If we are going to stop global warming, everyone probably agrees by now that a diet based primarily on seasonal produce, fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils and small amounts of (organic) meat, fish and dairy is the way to go. I think that is absolutely excellent. Not only for the climate but also for health. To prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain forms of cancer, the recommendations are the same. Smart, huh – regardless of whether you want to save yourself or the climate, the same path leads there.

I would like to emphasize the health benefits of letting the season dictate the menu. We are used to having asparagus, tomatoes, cucumbers, iceberg lettuce and strawberries available all year round, but how much nutrition is actually in food that has traveled all over the globe? And how does it affect us? From the moment a crop is harvested, its nutritional content gradually breaks down. By the time it reaches the vegetable counter, there is not much flavor or nutrition left. Locally grown food provides more flavor, nutrition and sustainability.

When the season dictates the menu, medicine becomes your food and food becomes your medicine, as the father of medicine Hippocrates advocated. He realized that the body and our needs are affected by the fluctuations in the weather. Foods can have different qualities and different effects on the body, for example, tomatoes are cooling, lemons are astringent, grains and root vegetables are warming, cucumbers are cooling, meat and eggs are damp and hot, buckwheat and parsley are more drying. And so on. These qualities are something that is talked about a lot in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. To keep it simple, we can say that cold, cooling foods are great in the summer when the weather is hot.  and we get lots of daylight. In the fall when it's windier the weather becomes wetter. darker and colder we need warmth and more energy and then it's root vegetables, pumpkin, warming spices and warm cooked food that are more beneficial. If you eat a cold salad for lunch when it's cold outside, it costs the body a lot of energy to warm it up (for the nutrient absorption to work) which in turn leads to a lack of energy you get tired maybe a sweet tooth and yes you get the idea. Now it's fall and then I focus on warming stews and soups with a touch of green:

All kinds of root vegetables

Cabbage in all its forms

Squash

Pumpkin

Rose hip

Elderberry

Rowan-berry

Nettles

Dandelion leaves

Spices:

Thyme

Rosemary

Pine and spruce

Oregano

Onion

Chili

Lentils and beans

Apples and pears

Barley groats and rye

We are constantly changing, so be aware of what your body needs every day – you will likely find that you crave and feel good about certain foods depending on your mood and the weather. Listen, your body is smart!

In future posts you can read more about the inherent properties of the various vegetables, fruits and spices.

Stay wild!
The Lisen

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