Eating Right For The Seasons

Just like we change our clothing for the season, we need to change our food too. Traditional healing systems such as Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine have recognized temperatures as one of the major influences on our health. External temperatures are not seen as only having a temporary effect but in some cases actually trapping heat or cold in the body affecting energy, weight, immune function and mood.

Seasonal Food Selection

Eating right for the season will not only help increase your health and physically/mentally adapt better to the current season, but it will help you to eat local and seasonal foods – the way nature intended us to eat!

Hot Weather

We need more hydration in the heat and should eat “expansive foods”, which have a cooling effect on the body. 

AVOID/LIMIT: 

• Large proportions of food

• Fats (butter, too much oil of any sort)

• Excessive protein

• Hot, hearty cooked foods

• Root vegetables in large amounts

EAT:

• Plenty of raw vegetables and leafy green vegetables (salads)

• Fruit and fresh fruit juices/smoothies

• Low fat animal protein (white fish, chicken, turkey)

• Low fat yogurt and kefir, cottage cheese and goats cheese

• Sprouts, beans

• Ground flax, chia seeds

• Whole grains like millet, quinoa, wheat berries

• Cooling herbs and spices: coriander, turmeric, dill, parsley, *curry, hot peppers

COOKING TECHNIQUE:

Steaming, stir-frying, pickling, raw.

Cold Weather

Eating “contractive foods”, which have a warming effect on the body, help to maintain balance and keep our digestion and metabolism functioning optimally. 

AVOID:

• Too much raw fruit and juices

• Too many salads

• Cold foods (ice water, ice cream)

• Sugar and sweets

• Too much coffee

•  

• EAT:

  Root vegetables, winter squashes

  Stews, casseroles, bean soups

• Steel cut oatmeal/brown rice porridge

• Free-range eggs

• Whole grains like kasha, barley, brown rice

• Cooked/stewed fruits

• Fermented foods (sauerkraut, miso, tempeh)

• Small amounts of aged cheese

• Moderate amounts of fat from nuts and seeds

• Moderate amounts of fatty fish (salmon, tuna)

• Small amounts of beef, organ meats

• Warming herbs and spices: garlic, ginger, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, basil

COOKING TECHNIQUE:

Boiling, sautéing, baking, dry roasting

*Some foods like curry may taste hot, but in contrary, are actually cooling.  These foods initially feel hot because they expand the capillaries allowing blood to rush to the surface of the skin. However, this promotes sweating -- and when sweat evaporates, the effect on the body is cooling.

Sources:

Murray, Michael. N.D., The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Atria Books: New York, 2005.

Colbin, Annemarie. Food and Healing, Ballantine Books: New York, 1986