Food choices that follow the cycles of nature will add freshness and vibrancy to your meals and body. By eating locally grown and in-season foods, we work with the rhythm of the seasons and tune in to our immediate environment. In most of North America, there are 3 growing and harvest seasons, followed by a dormant or resting season (winter.) When we lived directly off the land, as farmers (or hunter-gatherers), we ate this way. Via generations and generations of humans before us, our bodies and genetic patterns have adapted to this cyclical pattern of food availability. Think of what was available to our ancestors and what is available to us now. Fresh foods from all over the world are readily available at our grocery stores according to when they are in season on the other side of the planet or pulled from cold storage having been picked before true ripeness. Eating “unnatural-out of season” foods places us at slight odds with our surroundings. We can have all the fresh foods we want, need and desire—the idea is just to wait for the right season.
If it wasn’t straight out of the ground, off a live plant or tree or didn’t come from the root cellar during a certain time of year, may not be in sync with what our bodies need in this season.
Spring
The first harvest comes in Spring and consists mainly of roots, sprouts, and bitter greens that burst from the ground aided by the spring rains and melting winter snow. These tend to be low-fat and low-calorie. Its Nature saying: release the fat of winter, cleanse the stored toxins and get ready for the work and play of summer. Eat more salads, veggies, leafy greens, beans, sprouts and berries.
Best Spring Foods
FRUITS: dried fruits
VEGETABLES: alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, bean sprouts, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory, chilies(dried), collard greens, corn, dandelions, endive, garlic, green beans, hot peppers, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsley, peas, spinach, Swiss chard, radishes, turnips, watercress FRUITS: dried
GRAINS: none are “best”
LEGUMES: bean sprouts, goyas, kidneys, lentils, limas, mungs
NUTS/SEEDS: none are “best”
DAIRY: none are “best”
MEAT/FISH: none are “best”
OILS: corn
CONDIMENTS: none are “best”
BEFERAGES: none are “best”, other than good ole water
HERB TEAS: cardamom, chicory, cinnamon, cloves, dandelion, ginger, hibiscus, orange peel, strawberry leaf
SPICES: black pepper, cayenne, clove
FRUITS: apples, blueberries, grapefruit, lemons, limes, papayas, pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries
VEGETABLES: artichokes, beets, bitter melon, broccoli, cilantro, fennel, ginger, jicama, leeks, snow peas, seaweed
GRAINS: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats (dry), quinoa, brown rice (long grain), rye
LEGUMES: adzuikis, black grams, garbanzos, favas, split peas
NUTS/SEEDS: filberts, pinions, pumpkin, sunflower
DAIRY: ghee (in moderation), low-fat yogurt (in moderation), rice/soy milk
MEAT/FISH: chicken, duck in moderation), eggs (in moderation), freshwater fish, lamb (in moderation), ocean fish (in moderation), turkey
OILS: canola, flax, mustard, safflower, soy, sunflower
CONDIMENTS: carob, chocolate (reduce), pickles
BEFERAGES: black tea, coffee, sparkling water
HERB TEAS: alfalfa
SPICES: anise, asafetida, basil, bay leaf, chamomile, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, nutmeg, oregano, peppermint, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, spearmint, thyme, turmeric
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