The eastern principle of dividing products according to the seasons is their division into male and female nature – yin and янь, helps to understand as much as possible the properties of food and their impact on human life.
In the countries of the East, the year was traditionally divided into pores, with one amendment: in addition to winter, spring, summer and autumn, there is also an off-season. We are talking about the transition time between the dominant seasons. Each season corresponds to the activity of certain functions of our body. Therefore, the composition of the diet follows from the ingredients that satisfy the body in this need. That is why we are talking about five tastes. The main taste is saturated with additional shades: neutral, complementary and negative. It will not be difficult to figure out what the taste is and the effect on the body: neutral does not in any way affect its functionality, negative harms us, and complementary saturates and strengthens. It is not often that the diet we choose leads us to the expected results.
It is necessary to understand not only your tastes, but also in more subtle matters, such as oriental medicine. It was in the east that for many thousands of years knowledge of nutrition, which affects human health, was collected and sifted out. This experience, incommensurate with many nutritional theories, gives us the language to understand our nutritional needs. The main goal of nutrition for the seasons is a balanced and invisible transition from one season to another without losing energy, well-being and potential of the body. According to Tao, spring brings birth and flowering, summer gives growth and the beginning of ripening, and autumn rewards us with final ripening and harvest. Winter brings us peace and accumulation of strength.
Spring
Spring is the best time for development and growth. The surrounding nature is coming out of hibernation and is noticeably gaining growth at a rapid pace. This is a time of growth and diving into new beginnings. Our body is changing, it gives out new signals. Hibernation and amorphousness are a thing of the past. The times of cold weather and quiet dampness are passed as a respite before the next flowering of strength and desires. Everything is in a hurry to be renewed and overgrown with new shoots. In the spring, it’s time to stop absorbing high-calorie and fatty foods, we start. The most difficult time in choosing products is, of course, early spring. We are already eating up everything that has been prepared for the winter, and the new, saturated with fresh forces has not yet grown. While we are waiting for the appearance of fresh greenery, our bodies are constrained by spring asthenia. Feeling of weakness, lethargy and drowsiness, loss of alertness, sometimes even developing into irritability and a complete lack of concentration on one thing.
As a result, we lose our appetite and full performance. In this case, preservation saturated with vitamins, preservation, pickles and herbs and fruits dried for winter can help. Juices, compotes, preserves, jams and frozen berries can support a weakened body. And so on until the appearance on our table of fresh, spinach, onion, garlic, parsley, garlic and nettle. Do not delay the moment of saturation of the body with vitamins. Start restoring and replenishing our natural stocks. To determine which foods are worth consuming more, it is important to understand which body systems are subject to maximum deficiency. The hardest thing this season is for the gallbladder and liver (see our special material). To restore their potential will help saturation of the dinner table with sauerkraut, lemon, hodgepodge. Dairy and fermented milk products will complement the diet, when choosing which you can give free rein to your tastes and preferences, especially since the body will not deceive us.
At such a time, it is important not to forget about cereals: baked goods and cereals using different varieties of rye and wheat flour will be appropriate. Fats and proteins will help replenish your favorite nuts and seeds of various varieties and types. Beets and other root crops will be able to enrich the spring diet. From meat products it is better to give preference to poultry: chicken, turkey and duck are what you need. It’s time to pay attention to soups that help to dynamically cleanse the internal organs and strengthen our framework, consisting of, ligaments and.
The dominant flavors of the season will be salty, neutral sweet and bitter. Food spice should be avoided. If we talk about children, then their nutrition should be saturated with proteins, fats and carbohydrates, in particular, pay attention to the spectrum of vitamins. Everything that the earth gives us will become an irreplaceable addition to the children’s diet. Berries, vegetables and fruits, among which special attention should be paid to potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets, various fresh juices from berries. Decoctions from berries and fruits will also be useful. As for proteins, for good nutrition and balanced saturation of the body, it is worth focusing on meat, fish and dairy and sour milk products.
Summer
The summer season is full of abundance. Exactly then yin smoothly and non-stop flows into янь… In the east, it was argued that gastric juice at this time of the year should fantasize and move rhythmically without stops and exceptions. This is how the body will be filled with new strength and perfect balance. Of course, the heat and other unpleasant allies of summer will affect the general condition of the body, which can result in general malaise, weakness and susceptibility to summer diseases. This is due to a high body temperature and profuse sweating. A way out of this situation will be vegetables and fruits, which abundantly fill our body not only with liquid, but also with trace elements necessary to restore the balance.
It is difficult to fight the habits that civilization gives us. We are accustomed to cooling the body by drinking cold drinks, but do not forget that pleasure in the mouth turns out to be a problem. The work of internal organs is disrupted, the thermoregulation of the body is malfunctioning. Contrary to natural processes, we force the body to retain heat, instead of getting rid of overheating. It is best to eat foods in small portions in the summer without overloading the body with high-calorie meals.
It is worth stopping your attention on dairy products, vegetables, berries and fruits. The consumption of meat products should be reduced if the physical activity on the body is not great. The heart muscle and small intestine are most active. That is why it is worth focusing on food with a bitter taste, even by simply adding bitter seasonings and sauces to dishes. It is better to refrain from salty foods and adding salt to dishes in summer.
Autumn
With the onset of autumn янь slowly turns into yin and preference should be given to dishes made from beets, apples and carrots. The dynamics of the body decreases, the load falls on the large intestine, etc. Spicy flavors will help you cool down from a rich diet and move on to an even appetite for autumn. It is worth paying attention to meat products, condiments, and onions. Rice and buckwheat dishes will be a great addition. Dried fruits will help you get additional strength without depleting the body’s reserves collected over the summer. It is worth reducing the consumption of bakery and flour products, lamb. Game, beef, milk, fruits, nuts and large berries, like melon, will be an excellent addition to a full-fledged table. You should refrain from eating sweets and salty foods.
Winter
Winter time will require us to save energy and balance. Preference should be given to high-calorie, but not very fatty soups and hot drinks. They can be enriched with products from preservation, freezing and dried form. and sauerkraut, citrus fruits, black currants will become indispensable products in cold weather. For better performance, it is important to restore the body’s salt content. For a side dish, you should choose potatoes, legumes, buckwheat, seasoned with rich sauces and pickles.
Off-season
In the off-season, the best tactic would be a gradual restructuring of the diet from winter to spring, from summer to autumn. The main taste is sweet, it is he who will help diversify the transition period with new tastes. Fruits, vegetables and – the best choice for a nutritious diet. The bitter taste becomes additional. Dried fruits and lamb will add value to the diet. It is worth giving up acidic foods, such as dairy products.