Seasonal Eating & Balance
How are different foods are used in each season to maintain balance?
Seasonal Eating Philosophy
Each season corresponds to a flavor, element, and organ in TCM which dictates which foods one should eat during different seasons.
Spring
-
Corresponds to Sour flavors, Wood element, and Liver/Gallbladder
-
Should eat sprouting, green, and slightly sour foods to cleanse the liver and gallbladder
-
Leafy greens, sprouts, citrus fruits
Summer
-
Corresponds to Bitter flavors, Fire element, and Heart/Small Intestine
-
Favor cooling foods while avoiding excess spicy foods to counteract heat during this time
-
Watermelon, cucumber, and bitter greens
Late Summer
-
Corresponds to Sweet flavors, Earth element, and Spleen/Stomach
-
Eat sweet to help the spleen and stomach with digestion and nutrient absorption
-
Apples, corn, pumpkins, carrots, sweet potato
Autumn
-
Corresponds to Pungent/Spicy flavors, Metal element, and Lung/Large Intestine
-
Focus on moistening foods to counter dryness
-
Pears, white fungus, and honey
Winter
-
Corresponds to Salty flavors, Water element, and Kidney/Bladder
-
Eat warming and nourishing foods for the kidney
-
Lamb, ginger, and root vegetables
While seasonal eating provides suggestions on for what to eat during each season, avoiding certain foods is just as important. One should avoid extreme temperature foods during the opposite season (e.g., iced drinks in winter)
Thermal Properties & Food Energetics
Food has different thermal properties (hot çƒ, warm 温, neutral, cool 凉, cold 寒). Eating too much of one type of food during a specific season can weaken different parts of your body and create a qi imbalance. For example, eating too many "cold" foods (e.g., raw salads, iced drinks) in winter can weaken digestion and qi.
​
When combining seasonal eating with foods' thermal properties, one should practice seasonal detoxing. For example, in the spring, consume bitter greens to help cleanse the liver.
