Life of Guangzhou - Dietary Advice for Each Season

Why different foods are consumed each season and what are their health benefits?

Pulse taking

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the world is a harmonious and holistic entity where all living beings are viewed in relation to the surrounding environment. Since ancient times, the Chinese have tried to explain different complicated phenomena by creating yin yang or the five elements theories. Man is part of the holistic entity, and takes his cue from nature. He is influenced directly and indirectly by changes in weather and needs to make corresponding physiological and pathological responses. For example, a change of season causes the rate, rhythm, volume and tension of the pulse to vary. The pulse tends to be taut in spring, full in summer, floating in autumn, and sunken in winter. TCM physicians will take this into account when distinguishing the abnormal pulse from the normal. The occurrence, development and change in the pattern of many diseases are seasonal such as wenbing occurring in spring, sun strokes in summer, dryness-related symptoms in autumn, and cold stroke syndromes in winter.

However, we can take active measures to prevent disease and maintain good health. One common method is to consume different foods according to the season. The Chinese widely believe that we are what we eat, and most dietary guidelines follow on from nature. According to TCM philosophies, if we imbibe seasonal foods that are similar in nature to the external environment, we remain in harmony with the environment, adapt better to changes in season and stay healthy. The basic applying principle is "nourishing yang in spring and summer time, and nourishing yin in autumn and winter time." The ancient Chinese realized that in accordance with seasonal changes, yang qi tends to flow outwards and occupies the body surface in spring and summer and therefore, the innards get relatively depleted of yang qi and need replenishing. At the same time, the weather in autumn and winter is cold and dry, and it is important to keep warm and prevent dryness. Through the methods of replenishing yin and nourishing dryness, TCM believes it is a way to build up energy and prepare for the coming seasons.

According to TCM health opinion, what is the dietary advice in each season?

The basic principles of TCM dietary advice in the four seasons
Yang Yin
Spring - Warm & sweet foods Autumn - Cool & sour foods
Summer - Hot & pungent foods Winter - Cold & bitter foods

Spring

Spring foods: Chinese yam,
bamboo shoot and mushrooms.

According to TCM, spring is when living things begin to grow and yang qi starts to predominate. In this season, exogenous pathogens such as wind evil makes individuals susceptible to flu, pneumonia, or a relapse of chronic diseases. It is advisable to reduce intake of sour flavors and increase sweet flavors. Sweet flavors are warm in energy and tend to move upward, thus enhancing protection from wind evil invasion. This facilitates the liver to regulate the flowing and spreading movement which improves yang qi distribution. Besides, uncooked, frozen and glutinous foods should be taken in moderation since these are harmful to the spleen and stomach if consumed in large amounts. Examples of recommended foods include spinach, celery, onion, lettuce, leaf mustard, chinese yam, wheat, dates, peanuts, onions, cilantro, bamboo shoot and mushrooms.

Summer

Summer foods: tomato,
wax gourd and lotus root.

Summer is hot and rainy and the summer heat causes plants to grow fast. People perspire and the body's qi and blood become relatively more vigorous than in other seasons. The metabolic rate peaks during this season with excessive yang tending to flow out or surmounting yin internally. In order to maintain good health, it is important to restore and maintain normal levels of yang. It is advisable to eat more foods with pungent flavors and reduce bitter flavors which are hot in energy and tend to move outward, it also helps to depress the hyper-functioning of the heart. The daily diet should contain more vegetables and fruit so as to stimulate the appetite and provide adequate fluids. One should avoid eating too much greasy and sweet foods. Exogenous pathogens like summer heat and dampness evils are common during this season making people sweaty, thirsty, irritable, tired, lacking an appetite, and experiencing heaviness in the forehead and limbs. If you experience the above symptoms, the following foods are helpful when added to the diet: bitter gourd, watermelon, peach, strawberry, tomato, mung bean, cucumber, wax gourd, pumpkin, ginger, lotus root, lotus seed, job's tears, and Chinese yam.

