Follow the Seasons
As with the rhythms of the day, there are yearly cycles our bodies go through. Traditional Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese Medicine both encourage us to follow a yearly routine, altering our habits and behaviors according to the seasons. To help us eat with the seasons we can:
- Eat fresh produce all year round
- Eat locally, this way ensuring that the produce we are eating is seasonal
Eating in Autumn and Winter
In the summer, we crave foods that will cool us down, raw vegetables, cold treats, and refreshing herbs. As the weather gets cooler, one way to help our bodies adapt is to provide it food that will keep it warm and in balance with the cold. This means:
- Eating warm food and drinks
- Eating cooked foods
- Eating heavier foods with a higher fat content
- Avoiding raw, dry and uncooked foods
- Avoid bitter and astringent foods
It is normal for appetite to increase during the winter, just don’t overindulge by eating more than what you can digest. Remember that it takes 20 minutes for your body to send satiety signals to your brain therefore eat slowly, chew well, relax and when possible eat with others in a pleasant environment.
What’s in Season?
What is in season depends on where you are living in the world. Registering for a weekly produce basket from a local farm is a perfect way to eat with the seasons. Here in Turin we are really lucky to have a wide choice of organic beautiful produce. Here are two of my favorite organic farms in the region: AMILU farm and Ortobio. The fruits and vegetables that are in season in late November and December in Northern Italy are the following:
| Fruit | Vegetables |
| Apples | Cabages (Automn, kale, red…) |
| Pears | Brussel sprouts |
| Kaki | Jeruselum artichoke |
| Kiwi | Onion, leak, garlic |
| Pomegranate | Chard |
| Beetroot | |
| Turnips, turnip greens | |
| Celery root | |
| Pumpkin & other squash | |
| Cauliflower | |
| Broccoli | |
| Artichoke | |
| Potato |
The month of December is rich of wonderful vegetable to cook every day and during the holidays. Can you think of any others? To find out more about how to stay healthy during the holidays click here.
