How to eat and prepare for the 4 seasons in TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that eating locally and according to seasonal influences is not something new or trendy, but something essential for good health. Essentially, when in doubt, try to eat whatever is plentiful and locally grown because this is essentially what nature intended for your body at the time. Also, in general, try not to eat cold or raw food without first drinking something warm (even a cup of hot water), as this is good for the Spleen and Stomach, the organs responsible for digestion in your body (be sure to Note that capitalized terms are made to differ from their scientific definitions).

The following will give you some more specific ideas on what to do and what to eat, as well as what to avoid during the four seasons based on TCM theory.

Spring (unsurprisingly) is the season of rebirth and new growth, and your Yang energy must now be nurtured as you begin to protect your Yin energy. And according to traditional Chinese medicine, spring is associated with the liver, which is mainly affected by sour tastes. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the amount of acidic foods you eat and increase sweet and spicy flavors, as this will help your Liver to do its job of regulating and smoothing the flow of Qi in your body. So fruit and other natural sugars are recommended, albeit in moderation because raw fruit is naturally cold and in spring your body is still fresh from the not-so-long winter. Spicy foods like garlic and chili peppers should also start to be used.

After the cold of winter, you may have developed signs of residual heat if your Yin was not properly nourished (see ‘Winter’ below). Such signs of heat may include a dry throat, bad breath, or constipation. Foods like bananas (ripened), pears, celery, and cucumber can help.

In general, spring foods to try include asparagus, broccoli, peas, leafy greens, spinach, mushrooms (especially morels), fiddleheads, and ramps.

Like the plants that grow rapidly in summer, people act more energetically and the Qi and Blood of our body become relatively more vigorous compared to other seasons. Therefore, Yang energy needs to be nurtured, and since summer is associated with your Heart, you need to reduce the amount of bitter flavors you consume while seeking out more spicy, acidic, and salty foods. Therefore, it is recommended in the summer to avoid foods such as coffee, tea, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables and grapefruit. Instead, you should try consuming foods like watermelon, berries, tomatoes, cucumber, apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, nectarines, summer squash, beans, okra, zucchini, fermented foods, garlic, and chili peppers.

In nature, fall is the time when things start to settle down and get ready for winter. So you should also begin to engage in less activity and begin to preserve your Yang energy while nurturing your Yin. Autumn also correlates with your pulmonary system in TCM, which is more easily affected by dryness. Therefore, you want to start nurturing your Yin energy now, promoting the production of body fluids and Blood. Dry weather can lead to a sore throat, thirst, chapped lips, dry skin, and other signs and symptoms of dryness in your body.

You can help mitigate potential problems as you prepare for winter by eating seasonal foods such as: root vegetables, squash, apples, pears, cruciferous vegetables (for example, Brussels sprouts or broccoli), pomegranates, dates, kiwis, grapefruit, and tangerines.

To further nourish your Yin in the fall, try to opt for sour and astringent flavors and eat more foods like lemons, pineapples and pickled foods. Try to avoid foods that will open your pores and/or encourage perspiration, such as garlic, ginger, hot peppers, and other aromatic and/or spicy foods.

Reducing your activity and even the number of hot showers you have at this time of year will also help you preserve your Yang energy.

By winter, he should be well accustomed to the foods and practices he started in the fall, and now he religiously sticks to the foods mentioned above and almost hibernates in terms of physical activity, hardly ever inducing perspiration. This will help ensure that your Yin continues to be nourished for this tough season ahead, and your Yang will be preserved for the eventual spring season.

Since TCM believes that in winter our diet should be adapted to focus on enriching Yin and dominating Yang, we should add foods that are higher in calories, especially those rich in protein, to our diet. It’s not advisable to lose a lot of weight (if any) during the winter, but you don’t have to gain anything if you’re careful. Just add a little more red meat, duck, and eggs, or foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, and coconut if you’re a vegetarian.

Winter is the season for the Kidney energy system in TCM, which does not like salty foods and prefers bitter foods. Foods with bitter flavors include: apricots, asparagus, celery, coffee, tea, grapefruit, hops, rutabaga, lettuce, radish greens, kale, vinegar, and wine.