We’re thinking about longevity lately, and sustainability.
Can what you eat really make a difference to your longevity? Yes! In fact, your daily food choices affect your mood and health both in the moment and well down the road.
First and foremost, aim to eat according to the season. This is a key for aging with vitality. It gives your body the necessary nutrients to function at its best at any given time.
In the summer heat, it’s smart to focus on cooling foods. In fact, in both the spring and summer, you want to nourish your yang energy and eat foods that are cooling by nature. Whereas the fall and winter are the yin-predominant seasons—so when we move into the fall season (just around the corner!), it will be time to nourish your yin energy with warming foods.
Spring and Summer Diet
For those of you in the southern hemisphere, or when the season turns for us here in the north, keep these recommendations in mind.
Springtime is a perfect time to nourish the liver, and do our Detox Program!
Also, you’ll want to eat pungent foods to help your liver—ginger, onion, garlic and chives are good. But avoid excessively spicy, hot, greasy, fried and sour foods throughout the spring and summer.
Though you want to eat cooling foods during the spring and summer months, note that it’s best to avoid ice water (ice water damages the stomach energy). Instead focus on foods with cooling energy, like cucumber, watermelon, celery, tomatoes, strawberries and mung beans.
Recommended Foods for the Season
- Vitamin C
- Cucumber
- Melons
- Squash
- Celery (juice is great)
- Jicama
- Zucchini
- Corn
- Water chestnuts
- Aloe vera
- Beets
- Watercress
- Clam or oyster shell soup
Foods to Avoid
- Barbecued, toasted, baked foods
- greasy and/or fried foods
- hot spices
- alcohol
- coffee (replace with green tea)
Fall and Winter Diet
As we move into the cooler months, it will be time to focus on warming our bodies. A simple and enjoyable way to do this is to eat more soups and stews. Walnuts and lamb are also excellent foods for the season (lamb is the most warming of all red meats).
Especially during the fall, favor sour foods and avoid spicy foods. Incorporate more pears, yams, aloe vera, soy and honey into your diet.
Recommended Foods for the Season
- Baked or roasted foods
- Meats–game meats and lamb are best
- Ginger, cardamom, fennel, clove, scallions, anise, pepper
- Cherries
- Walnuts
- Seeds (any kind)
- Green beans
- Chinese chives
- Horseradish
- Azuki beans
- Supplement with green algae or chlorophyll powder (2 spoonfuls)
Foods to Avoid
- cold, raw foods
- dairy products
We think these tips will help keep you balanced throughout the seasons, which is a key to a long and healthy life.
For more in-depth nutrition and health information, we invite you to participate in our Nutrition + Health classes—these classes are taught live online about once a month.
Our next class airs live on September 19 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time, and will be all about the senses.
Yours in health,
Dr. Miles Reid
