Seasonal eating is a fundamental principle in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diet. It emphasizes consuming foods that are in season and aligning our diet with the energies of each season. This approach is believed to support overall health and well-being by providing the body with the nutrients it needs during specific times of the year.
The Chinese calendar are associated with the five elements in TCM. Each element has its own set of associated foods that are recommended to be consumed during its corresponding season. Here are some examples:
- 1. Wood element: Associated with the start of spring and awakening of plants. Foods that are recommended during this season include young greens, sprouts, and fresh herbs.
- 2. Fire element: Associated with the summer season and warmth. Foods that are recommended during this season include fruits, vegetables with cooling properties (such as cucumber and watermelon), and light, refreshing dishes.
- 3. Earth element: Associated with late summer and harvest time. Foods that are recommended during this season include root vegetables, grains, and legumes.
- 4. Metal element: Associated with autumn and the harvest season. Foods that are recommended during this season include pungent vegetables (such as onions and garlic), nuts, and seeds.
- 5. Water element: Associated with winter and cold weather. Foods that are recommended during this season include warming foods like soups, stews, and cooked grains.
By following the seasonal eating principles of TCM, it is believed that we can nourish our bodies with the appropriate nutrients for each season, support our digestion, and maintain balance within the body. Additionally, seasonal eating can also help us connect with nature and the cycles of the earth.
The seasonal point calendar, also known as the 24 solar terms or the 24 seasonal divisions, is a system used in the Chinese calendar to divide the year into 24 equal segments. Each segment represents a specific point in the seasonal cycle and is associated with certain weather patterns, agricultural activities, and natural phenomena.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), each of these 24 seasonal points is also associated with one of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). These elements are believed to represent different energies and characteristics that are present in nature and within the human body.
The 24 seasonal points and their associated elements are as follows:
- Start of Spring (February 4-18) – Wood
- Rain Water (February 19-March 5) – Water
- Awakening of Insects (March 6-20) – Wood
- Spring Equinox (March 21-April 4) – Wood
- Clear and Bright (April 5-19) – Fire
- Grain Rain (April 20-May 4) – Fire
- Start of Summer (May 5-20) – Fire
- Grain Full (May 21-June 5) – Earth
- Grain in Ear (June 6-20) – Earth
- Summer Solstice (June 21-July 6) – Earth
- Slight Heat (July 7-21) – Fire
- Great Heat (July 22-August 6) – Fire
- Start of Autumn (August 7-22) – Metal
- Limit of Heat (August 23-September 7) – Metal
- White Dew (September 8-22) – Metal
- Autumnal Equinox (September 23-October 7) – Metal
- Cold Dew (October 8-22) – Water
- Frost’s Descent (October 23-November 6) – Water
- Start of Winter (November 7-21) – Water
- Slight Snow (November 22-December 6) – Water
- Great Snow (December 7-21) – Water
- Winter Solstice (December 22-January 5) – Water
- Slight Cold (January 6-20) – Earth
- Great Cold (January 21-February 3) – Earth
Each of these seasonal points and their associated elements have specific dietary recommendations and lifestyle practices in TCM. By aligning our diet and lifestyle with the energies of each season and element, it is believed that we can support our health and well-being and maintain balance within the body.
Spring’s Nutritious Food List:
- Vegetables: Include artichoke, eggplant, dark leafy vegetables, Chinese yam, Chinese chives, radish, spring bamboo shoots, shiso leaves, celery, purslane, micro-greens, garlic, green onions, sprouts, and cilantro in your diet.
- Fruits: Enjoy currants, tangerine, citrus fruits, grapefruit, kiwi, and rhubarb as part of your fruit intake.
- Protein: Opt for free-range eggs, chicken, shrimp, white fish, and rabbit as your protein sources.
- Carbohydrates: Incorporate wheat bran, rye spelt, brown rice, and sprouted rice into your carbohydrate choices.
- Herbal: Consider adding goji berries, jujube dates, Qian Shi, Chinese mugwort, mulberry leaf, goji leaf, aged orange peel, lily bulb, chrysanthemum, and ginger to your herbal repertoire.
- Other: Include vinegar, white wine, and green tea in your beverage choices.
- To Limit: Be mindful of overindulging in alcohol and spicy foods.
