If you've been following this blog for awhile or are familiar with Chinese Medicine then you know that as far as your diet goes eating foods that are grown locally and in season are the best for you. The reason this is true is that these foods have adapted to the same environment you have and they are the freshest.
As babies every time a mother kisses her child, her body picks up on what the baby has been exposed to and makes the proper defense antibodies and such the baby needs for a strong immune system. Eating locally grown foods is very similar.
In the summer months the energy of our environment is lighter and warmer and so we should be eating lighter and cooler foods to balance this. Fresh salads, fruits, and fish are main stays of the summer diet. In the fall as we transition to a cooler period of time it becomes important to eat richer, warmer foods to prepare for the winter ahead. The environment at this time is in transition and so it becomes important to eat more root vegetables to stay grounded and warm. Soups, stews, cooked veggies and fruits become most important for the fall and winter months. As we transition again into spring time it becomes important to cleanse the body of all of the richness of winter. Eating bitter foods and leafy greens helps accomplish this more efficiently while again starting to eat lighter again. For more information on this and an easy read check out One Trip Around the Sun. by Rory Lipsky, LAc.
If you've always wanted to try out your green thumb but don't have the space or proper lighting where you live there is now a solution. The Crystal Lake Park District offers 15 acres of garden space at Hill Park Farm to local residents to rent each growing season. Not only can you enjoy the freshest produce but you'll know just how fresh because you'll have been the one tending the garden all season long. The space is communal and is a great opportunity to learn from more experienced farmers. If you take a drive by the gardens now you will see lots of activity, although I have heard that it hasn't been as great of a season this year due to the heat and unpredictable rain. Hill Park Farm is off of Barlina between McHenry Ave and Golf Course you can see the corn and sun flowers just past the Barlina Barn.
Sarah Zender LAc
Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com
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