Seasonal Eating
Seasonal Eating and Living Series – Summer
Seasonal eating has become in vogue in the last couple of years what with the increase in farmers markets around the UK, the public becoming more ecologically aware about 'food miles' and now, what with the credit crunch, the surge in popularity of allotments and adopting the ‘Good Life’ approach to living. However, seasonal eating goes much deeper in Oriental medicine as seasonal foods are eaten for their specific healing properties…
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a system of diagnosis and healthcare which has evolved over the last 4,000 years and is a unique approach to understanding the human body where health is viewed as a ‘complete state of wellbeing’ opposed to Western medicine, which defines health as the ‘absence of disease’. TCM is based on the belief that all humanity is part of the natural environment and that health or balance can only be achieved when one follows ‘natural law’ by adapting to the changes of the seasons and the surrounding environment.
The notion of the Five Elements Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water were developed through ancient Chinese rituals of observing nature’s ever-changing cycles. These are related to the different seasons of the year, to organs in the human body, temperatures, colours and tastes, to name but a few associations, all of which have some relevance to our health and well-being. By knowing and understanding these elements, we can discover how specific foods can help to balance the extremes of each season and comprehend what unique opportunities for healing arise with each.
The summer season in Chinese medicine is linked with the Fire element and the climate associated with this is heat, which we are certainly experiencing this summer in the UK. However, excess heat is seen in TCM as being injurious to the heart, which is the key organ said to be ruled by the Fire element. According to TCM, simply becoming over-heated is one of the main causes of symptoms such as fevers, thirst, insomnia and hot flushes that can arise in the summer. However, the Chinese believe that one way to compensate for the hot temperatures at this time of year is to ensure that our diet is not only of a cooler, lighter nature, but that we choose foods with specific cooling properties (watermelon and cucumber are both supreme cooling foods). Most of us naturally gravitate towards salads and fresh fruits during this season but there are specific foods and herbs that are traditionally known to help naturally reduce heat in the body.
A bitter taste to cool…
The main flavour corresponding to the fire element is bitter. The bitter flavour is thought to enter the heart, helping to cool it if it has become overheated as well as cleansing the heart and circulatory system of deposits that have been built up over the years. However, if someone is very weak and cold, the bitter flavour should be consumed in moderation. Focus on fresh greens such as rocket, watercress, endive, chicory and radicchio which can all help cool the body and stimulate the heart and small intestine (the partner organ to the heart according to the Five Element theory in Chinese Medicine).
There are some individuals who feel cold on a hot day so it is best to resist the inclination to eat too much raw foods such as fruit, salads and ice cream and focus on lightly cooked vegetables. In TCM it is thought that excess ‘cold’ foods can encourage the formation of mucus in the Autumn months.
Apart from reducing heat in the body, there are other advantages to including bitter greens in your diet. For example, chicory is good for detoxifying and cleansing your digestive tract and is very high in FOS - fructo-oligosaccharides, which feed and enhance the activity of beneficial bacteria found in our gut.
The peppery taste of watercress is due to a benzyl mustard oil that is a natural antibiotic and unlike conventional antibiotics, is beneficial to the colon and intestinal flora and thus can enhance your natural resistance. Watercress also purifies the blood and expels metabolic wastes from the body.
Asparagus contains many active phytochemicals and combined with its bitter flavour, makes it a superb food to encourage detoxification in the summer months.
Foods that enhance the Fire element often absorb a lot of sunlight and have colours and qualities that strengthen and stimulate the heart. Such foods include: corn, chives, sunflower seeds, apricots, peaches, plums, red lentils, strawberries and summer berries (the latter being rich in antioxidants, flavenoids and anthocyanins that help to neutralise toxic free radicals in the body).
Any food rich in vital minerals, especially calcium, magnesium and silicon will have a calming action on the spirit (or Shen) which is connected to the Fire element and can help with sleeping problems such as insomnia. Ensure that you include plenty of foods such as lettuce, watercress, sorrel, kale, broccoli (rated by the National Cancer Institute as the primary vegetable that has demonstrable cancer preventative and fighting properties), parsley, nuts, strawberries, dried apricots, sesame seeds (contain an active phytonutrient called sesaminol which acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent), watermelon, and cucumber (both supreme cooling foods.) Interestingly enough, watermelon was consumed by the Israelites while working on the Egyptian pyramids to help reduce fever and temperature and is often eaten in hot countries because of its cooling effect. Researchers now feel that it contains chemicals that reduce body temperature.
Camomile and mint herbal teas can help to clear excess heat in the body and both have a soothing and relaxing effect. Camomile tea bags can be re-used as an eye compress to soothe puffy, hot, irritated eyes too or cucumber slices.
We often have more physical energy in the summer months, feel the desire to play more tennis and golf, do the gardening and go for long walks. However, TCM recognises that summer is an essential time to build and protect energy reserves for the remainder of the year and protect in the winter months. If you feel fatigued or are susceptible to colds and other viral infections later in the year, it can indicate that you did not rest and recuperate enough in the summer. This gives you the perfect excuse to chill out by the outdoor pool at Wentworth and enjoy trying some the summer seasonal foods both at home and at the Wentworth Tennis and Health Club and Grill, to keep you cool as a cucumber in the heat.