Ever heard of a 'localvore' who eats mostly locally grown foods? Well if you're looking to improve your diet, this might be a great way to start.

"There are many good reasons to eat locally produced foods, the first among them that they're very good for us," said cardiologist and professional chef Michael S. Fenster, MD, (www.whatscookingwithdoc.com), author of Eating Well, Living Better and The Fallacy of the Calorie.

"There's a direct relationship between our food, our environment, our genetics and our health. Eating locally grown foods gives us our most nutritious meals, most flavorful meals. Few choices have as many personal ramifications as that which we decide to stuff into our gob."

Dr. Fenster gave us four reasons to go localvore:

Money. "Finding healthful produce at venues like a local farmer's market can result in prices that are at least comparable, if not substantially less than, those at the megamarket," he explained.

Likewise, shopping for what is bountifully in season, and thus locally overstocked, can mean big savings.

"By purchasing items produced locally, your money strengthens the local economy and helps sustain the people producing the types of food that you wish to sustain yourself upon," the doctor said.

Freshness. Dr. Fenster noted almost 60% of the modern Western diet is prepackaged, preserved and processed.

"Any time we manipulate our comestibles in such a fashion, we add compounds that are not naturally found in them or remove parts that are," he said.

"Those pre-cut vegetables in the supermarket may be convenient, but they started losing nutritional value and flavor as soon as they were sliced and diced."

Because local growers don't have to add preservatives or pick produce weeks early to ensure they'll produce will keep during shipping, local foods can be consumed at the peak of freshness and ripeness - when they taste their very best.

Sustainability. In knowing where your food comes from, in being able to ascertain both what it contains and what it does not contain, you take a proactive step in determining your own health and wellness, Dr. Mike explained.

"With enough people acting locally, the impact becomes regional and if enough people demand control over their food then, like a crazy cat video gone viral, it can have a global effect."

Considering becoming a localvore? Tell us with a note below!