Early Summer’s Nutritious Food List:
- Vegetables: Include bitter melon, silk gourd, summer squash, winter melon, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, mushroom, corn, celery, lettuce, endive, and dandelion in your diet.
- Fruits: Enjoy honeydew, lemon, berries, plums, cherry, watermelon, elderberry, and peach as part of your fruit intake.
- Protein: Opt for plant-based protein sources such as mungbean, azuki bean, soy milk, gingko nut, and yogurt.
- Carbohydrates: Incorporate millet, pearl barley, and oats into your carbohydrate choices.
- Herbal: Consider adding honey suckle, chrysanthemum, lily bulb, lotus leaf, lotus seed, black plum, mint, saffron, aged tangerine peel, longan, and prunella to your herbal repertoire.
- Other: Include ginger, paprika, matcha, coriander, basil, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme in your cooking and seasoning.
- To Limit: Be mindful of overindulging in alcohol, fried foods, iced coffee, and dairy-based ice cream.
Late Summer’s Nutritious Food List:
- Vegetables: Include Chinese yam, celtuce, winter melon, carrot, spinach, summer squash, mushroom, celery root, eggplant, zucchini, napa cabbage, fava beans, snap pea, corn, tomato, and seaweed in your diet.
- Fruits: Enjoy watermelon, apple, berries, peaches, plums, prunes, banana, cranberry, fig, quince, coconut, pineapple, and papaya as part of your fruit intake.
- Protein: Opt for lean pork, mungbean, azuki beans, coix seed, soybean, and pistachio as your protein sources.
- Carbohydrates: Incorporate barley, rice, millet, oats, and wheat into your carbohydrate choices.
- Herbal: Consider adding lotus leaf, lotus seed, aged tangerine peel, Qian Shi, Bai Zhu, Fu Ling, Sha Ren, hawthorn berry, and fish mint to your herbal repertoire.
- Other: Include the early summer foods mentioned above in your cooking and seasoning.
- To Limit: Be mindful of consuming excessive iced beverages, fried or high-fat foods, very sweet foods, and alcoholic beverages.
Autumn’s Nutritious Food List:
- Vegetables: Include cauliflower, snow fungus, shiitake mushroom, sweet potato, Chinese yam, parsnip, lotus root, spinach, brussel sprouts, pumpkin, soybean sprouts, leek, broccoli sprouts, water chestnut, fennel, onion, watercress, and chestnut in your diet.
- Fruits: Enjoy apple, tangerine, pear, golden kiwi, guava, sugar cane, persimmon, peach, pomelo, fig, and ginkgo nut as part of your fruit intake.
- Protein: Opt for silken tofu, duck egg, duck, river fish, crab, black bean, and sesame as your protein sources.
- Carbohydrates: Incorporate glutinous rice, oats, and red rice into your carbohydrate choices.
- Herbal: Consider adding American ginseng, Sha Shen, Yu Zhu, Mai Dong, lily bulb, lotus seed, monk fruit, Huang Jing, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, Huai Shan, apricot kernel, and Chuan Bei to your herbal repertoire.
- Other: Include honey, spices, tahini, rice wine, and extra virgin oils in your cooking and seasoning.
- To Limit: Be mindful of consuming excessive crackers, chips, dry or baked goods.
Winter’s Nourishing Food List:
- Vegetables: Include scallion, garlic, carrot, root vegetables, fennel, leek, chestnut, potato, radish, winter bamboo shoot, cooked cabbage, mushroom, asparagus, and Chinese yam in your diet.
- Fruits: Enjoy grape, pomelo, tangerine, mulberry, and apple as part of your fruit intake.
- Protein: Opt for black soybean, walnut, black sesame, sunflower seeds, hempseed, bone broth, lamb, beef, and venison as your protein sources.
- Carbohydrates: Incorporate black rice, purple rice, glutinous millet, glutinous rice, rye bread, and whole wheat flour into your carbohydrate choices.
- Herbal: Consider adding goji berries, jujube dates, longan, safflower, Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui, astragalus, Sichuan pepper, turmeric, cordyceps, bay leaf, and black pepper to your herbal repertoire.
- Others: Include miso, ginger, alcohol, wine, spices, and black tea in your cooking and seasoning.
- To Limit: Be mindful of consuming excessive iced/cold beverages, raw foods, and cold/cooling herbs.