The Benefits of Eating Seasonally

Do you struggle staying healthy during the winter cold and flu season ? Do you feel lethargic and generally lacking in energy? If your answer is “yes,” the problem might just be your diet. In this post, I’m going to discuss the benefits of eating seasonally and why it’s so important.

Winter is the time of year to eat warming and nourishing foods, and turning to root vegetables, grains and other fall harvest products that naturally store well in the winter months.

In the holistic or Ayurvedic world, eating these types of foods helps you align with natural rhythms, promoting balance, and enhancing overall well-being.

For instance, consuming grounding root vegetables in autumn helps calm the Vata dosha (air and space energy), which can become unbalanced in cooler, winter months. By eating in tune with the seasons, you will reap so many benefits.

Winter vs Summer Eating

Here’s a quick guide on the suggested types of food to eat during winter and summer seasons.

By eating in tune with the seasons, you can support your body’s natural rhythms, enhance digestion and maintain optimal health year-round.

Check out my Instant Pot Moroccan Lentil Soup Recipe, It makes for a great winter season meal.

The health benefits of eating seasonally

For more than 5,000 years, ancient wisdom—drawn from holistic sources like Ayurveda—has shown us how eating seasonally supports your body’s natural rhythms, enhances digestion, and helps you maintain optimal health year-round.

Eating seasonally supports your body by aligning with the season’s natural rhythms. Doing so in the winter addresses seasonal imbalances, promoting warmth, grounding, and immunity.

Winter is considered a Vata (cold, dry, and airy) or Kapha (cold, heavy, and wet) season, depending on the climate. Balancing these qualities with appropriate foods and practices is important. Here’s why eating seasonally is so beneficial:

Provides nutrient density

Local foods grown and harvested in their natural seasons are fresher, tastier, and richer in nutrients. For example, winter squash is packed with vitamin A, while summer berries are loaded with antioxidants. Eating freshly prepared meals with natural, whole ingredients, ensures optimal nutrient retention.

Support your immune system with herbs and spices, especially during cold and flu season. Herbs like tulsi, ashwaganda, turmeric, garlic and amla are good immune supporters.

Supports digestion

Tailoring your food to your dosha (i.e., constitution) and the current season, helps prevent digestive issues, maintain balance and get in sync with nature’s rhythm. Eating seasonally supports your body’s natural rhythms, promoting better digestion and gut health.

Our bodies naturally adapt to the environment. In colder months, hearty root vegetables and warming spices support digestion, while lighter, hydrating foods like melons and cucumbers are ideal in summer.

Cooked foods like soups and stews are easier on your digestive system than raw foods. When you cook, embrace healthy fats like ghee, sesame oil, coconut oil, and nuts like almonds or walnuts. These can nourish the tissues and provide grounding energy.

Also look to warming beverages which can strengthen digestion, especially during the cold winter months.

Boosts immunity

Seasonal foods often provide exactly what your body needs for that time of year. For example, citrus fruits harvested in late fall and consumed in the in winter are high in vitamin C, supporting immunity during cold and flu season.

Tip: Soup and stew ingredients like garlic, turmeric, and ginger are perfect for keeping you healthy during cold and flu season.

Balances the mind and body

Our wise ancestors taught us that looking at food as medicine and a way to balance the mind and body. For instance, grounding root vegetables in autumn help calm the Vata dosha (air and space energy), which can become unbalanced in cooler, windier months.

Improves energy levels

Seasonal and eating eliminates the excess strain on the body from consuming processed or non-local foods, providing sustainable energy.

Encourages Mindful Eating

Winter invites introspection and rest. Slow, mindful eating helps you tune into your body’s needs and improves digestion. Practice savoring your meals, listening to your body, and eating with awareness.

Other benefits of eating seasonally

Aside from health, there are other benefits to eating seasonally.

Sustainability

When you primarily eat the foods your local farmers produce helps build a more sustainable economy. Buying berries from Mexico is fine at times, but these types of purchases have very little economic benefit to the people you should care about most—the ones who work to sustain your family, friends and neighbors in your community.

Better for the Environment

Buying local results in a smaller carbon footprint. Buying food shipped in from other countries promotes a business model that is not environmentally friendly. In addition, foods that require long-distance shipping are often treated with chemical preservatives.

Reduced toxins from locally grown seasonal foods often require fewer pesticides and preservatives, reducing your exposure to harmful toxins and promoting detoxification.

Conclusion

Incorporating these principles into your lifestyle can help optimize health and foster a deeper connection with your body and the world around you.

By following holistic/Ayurvedic principles in winter, you can strengthen your body, support digestion, and create a sense of warmth, stability, and vitality throughout the season.