Autumn

Autumn foods: pineapple,
pear and white fungus.

Things begin to fall and mature in autumn; yin qi starts to predominate and yang qi begins to wane. The weather is dry which, according to TCM, mostly affects the lungs. It is advisable to eat more food with sour flavors and reduce pungent flavors. Sour flavors are cool in energy, and tend to move downward, it benefits the lungs' functioning. Some people become lacking in yin fluid, experience dryness in the mouth and throat, rough skin, nasal bleeding, hair loss, and occasionally, even constipation. Therefore glossy foods can act as lubriciant and promote body fluid production, examples of such foods include sesame, honey, dairy products, pineapple, pear, loquat fruit, sugar cane, lily, banana and white fungus. All these moisturize internal dryness caused by lack of body fluid, and restore normal functioning of the lungs.

Winter

Winter foods: Chinese dates,
black fungus and walnuts.

Winter is cold; and many living things slow down to save energy while some animals hibernate. It is the time when yang qi becomes latent and yin qi dominates. It's the season when man conserves energy and builds strength as a prelude to spring. People now have hearty appetites and a lower metabolic rate, enabling absorbed nutrients to be stored more easily. Appropriate greasy food should be consumed in order to retain warmth. According to the five elements theory in TCM, winter corresponds to the kidneys which are highly active in winter and its astringent properties have an active storage function that help save energy. It is advisable to eat more food with bitter flavors and reduce salty flavors, in order to reduce the work load of the kidneys. Since eating too much hard, glutinous, uncooked and frozen food damage the spleen and stomach, they should be taken in moderation. Examples of suitable foods include; mutton, goose, duck, Chinese yam, glutinous rice, dates, eggs, longan flesh, black fungus, leek and nuts.

The principle of harmony between food and the weather is based on practical experience. It may seem to contradict principles stated elsewhere but the fact remains: food and the four seasons have different impact on the human body. Food becomes part of the body after being consumed but the four seasons (that is the environmental factor) always impacts externally on the body. The Chinese dietary philosophy suggests that you embrace your native foods in addition to eating locally-grown foods and those in season. What is unhealthy about western diet is that foods are too often chemically treated instead of being grown naturally. Natural, home-grown and chemical-free products are most nutritious.

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References

1. Chinese System of Food Cures Prevention & Remedies by Henry C. Lu.Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 1986.
2. 張恩勤主編, 《中醫基礎理論》上冊, 上海中醫藥大學出版社1990.
Basic Theory of TCM (I) by Zhang Enqin. Publishing House of Shanghai University of TCM. 1990.
3. 方羽主編《四季養生叢書．春季養生》，科圖有限公司，2000年11月.
Seasonal Health Perservation Series-Health Perservation in Spring, HK Ke Hua Books Publishing Co. Ltd. 2001-11.
4. 方羽主編《四季養生叢書．夏季養生》，科圖有限公司，2000年11月.
Seasonal Health Perservation Series-Health Perservation in Summer, HK Ke Hua Books Publishing Co. Ltd. 2001-11.
5. 方羽主編《四季養生叢書．秋季養生》，科圖有限公司，2000年11月.
Seasonal Health Perservation Series - Health Perservation in Autumn, HK Ke Hua Books Publishing Co. Ltd. 2001-11.
6. 方羽主編《四季養生叢書．冬季養生》，科圖有限公司，2000年11月.
Seasonal Health Perservation Series - Health Perservation in Winter, HK Ke Hua Books Publishing Co. Ltd. 2001-11.

Written By:
Dang Yi (黨毅) MD PhD
Professor, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine; Visiting Professor, Middlesex
University, London, UK; Vice Director, Gourmet Food Institute of Health Care and Nutrition of Beijing, PRC.

Editors:
Angela Collingwood MSN, Integrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd.
Raka Dewan, Integrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd.
Rose Tse, Integrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd.

Special thanks to Elpidio Talens Juan for helping with article graphics.