This post will inspire you to eat seasonally this Spring, choosing delicious seasonal produce to keep you healthy, happy, and balanced! If you eat the same foods all year long, you are missing out on this simple way to attune your body to mother nature.
I’m sure you are familiar with the concept of eating with the seasons or eating seasonal foods. This allows you to live a little closer to nature and makes it easier and cheaper to eat fresh produce. But when viewed through the lens of Ayurveda, there is much more to it than that.
According to Ayurveda, like encourages like and opposites bring balance. This is common sense, but people tend to overlook this in their daily lives until they find themselves completely out of balance.
Our bodies know that opposites bring balance and will push us to make the right decisions. For example, in the summer when it is hot, we would likely choose to eat something cool and light for dinner, like a nice green salad rather than a big hot bowl of spicy chilly. However, on a dry, cold winter day, that chili would sound better than a cold salad. Our bodies know. However, sometimes we forget to listen to our own innate wisdom.
Seasons of Change
Where I live, Spring and Fall are the major seasons of change that tend to wreak havoc on people’s bodies. Ayurveda recommends some sort of seasonal cleansing, specifically for Spring and Fall for this very reason. In Spring, we need to get rid of the excess heaviness accumulated through the winter and in Fall we need to let go of excess heat from Summer and stay grounded through the chaotic season.
As I write this, it’s almost Spring in my neck of the woods, so let's focus there. Depending on where you live, Spring might look a little different and that’s okay, you will still get the gist, or Spring may be 6 months away, in which case just save this and re-read it then).
Spring Energy
Early Spring often starts out cold, as Winter is still lingering. However, as the snow melts and/or the Spring rains start, the weather warms up, but it's muddy, damp, and heavy. Many of us have allergies that kick into gear this time of year leaving us mucousy and congested.
The changing weather also spurs us toward change in other aspects of life. So many people choose to cleanse their living spaces and are often drawn to do some sort of cleansing for their physical body as well. This can be a great use of the Spring energy, but it can also lead us to feel depleted if we take it too far. Therefore, focusing on maintaining a nourishing balance is super important, especially during the seasons of change.
Spring Foods
The simplest way to live in balance with the energy of the season is to eat lots of in-season foods. Mother nature is trying to help us by providing foods that counteract seasonal energy.
What’s in season during Spring? Typically some hearty veggies leftover from Winter, as well as lots of baby greens and fruits and veggies that mature early in the growing season. Here are some of the most common Spring foods. Depending on where you live, you may have others.
Apples
Citrus
Beets
Baby Greens (lettuces, spinach, kale, etc) & Sprouts
Peas
Radishes
Asparagus
Dandelion
Parsley
Berries
Also include pungent flavors like ginger, onion, garlic, and pepper.
In addition to all the wonderful seasonal produce, a reasonable amount of whole grains (corn, quinoa, oats) and lower-fat proteins like fish and eggs are also considered in-season.
Inspiration
If you don’t know where to start in preparing some of the Spring harvest, let me give you just a little seasonal eating inspiration.
Oh my goodness there are so many good recipes out there!!
I encourage you to begin to bring balance to your life by eating in-season foods. Make them delicious. Eat them often. Feel great.
Let me know in the comments section what you are eating this Spring.
Bon Appetit,
Tracy
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