Want to Feel More Balanced? This Will Help You Eat Seasonally

I love the above infographic and use it often when meal planning. Depending on the season, it helps to pinpoint those fruits and vegetables we should be consuming. Nutrition and health are not only about what you eat, but how you eat. Food is fuel, yet it can also be used as a tool to nourish, heal, and help you achieve balance and rhythm. This is what eating seasonally is all about.  

When we eat the way nature intended - in sync with its seasons and cycles - there are profound benefits to our health, mood and wellbeing. 

For example, in the winter it gets colder and the air becomes dry; similarly, our bodies feel the same way. Nature ensures we stay balanced by providing us with an abundance of root vegetables, which are full of vitamins and minerals to combat dryness; nuts and grains are loaded with essential fatty acids to insulate and warm us against the cold. 

This is why we crave foods that are sweet, sour, heavy, and hot (think soups, stews, roasted vegetables and hearty grains). It’s best to limit foods that are bitter, light, cold and dry (salads, raw vegetables, legumes) in order to avoid swinging further to that end of the spectrum. 

As we move into the the colder months, I particularly love roasted Brussel sprouts, baked sweet potatoes, cauliflower rice, and parsnip mash. It's also time to break out the crock-pot! On that note, I will be posting seasonal recipes all winter long, so stay tuned!