As Spring approaches next week, it’s time to start our transition from eating the heavier root vegetables of Winter to eating our fresh Spring greens like dandelion and chickweed. To help guide you into eating with the seasons, I’ve included the tastes that correspond with each season.

Spring (Sour): Cleanse the liver with steamed bitter greens, lemon water and fresh fruit and
vegetable juice. Eat sour foods like balsamic vinegar, sourkraut, and kimchi. Help regenerate liver cells with milk thistle seed. Drink herbal teas with burdock root, dandelion flowers/greens and chrysanthemum blossoms. Begin to prepare the body for the long hot summer ahead by cooling the body down and eating less spicy food.

Summer (Bitter): Eat from the farmer’s market!! Eat cucumbers, green beans, and drink fresh watermelon juice to cool yourself from the summer heat (this is optimistic for our coastal summer!) and over stimulation of the long fun days of summer. Stay hydrated and spruce up your water with fresh mint leaves instead of ice cubes.

Late Summer-0r 18 days between each season (Sweet): Mentioned because this is the season associated with the Earth element in 5 Element theory. It is the time to nourish yourself from all the expansion of summer and begin to draw your energy back inward. This is the time for yellow summer squash, corn, yams and other sweet foods that nourish Earth.

Autumn (Spicy): Add a little spice to your life with green onion, ginger and other invigorating herbs to help fight off anything that might be going around. Drink warm broths with astragalus root, oyster and shiitake mushrooms and fresh ginger.

Winter (Salty): Eat root vegetables like carrot, beet, parsnip in hearty soups and stews. Drink warm tea with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and milk. Stay warm and nourished. Try to avoid too much sugar and caffeine in a time when we should be restorative and quiet.

With love,

Jessica