Many of us have our go-to foods that we habitually choose to eat through the year, but our body's nutritional needs do, in fact, change along with the seasons.
If we eat seasonally, consuming fruits and vegetables that nature has given us at that precise time, the result is said to be that we will feel better, more youthful, and have a stronger immune system.
Though it may seem to be on trend, eating seasonally isn't a new idea. Before worldwide transport was as swift and routine as it is today, eating seasonally and locally was just what everyone did. No one assumed you could get watermelon during winter, or chestnuts in the summer. And just because we are now able to it doesn't mean that we should.
Making food selections based on a seasonal cycle is believed to help keep the body in balance to avoid illness. In the nutritional philosophies of Ayurvedic medicine, which is an ancient Hindu system of healing, it says that imbalance causes disease. In Sanskrit, the word "Ayurveda" means the "science of life." The primary goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to support long and healthy balanced lives.
Nature gives us what we need when we need it. Being mindful in selecting fresh and local fruits and vegetables is always a good choice. Seasonal food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious than food consumed out of season. Plus, it's less expensive and supports the environment!
Foods grown closer to where we live are harvested at the peak of freshness, and are not forced to undergo unnatural preserving processes. A recent study found that direct-to-consumer producers used less pesticides and herbicides than conventional producers. Eating locally also exposes us to many options we may not otherwise eat, which adds a variety of nutrients to our diets.
SUMMER: In the summer, we are extra active, spend more time outdoors and have more hours of daylight. Natural carbohydrates found in summer fruits and vegetables such as corn, peaches, melon and berries can help keep us sustained. As the temperatures rise, we also perspire more and require additional hydration. Drinking extra water, as well as eating liquid-rich foods such as watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes and leafy green lettuce, like romaine, can help us endure.
FALL: As the cool air of fall moves in, our bodies start to crave fewer raw salads and more cooked, warming foods such as soups, stews, meat, nuts and avocados. An abundance of apples, which are high in fiber and pectin, are available to help cleanse the intestines and support digestion, especially the digestion of fat.
WINTER: In winter the air becomes dry and cold, so we need to focus on foods that are higher in fats and protein such as meat and nuts. The cold and the wind can dry out our skin, sinuses, throat and our hair. To counteract the drying effects of winter, a high-protein, high-fat diet of healthy oily foods help replenish our depleted moisture. Avocados, beets, winter squash, nuts, meat, deep-sea fish and olive oil all aid in keeping our bodies warm, moist and nourished.
SPRING: In the spring, our bodies naturally want to shed the extra pounds many of us put on over winter. The spring harvest supports us by bringing us bitter greens such as arugula and asparagus as well as many grains, such as farro and couscous. Many of these foods help us detoxify our liver from the fats and heavier food we ate all winter, making us feel lighter and more energetic.
Like any diet change, don't go crazy with it! There are great benefits, but if it becomes your law, you may lose sight of those benefits. If you doctor recommends you eat more leafy greens eat them regardless of whether or not they are in season!
Being mindful of seasonal eating gives you a whole new perspective and puts you on a path of awareness. Do what you can, when you can, and the winds of seasonal change will likely blow you in the direction of all around better health, which is a welcomed byproduct year round!