Seasonal eating, seasonal living: a good way to stay healthy.

The other day a mycologist friend took me out mushroom picking. In a few hours we found a bag full of boleets and chantrels and cooked them up that same day and had a fresh, delicious feast. (note- don't pick wild mushrooms unless you are an expert or your harvest has been supervised and approved by someone who knows what they are doing!).

   This brings up a great point that I would like to share with you. The value of seasonal eating. As the year goes through its cycles, and the seasons rise and fall, we the living creatures of Earth also go through cycles. Our needs shift with the seasons, and it is healthy for us to be mindful of these changes and to adjust our behavior accordingly.
   Generally speaking, the food that will give us the most nutritional value and the type of nutrients we need most at any given time, is what is in season locally. Nature knows how to provide for us, we just need to learn to listen.
     In the summer, fruits are abundant. The vital energy is on the surface, in the fruits. Fruits generally speaking have a yin, cooling cleansing property. In the heat this is beneficial, but in winter we shouldn't eat so much fruit.
     In the fall, we need to start gathering in our vitality so it can be preserved through the winter. Just like the plants that shed their leaves and retreat into the depths of their roots, so for us it is a time to move inside and to consolidate and refine ourselves. Fall is a great time to eat squash and other vegetables that are in season, and in particular root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, beets, radishes. As the plants shift their vital energy into their roots in the fall, it is the roots that will provide the most nourishing sustenance. Of course the fall fruits such as apples and pears are great right now as well. (And I can't forget the fresh mushrooms popping up all over the nw).
     Fall/ late summer is also traditionally when the big salmon runs happen in the nw, as well as hunts to prepare for the winter. For those of us who eat fish or meat, the fall and winter are times when this diet is more appropriate. We don't need to eat meat for every meal or every day, but a small portion a few times a week can be beneficial. For those of us who are vegetarian and don't eat meat or fish, nuts and legumes (ex. almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, lentils, split peas, beans etc) and whole grains can provide us with that heartier sustenance that will help us build our reserves for the cold season.
   In winter, life is still, resting. We should also rest, allowing ourselves to sleep more in order to recharge ourselves so we can be full of energy when the growing seasons return. Winter is a time when nature lives off of its stores. We can benefit from the yang warming and building type of hearty sustenance- whole grains, nuts, legumes, root vegetables, fish, meat, etc. Soups are great to keep us warm, as are stews. We can benefit from our evolution today because we can find fresh vegetables in our markets that in the past were not available. A guiding principle is to eat the more yang, warming and building foods, and not too much of the yin cooling dispersing foods such as fruits.
   In spring the shoots come out. The vital energy is bursting forth from the depths. We can come out of our hibernation refreshed and hungry to take on the new growing season, ready for our new growth. Following what is in season, we can eat leafy greens, sprouts etc. It is a good time to lighten up our diet and clean out the residue built up from winter. We should be more active, and get outside.
   more on this as the seasons progress,

live well,
Keith

health advice for transitioning into the cold seasons

Today the clouds and rain are here, and it leads me to reflect...
As late summer is peaking and transitioning towards fall, it is important for us to observe the changes in nature and reflect them in our own lives and habits. Late summer is a time of fullness, of stillness, of the harvest. Life has been outside, but it is getting ready to move inwards for the cold seasons. Yet it is still full, the fruits are ripe and ready to eat. It is a good time to clean up the yard, to take care of those unfinished projects, to reflect on what we have done over the past year, to enjoy the fruits of those labors, and to begin thinking about how we will approach the coming year.
The cold seasons provide time for inner work, for creative activities like the arts, for learning about new things, for reading, for indoor activities. So especially in the NW where it is such a long cold season, I think it is important to get outside as much as we can in these last few weeks of nice weather. This will help carry us through the rainy season.
This is also a time when animals in nature put on that extra layer of fat for the winter. We may not like this idea so much ourselves, but it is a natural part of the season- fruits and vegetables are plentiful, it is a good time for sharing group meals etc. So don't be too hard on yourself about it. Spring and summer are really the natural times to get active and try to lose weight, we are now getting into the seasons of more internal work.
    So take those walks, try to get up into the mountains if you can, take time to reflect, to enjoy the stillness, enjoy and give thanks for the abundance of fruits and vegies, and take in those last rays of sunshine!

welcome to my new blog!

Greetings and welcome to the Hillside Acupuncture and Healing Arts blog. I run an office/ healing center in Seattle, WA, USA dedicated to helping you get the most out of life. I specialize in acupuncture, East Asian Medicine (the new descriptor for Chinese medicine), and qi cultivation (i.e. exercising to build up our vital energy). This blog is meant to be a place to discuss any issues related to natural medicine, keeping ourselves healthy, and whatever else we deem relevant or worthwhile of a post:). I will try to post regular tips on how to stay in harmony with the seasons, so that our vitality can flourish and we can live a full, happy life. We all hit the rough spots, and sometimes we just need a little help or support to get back into the flow of life. Please feel free to contact me through the website (www.hillsideacupuncture.com ) if you have any particular questions or topics you would like me to address.

take care,
Keith Judelman, EAMP