which should be powerful health-giving substances, like leafy green lettuce, we run the risk of consuming mountains of toxins. There are other, more visible problems too.

Childhood obesity, heart attacks, and type II diabetes are all gifts of the manufactured food age. They all come from the free market, where sweetening food means selling more of it. Do humans have free-choice over what they eat? Of course they do, as long as they are fully informed and aware of the consequences of their choices, but this is not something food manufacturers really want; thus, the fight to rename high fructose corn syrup "corn sugar", and keep genetically modified foods from being labeled at all.

Human beings are capable of growing enough food, sustainably, to feed our burgeoning population, the problem is that no one company or handful of companies could possibly offer us healthy, true solutions. It would take a shared, national effort, and would radically change the way we think about and purchase food to do it. The results, though, would be absolutely worth the effort.

Indeed, such a massive switch seems a long way off. So, until then, let me attempt to offer answers to the other question posed in the beginning of this article, which was, how can we make our buying choices reflect our local, sustainable values all year long, no matter where we live?

This is a sad moment for me, because, as many of you are probably thinking, much of the ability to make good food choices comes down to the amount of resources one can spare on food. Therefore, most of us will have to go middle of the road on this. If you do have plenty of resources to use on food shopping, you have the freedom of going with the best choices every time, and I encourage you to do so.

However, if you don't, don't worry. Just by looking at labels, scrutinizing companies and their practices, and being choosy, you are making a difference. So, go ahead and stick to your budget, but be discerning and be wise. Your informed consumerism is just as precious as your financial resources.

Here are five things you can do no matter what you have to spend:

1. If you can, try not to buy food from companies who use and do not label genetically modified corn, wheat, or soy. You can find out how by googling the "non-gmo shopping guide." You will get an updated list of companies to buy from and companies to avoid.
2. Look for local produce, dairy products, and other goods in your grocery store. If it isn't there, ask about it, or locate providers in your community and buy directly from them. Try checking the internet, the chamber of commerce, or stopping in at a smaller food store in your town to see if they have any information.
3. Go to your farmer's markets! When they are open, visit them. Buy food from your friends and neighbors. Pay close attention to any political processes going on around this, too. Make sure your community stays free to share, buy, and sell food locally. Overall, just be alert, loving, and involved.
4. Eat more organic fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Pick local, grass-fed, or free-range meats, and wild-caught, sustainably harvested fish, or skip meat altogether for a while. Even meat eaters, like myself, don't need meat every night. If Americans could cut meat down to once or twice a month, or only special occasions, it would go a long way toward sustainability.
5. Contribute. Grow something if you have the land or means to do it. Try a hydroponic window garden, or maybe get involved in community gardens in your neighborhood. There is nothing quite like growing and eating food yourself.

In the end, we would all like to eat whole, local, sustainable foods, but, for now, this may not be possible all the time. Until our current society can be recreated to reflect theses values, we can make a difference and stick to our budgets by being informed, careful consumers.

We must realize that our approach and consistency is what will ultimately bring about the changes we want. Make the best choice if you can and when you can, be informed, and think complexly about what constitutes a "local food". Also, spread the word. When enough people finally want it, local, healthy, and sustainable fare will become the norm, not the exception.