As acupuncturists, we often check in with our patients to help them make healthy food choices. Eating according to the seasons is an important adjunct therapy to acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here are our ideas for tasty, nutritious and healthy summer eating.
Warm weather changes our appetites and tastes. While there is a lot of emphasis on summer barbecues featuring beef, pork, shrimp and other animal foods, the healthiest way to eat in the summer is to add lots of salads, vegetables, fruits, berries and beans. They add lots of natural protein, minerals, enzymes and vitamins to sustain our increased activity in the warm months. These and other natural, plant-based foods have many advantages over meats, salty chips, ice cream and other staples of the American summer diet. High in water, they address our demands for more hydration due to sweating in the heat, adding minerals that are also lost when we perspire. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, these foods keep us cool to help balance the hot climate. Meat, dairy and salty foods, on the other hand, increase internal heat and increase weight and stress our digestive and immune system in the summer. I believe that most people who eat this way require constant air conditioning because their body temperature is too high and their tolerance for heat is less.
Combining many ingredients to make a summer salad is easy, delicious and so nutritious. Using the basics like fresh lettuce, carrots and tomatoes and adding beans, nuts or seeds and fruit can provide an entire light meal that will make you feel cooler, lighter and more energetic. Save the animal proteins and carbs for the winter when you need them more. Link to these tasty recipes for a summer of healthy eating!
Here is the full recipe to enjoy!
https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-vegetarian-bean-salads-for-summer-3377212
For more healthy seasonal recipes please contact us at: 973-984-2800