Seasonal Nutrition

 In Nutrition

Health comes from nature, and the choices one makes. People often forget about the importance of seasonal nutrition, and how the diet should reflect the growing cycles of particular types of plants.
There is a reason tomatoes thrive in the summer, and taste terrible the rest of the year. Just because a food is available all year round does not justify eating it. When we break this important seasonal rule, we suffer the consequences…
Autumn is the time of Metal, it relates to the Lung and Large Intestine in Chinese Medicine. The air becomes cold and dry, affecting the ‘delicate organ’ (Lung). We often see in clinic, an increase in Lung pathology at this time of the year.
Autumn is also about increasing the warming foods, to prepare the body for the onset of winter. My diet changes from lots of tomatoes and basil in summer, to root vegetables and heartier soups at this time of the year.
If you follow seasonal growers at places like farmers markets (where I shop every week) you will notice the produce changes dramatically and plentiful foods become things like pumpkin, parsnip, sweet potato, and many green leafy foods like kale, chard, spinach ect…
This is now becoming the time where the root vegetables dominate, and increasing these foods in the diet can have substantial health benefits. Onions, garlic, ginger and leeks all warm the body, promoting blood circulation and tonifying the body.

 

Simple culinary herbs
These can easily be grown in the garden and grow well even in small gardens or pots. They should be eaten daily to give vitality. A few of my favourites include;

Parsley
Is a great blood purifier, helping to strengthen veins and arteries and assist normal cholesterol levels. Add to salads and include as a tea. 2 cups daily is ideal to begin with.

Rosemary
Contains lots of healthy oils and assists healthy skin cells. Often used in roast meat dishes because it helps cleanse the blood from problematic fats found in animal meats. Rosemary is also thought to help cognition and memory. As a vegetarian I always use this herb as the basis of my soup dishes, and add to roast vegetables.

Thyme and Oregano
I love both these herbs, both have immune benefits and are anti-microbial. Thyme is a particularly good anti-viral herb. Add to salads, sandwiches and as a topping to scrambled eggs.
The best nutritional advice is always the simple stuff. People often forget that food is medicine so increase these foods this Autumn and Winter and your body will thank you profoundly!

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