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Seasonal Harmony 季 节 的 和 谐
Finding Harmony in Seasonal Eating
by Ellasara Kling
In times past, and until fairly recently in human
history, eating with the seasons was normal as it was
not generally possible to eat any other way. Food
was obtained from farms that were pretty much local,
and although in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries
transportation access and refrigeration made it possible
to obtain some foods “out of the local season”
and not grown in your local area, most easily available
foods were seasonal. Following the seasons in
eating was the way of life for most people. Things
change. Since the 1940’s technological advances in
refrigeration and transportation, changes in farming
methods, and the modernization of food have made
it possible for many people to have access to a wider
variety of foods in any season than at any previous
time in human history. Now, we have an abundance
of food from countries that have summer when we
have winter and vice versa. So strawberries from
South American countries are available in North
America throughout the winter. How does this fit in
with seasonal eating, if at all.
What is seasonal eating? On the surface that
question is self-answering. After all, Seasonal Eating
must mean eating only foods that are within the
season you are in. Makes sense, easy, simple, right?
Well, almost so. That point of view leaves out a couple
of important pieces: the needs of the person doing
the eating and how one season flows from the
previous season and into the next.
Chinese medical theory takes into account the
unique individuality of each person and how that
person is changing, i.e., moving from where they are
to their next phase and guiding them into ever increasing
harmony and balance until they, as a selfregulating
system, can maintain that balance and
harmony without medical intervention. Applying
this concept to food and seasonal eating would mean
taking into account your multi-level state, your environment,
your health goals, your life situation (for
example, levels of stress, physical activity, and so
on).
Consequently, your food choices are always
best guided by your true needs and your intuitive
understanding of what you need. The following is an
example of how your choices might be guided individually
and seasonally. Eggplant is primarily grown
as a summer vegetable that is also seasonally available
in the Fall. It’s flesh has a sweet flavor, the skin
a slightly bitter flavor, and its nature is cooling. It is
excellent for removing heat from the digestive system
and clearing food stagnation; supporting healthy
skin including removing heat rash and reducing the
effects of aging; and can relieve dampness among
many other healing/balancing uses.
If you are
experiencing
too much internal
heat, eggplant
would be
a good food
choice. If,
however, you
are internally
cold, you
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would want to
add ginger to your diet. So, it is important to know
what in yourself you want to nourish and what is
natural to your area in your environment (season)
that can help you achieve your desired result so as to
strengthen yourself and maintain/create balance. For
example, in the Fall, pungent flavored foods are
warming and move your internal energy outward.
So as the weather becomes cooler, it would seem
12 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 2, Issue No. 5