The joys of seasonal eating | Part 1: Winter warmth

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Quick quiz! Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and you’re about to host a dinner party. What do you serve? 

A. A big tossed salad with fresh sliced tomatoes, cold cuts and mango ice cream 

B. A hearty bean stew with roasted root vegetables and baked apple crisp

The answer is B, hands down! Why? Read on and find out.

Western civilization encourages people to turn away from listening to the natural changes that take place in our environment with the change of seasons. The convenience of technology has got us thinking we can work and live in the same mode all year round. But what’s actually happening is that we’ve stopped paying attention to our natural rhythms and stopped allowing the environment to direct how we should eat, work and live.

The basis of dietary therapy in Chinese medicine is following principles that allow us to stay in harmony with the change of seasons. The Chinese medicine diet is based on energetic principles to encourage balance, clean-burning digestion, and a well-functioning body, free of disease and full of energy.As well, Western science guides us to believe diet is based on calories. In contrast, in TCM, we see food as medicine. Dietary therapy is a complex practice that identifies and treats the underlying patterns of imbalance that are driving your symptoms. We look at food in terms of best suiting your body’s needs. 

These two principles—listening to the natural rhythms of the seasons, and seeing food as medicine—come together in the Chinese medicine practice of seasonal eating.

What is seasonal eating?

Seasonal eating is the idea that we should eat foods that are naturally in season as much as possible, and respect the way the environment interacts with our bodies’ needs. Varying your food choices according to the seasons is a way to keep your body in sync with the natural environment. For instance, certain foods have cooling properties; that means they’re best consumed in summertime to help you achieve balance in hot weather. The reverse is true in the winter. January is not the time to be scarfing down watermelon and ice cream! Each food has properties that are associated with helping to improve the function of specific internal organs based on temperature, flavour, texture and direction.


Don’t let the grocery store fool you. You may find yourself looking at fruits and vegetables that are actually not in season just because they are conveniently available. They’re of course being shipped in from other countries where the weather is very different, but that doesn’t mean you should be eating them when it’s below zero outside here! These foods will pull your Qi in the wrong direction for the season, and open you up to imbalance and illness.


The way you cook also changes the energy of your food. Grilling and barbecuing give foods a fire energy (associated with the heart), baking gives foods a metal energy (associated with the lungs), stir-frying and deep-frying give foods a wood energy (associated with the liver), boiling gives food a water energy (associated with the kidneys), and steaming gives food an earth energy (associated with the spleen). Going from summer to fall, we want to include more cooked foods and start to reduce raw foods. As we transition from fall to winter, increase the cooking time with longer cooked soups, roasted root vegetables, with very little raw foods. As winter moves into spring, start to shorten and lighten cooking time and methods; maybe set aside the heavy beef broth for a light vegetable broth, and add sprouts and greens to soups and stir-fries.

Some eating advice applies in all five seasons. For instance, generally, it’s best to go easy on meat, sugar, overly processed and chemically treated foods, anything deep fried, and alcohol (beer, wine and spirits). Beyond that, let’s take a look at each season in order! This is part one of a four-part series; I’ll be posting seasonal advice every few weeks in 2020. Enjoy!

Winter foods should keep you warm.

The winter is about the element of water and the kidneys and bladder, and the season’s taste is salty. Winter is a time for hibernation, and being receptive and introspective. Stay active, but at a reduced intensity and frequency. Rest, meditate, go to bed early!
Because winter is the season of yin (water), we need to nourish yin and take in fluids that keep the fire (yang) warm and glowing like a candle in our bodies. Foods need to be hearty and warm, and cooked by means of roasting and long simmering—think soups, stews and porridge. The idea is to cool the body’s surface and warm its core. Foods are yin and encourage Qi to move in and down. Here’s what to eat:

  • adzuki beans

  • ples

  • beets 

  • black beans

  • blackberries

  • blueberries 

  • cabbage

  • cashews

  • chard

  • cherries

  • chestnuts

  • chickpeas

  • chives

  • dates

  • dried fruits

  • fennel

  • figs

  • jams, compotes

  • kale

  • lentils

  • miso

  • onion

  • parsnip

  • pears

  • pumpkin

  • quinoa

  • sesame seeds

  • scallions

  • sea vegetables

  • spelt

  • squash

  • sunflower seeds

  • sweet potato

  • tamari

  • walnuts

  • yams

  • kidney beans

As well, winter is an ideal season for spices! Try these ones:

  • anise

  • basil

  • caraway

  • cayenne

  • cinnamon

  • cumin

  • dill

  • garlic

  • ginger

  • rosemary

That should keep you warm and healthy for the rest of the cold season. Stay tuned for advice on spring eating in a few weeks!

xo

Julie Amar