Seasonal Living...

Winter

Winter represents the most Yin aspect in Chinese medicine. Winter, in TCM, is associated with the Kidneys which hold our most basic and fundamental energy. Winter is a good time to strengthen our kidneys. Rest is important for revitalizing the kidneys, which is why animals hibernate in winter. It's also the perfect time to look inward, refefclting on ourselves with meditation, writing or other inward practices like Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Yoga.

Winter Food Suggestions:

Best Vegetables & Fruits for Winter - the most supportive foods for winter are those that are naturally grown during this season:

• squash

• potatoes

• root veggies

• winter greens

• carrots

• cabbage

• mushrooms

• apples and pears

Food that especially nourish the kidneys:

• black and kidney beans

• bone broth

• lamb and chicken

• walnuts, chestnuts, black sesame seeds 

• dark leafy greens

Spring

Spring is the time of expansive movement, creativity, and planning a brighter future. In Chinese medicine the Liver and Gall Bladder correspond to Spring and are charged with the smooth flow of energy throughout the body, storying and detoxifying the blood. This is the time to expand in uplifting and creative activity that expands our energy and our consciousness. This is the perfect time to take advantage of natural boosts of energy to which help us feel alive and refreshed, exercising moderately to shake off the cobwebs of Winter. 

Spring cleaning is not only necessary for our homes and gardens, but also for our bodies, to clean our toxins after Winter indulgences. A cleansing diet with emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables is best. Adding sour taste to our foods and drinks such as lemon and vinegar can produce these cleansing effects.

Foods and herbs excellent for liver health include (but not limited to); asparagus, dandelion, goji-berries, bean sprouts and chives. 

Summer

Summer represents the outward expression of energy, expansiveness, movement and activity.  Life and energies are at their peak. Summer in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) is the season associated with the heart and the small intestine. The colour is red, the emotion joy, and it is a time for growth, expansion, light, abundance and is the manifestation of all we have been cultivating throughout the spring.

Many look forward to summer all year round. The weather is hot and the sun is out, improving people’s moods and people are drawn outdoors to participate in all the activities they have been longing for all winter. Plants grow quickly, people are full of energy and the body’s qi and vitality are at their peak. 

Rising early in the summer allows us to benefit from the suns nourishing rays. Being up early enables us to get all of the suns nourishing energy which is the most bountiful at this time of year. In summer, our work, play and relationships should be filled with joy and should instill in us a feeling of happiness and delight. We should live our lives and go about our daily activities with joy, passion, and laughter. This is how we know that the heart energy is balanced in us.

Physically, when we are properly balanced, the heart circulates oxygen rich blood throughout the body, and assures proper assimilation in the beginning stages of digestion in the small intestine. In Chinese medicine, mental acuity is associated with the heart therefore memory, thought processes, emotional well being and consciousness are also attributed to the heart and the fire element. This is a time to nourish our spirits, realize our life’s potential, finding joy in hot summer days and warm summer nights.

When the heart is balanced, the mind is calm and we sleep deeply and wake rested. When the heart is imbalanced, we may lack joy (which manifests in depression) or have an excess of joy (mania or manic behaviour). Some indications of a heart imbalance are nervousness, insomnia, heartburn and confusion, red complexion, poor memory and speech problems.

Emotionally, because the heart is connected to our spirits, summer is the best time to heal emotional wounds that we have carried with us from our pasts. Healing these wounds frees up space that we can fill with love, joy and happiness and ensures that we will not carry our old hurts with us into the future.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of the summer season:

• Drink plenty of water and other fluids

• Wake up earlier in the morning

• Go to bed later in the evening

• Rest at midday

• Add pungent flavors to your diet

• Refrain from anger; keep calm and even-tempered. (anger causes and exacerbates heat!)

Summer is about abundance, and this is definitely the case with foods. Fruits and vegetables abound in summer, and we are lucky to have a multitude of choice when it comes to what we eat. It is important to stay cool and hydrated. There are many foods that are beneficial to eat during this season. 

Here is a list of foods that are beneficial to eat in the summer months:

• Apricot

• Cantaloupe

• Watermelon

• Strawberries

• Tomatoes

• Lemon

• Peach

• Cucumber

• Orange

• Asparagus

• Sprouts

• Bamboo

• Bok Choy

• Broccoli

• Chinese Cabbage

• Corn

• White Mushroom

• Snow Peas

• Spinach

• Summer Squash

• Watercress

• Seaweed

• Mung Beans

• Cilantro

• Mint

• Dill

• Duck

• Fish

Autumn/Fall

During this season hot summer days become gradually shorter, days are cooler, leaves change and fall as Nature prepares for the coming winter. We feel the urge to nest, putting away our summer clothes, gathering ourselves and bringing things inside as we prepare for the cold of Winter. This is also a time of harvesting brightly colored foods growing at this time of year like pumpkins, squash, carrots and the like. It is the time of year we go from the relaxed and carefree attitudes of summer to the more introspective and serious energies associated with Fall. This season governs organization, setting limits and protecting boundaries. It is the perfect time for you to begin new projects, focusing on cultivating body / mind connection and introspection!

How to make the most of Fall

• breathe deeply - spend time outdoors in the crisp autumn air. AND try this breathing exercise with Dr. Andrew Weil. 

• let go of negativity in your life - negativity can be an extremely destructive force in our lives. Just the awareness can help us make the necessary changes to keep happiness, positivity and light in our lives.

• walk outside - connect with nature, strengthen your lungs and walk outside, soak up the beautiful fall colors.

• reorganize, clean and donate - this is the perfect time to clean out your closets, garage and let go of the old and make room for the new. If you need help with this, contact Lorraine!

• wear a scarf - what better accessory than a scarf to not only showcase your style, but keep you neck warm and ward off cold!

Fall Food Suggestions:

Best Vegetables & Fruits for Fall

1. Eat plenty of seasonal vegetables, especially steamed and veggies in soups.

2. Pungent veggies that help stimulate the lungs, such as watercress, cabbage,
   turnip, ginger, horseradish, pepper, onions, and garlic.

3. Fermented vegetables which are easier to digest and help protect Spleen Qi.

4. Enjoy a few fresh fruits, especially those low in sugars, such as lemons, limes,
   Granny Smith apples, and grapefruit.

Eat Foods that Lubricate the Body, Combat Dryness, and Moisten Lungs

1. Enjoy healthy oils like organic ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil.

2. Enjoy seasonal moistening foods such as pears, pumpkin, squash, apples, seaweed, grapefruit, and lemon.

3. Simmer a few herb teas such as Burdock, Comfrey, Ginger, and Licorice root.

Warm Foods are best in the Fall

1.   Eat warm foods like bone broth, stews, soups, and hot gluten-free cereals.

2.   Eat beans, such as lentils, kidney beans, adzuki beans, always well soaked.

3.   These herbs and spices are good for the lungs: bay leaves, caraway seeds, cardamom, chives, cinnamon, cloves, dill, fennel, leek, oregano, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, and turmeric.

*source Chinese medicine living