Health & Wellness: Seasonal Eating

In general, people tend to crave salads and watermelon in the summer. Coincidentally, that’s when these foods are in season. Eating seasonally, in accordance with nature, offers many health benefits. First, it involves eating local, which means fresher, more nutritious foods. It also helps give the body what it needs during that particular season to stay in balance. Another factor involved is the “warming” or “cooling” nature of foods, a concept determined by food type and how it’s grown and prepared. Following this theory, there are many food choices you can make to help avoid overheating this summer.

We are drawn to raw foods in the summer because they are more cooling than cooked foods. The more lightly and quickly a food is cooked, the more cooling it will be. Also, plant foods that take the shortest time to grow– lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers, are more cooling than those that take longer–carrot, parsnip, cabbage. Interestingly, foods with blue, green or purple colors are more cooling than similar foods that are red, orange, or yellow (a green pepper is more cooling than a red one).

Most fruits are cooling and cleansing. Not surprisingly, tropical fruits (pineapples, bananas) are the best fruits for summer, since most are highly cooling. When eaten in winter, they may cause coldness and weakness. Fall fruits that store (apples and dried fruit) are best suited for winter.

Eating spicy foods, such as cayenne and red chili peppers, though initially hot, can also be considered cooling because they can cause you to perspire and cool down your body. That is why they are popular in countries with hot climates like Mexico and India.

Other cooling foods:

• Fruits/Vegetables: melons, avocado, mango, celery, mushrooms, fennel.
• Grains: brown rice, barley, millet, wheat.
• Beans: Northern, navy, kidney, lima.
• Spices: Cilantro, mint. Warming/Avoid:  cinnamon, parsley, basil.
• Drinks: Watermelon or apple juice, coconut water or milk, herbal teas, vegetable broth. Avoid: alcohol, coffee.
• Meats:  Seafood. All other meats are warming and should be avoided.
• Dairy: Yogurt, goat cheese. All other dairy is neutral, except butter, which is warming.
• In general, reduce salt, oil, fats, and spicy foods.

Cooling Fennel Avocado Salad 

YOU WILL NEED :

• 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
• 2 bulbs Fennel, sliced
• 4 Avocados, sliced*
• 1 tbsp. fresh minced Ginger
• 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT :