One of the simplest and most satisfying ways to make a profound shift in your health is to commit to buying and eating locally raised food. As a health coach, I have seen remarkable shifts in people’s weight and health after they make this commitment.

It just makes sense: The food is fresher, contains more nutrients, tastes better, uses less petroleum to get to your plate, supports small farmers and your local economy, and is better for the environment.

If you are a carnivore like me, buying from local, small farms is of utmost importance. Industrial meat operations are often extremely cruel, pump the animals full of medicines and hormones, and feed and house the animals in unnatural ways. Cows, for example, are grass eaters, and do not respond well to grains. Chickens are meant to peck for bugs and seeds. Meats and milks from grass-fed animals and eggs from free-range chickens have superior nutrient profiles.

Here are just a couple of local examples:

••••I buy eggs and meats from David Smith and family at Our Springfield Farm in Sparks (www.ourspringfieldfarm.com). You can visit the farm to see how animals are cared for. The chickens roam free outdoors and eat the seeds and bugs in the earth (practices that I think produce superior eggs and meat). Local restaurants and groceries have even begun carrying Smith’s foods.

••••For fresh organic produce, I go with Joan Norman and One Straw Farm (www.onestrawfarm.com). Norman’s farm is certified organic. My household participates in Norman’s community-supported agriculture by paying up-front for a whole summer and fall’s worth of produce. Every Saturday between June and November, we pick up a bunch of eight veggies and fruits from Norman at the 32nd Street Farmers Market in Waverly.

How can you find other local farms? Here are a few resources:

••••The state Department of Agriculture maintains a list of farms certified through its federally accredited Maryland Organic Certification Program. Find it easily at http://tinyurl.com/c9yu9d.

••••The Maryland Cooperative Extension provides a list of organic/natural farms at marylandagriculture.com.

•••• I’ve created a list at baltimorefarms.com. If you don’t see your favorite local farm on the list, tell me and I’ll add it.

When you are eating high-quality, locally raised whole foods that are fresh and raised with care, you will feel the difference. As more and more Baltimoreans make the shift to eating locally, we will see the difference: in our health, our sense of community and the strength of our local economy.

Don’t forget: Ask your grocer or waiter if they have local meats, eggs and dairy. If not, tell them where to get it.

Lucas Seipp-Williams, CHC, is the director of BaltimoreHealthCoach.com and faculty member of BmoreFit. Fitness advice from Bmorefit professionals appears every Tuesday in Body.

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