Eating with the Seasons: Spring Time

Eating locally, seasonally, and sustainably is extremely beneficial to the body and mind. We have to remember that we ARE nature and the further we move from that natural flow, the more we open ourselves up to illness. If you cannot or do not have your own garden, then try to eat locally by finding farmers’ markets, Co-Ops (Food Cooperatives) and CSAs (Community-Supported Agriculture) so you can consume foods that are fresh and grown in your city, state, or region.

Eating seasonally means eating the foods that naturally grow within a certain time frame. Nature is smart – it gives your body what it needs when it’s needed. By eating locally and seasonally, you are eating sustainably which minimalizes the impact of your food choices on the environment.

Eating locally and seasonally grown foods gives you the best diversity of phytonutrients, which are vital for cellular health and the prevention of chronic disease. The less time the food takes to travel to you, the fresher it will be, the more vitamins and nutrients it will retain, and the more vitality it will offer.

When you eat food that’s in season, you’ll notice that it’s much more flavorful than out-of-season foods. It is more vibrant, and therefore transfers that healthy energy to you! Produce consumed out of season is usually picked before it’s ripe in order to survive the trip to your local grocery store from wherever in the world it was grown. Some out-of-season foods are also frozen before ripening, and thawed at the grocery store as they are needed in later months.

By shopping at your local farmers’ market or food co-op, joining a CSA, or buying directly from local farms, you are also putting more of your money back into the hands of the people in your community who are growing your food for you.

How To Eat For Spring:

From March through June, we want to eat more foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Bitter, Astringent and Light like chilies, garlic, onions, ginger, brussel sprouts, dandelion greens, broccoli and cranberries. We want to eat less foods that are Sweet, Sour, Salty, Heavy, Cold, and Oily like fried foods, ice cream, heavy dairy, breads. Choose Organic and non-GMO whenever possible.

Here is your Spring Grocery List (March – June) - * = Spring Superfood.

Vegetables:

*Alfalfa Sprouts

Artichokes

*Asparagus

*Bean Sprouts

Beets

*Bell Peppers

*Bitter Melon

Broccoli

*Brussels Sprouts

*Cabbage

*Carrots

*Cauliflower

*Celery

*Chicory

*Chilies, dried

Cilantro

*Collard Greens

*Corn

*Dandelion

*Endive

Fennel

*Garlic

Ginger

*Green Beans

*Hot Peppers

Jicama

*Kale

Leeks

*Lettuce

*Mushrooms

*Mustard Greens

*Onions

*Parsley

*Peas

*Potatoes, baked

*Radishes

Seaweed

Snow Peas

*Spinach

*Swiss Chard

*Turnips

Watercress

Fruits: Eat fruit separately from other foods.

Apples

Blueberries

*Dried Fruit (all)

Grapefruit

Lemons, Limes

Papayas

Pears

Pomegranates (sour)

Raspberries

Strawberries

All Berries

Dairy: Favor raw or vat pasteurized.

Ghee (moderation)

Yogurt (moderation)

Rice milk

*Goat milk

Oils:

Flax

Hemp

Coconut Oil

Sweeteners: Favor natural whole foods sweeteners, in moderation:

*Honey - Raw

Maple Syrup

Molasses

Spices:

Anise

Basil

Bay Leaf

*Black Pepper

Chamomile

Caraway

Cardamom

*Cayenne

Cinnamon

*Clove

Coriander

Cumin

Dill

Fennel

Fenugreek

Garlic

Ginger

Horseradish

Marjoram

Mustard

Nutmeg

Oregano

Peppermint

Poppy Seeds

Rosemary

Saffron

Sage

Spearmint

Thyme

Turmeric

Condiments:

Carob

Pickles

Mustard

All Sprouted Beans: *All Sprouted Beans

Adzuki

Black

Gram

Garbanzo

Fava

*Kidney

*Lentils

*Lima

*Mung

Split Pea

Lean Meat and Fish:

Chicken

Duck (moderation)

Eggs (moderation)

Freshwater fish

Lamb (moderation)

Ocean fish (moderation)

Turkey

Nuts and Seeds:

Filberts

Pinons

Pumpkin

Sunflower

Whole Grains:

Amaranth

Barley

Buckwheat

Corn

Millet

Oats, dry

Quinoa

Rice, Brown, long grain

Rye

Herbal Teas:

Alfalfa

*Cardamom

*Chicory

*Cinnamon

*Cloves

*Dandelion

*Ginger

*Hibiscus

*Orange Peel

*Strawberry Leaf

Beverages:

Black Tea (moderation)

Coffee (moderation)

Water (room temp. to hot)

Herbal Teas

Seasonal Foods Per Region:

It is even easier to eat with the season when you know which foods grow in your geographic region at any given time of year. Here are your Spring foods by region in the United States.

Northeast Region:

Arugula, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cherries, Fava beans, Fiddleheads, Garlic, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms (morel, button, etc.), Nettles, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Radish, Ramps, Rhubarb, Spinach, Strawberries.

Midwest Region:

Arugula, Asparagus, Beet, Carrot, Chard, Fava beans, Garlic, Lettuce, Mushrooms (morel, button, etc.), Parsley, Parsnip, Pea greens, Pepper (bell, etc.), Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach.

Southeast Region:

Asparagus, Beets, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chard, Collard greens, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Green beans, Fennel, Lettuce, Mango, Mushrooms (morel, wild, etc.), Nettles, Okra, Orange, Peach, Pea greens, Pepper, Plum, Pumpkin, Radish, Spinach, Squash, Sweet potato, Tomatillo, Tomato, Strawberries.

Southwest Region:

Apricot, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocado, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collard greens, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fig, Garlic, Grapefruit, Green beans, Kale, Leek, Lemon, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Nectarine, Onion, Orange, Peach, Peas (pods, snap, etc.), Potato, Radish, Spinach, Squash, Strawberries, Tomato, Turnip, Zucchini.

West Region:

Artichoke, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocados, Bok choy, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Garlic, Lemon, Lettuce, Lime, Mushrooms (morel, etc.), Mustard greens, Nettles, Peas, Potato, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, Strawberries, Sweet potato, Watercress.

**Remember: The Best Time for a Detox is Spring!

It’s time to support the liver in doing some spring cleaning. Check out the blog posts: Is Your Body Carrying A Toxic Burden? and Do-It-Yourself Detox With Therapeutic Foods. If you would like more support with your detox, give us a call for a personalized plan or check out the 14 or 21 Day Detox Program Kits we offer at Purely Rooted Nutrition and Wellness. Let us know that you purchased a full Detox Program Kit through our store, and we will send you a Detox Support Food Guide and Recipes for FREE!

Purchase your Detox Program Kit Here: Ehealth Pro - EHealthPro

References:

The Institute for Functional Medicine. (2017). Eating Locally, Seasonally, and Sustainably. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://www.ifm.org/

The Institute for Functional Medicine. (2017). Seasonal Foods by U.S. Region. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://www.ifm.org/

Doulliard, J. (2021, April 02). April 3-season Ayurvedic DIET Guide: JOHN DOUILLARD'S LIFESPA. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://lifespa.com/3seasondietguide/april-seasonal-guide/