Out of town friends visited last week.  They had stopped at a buffalo farm on their drive
to our home, and arrived bearing a large buffalo roast as a gift.  I made a pot roast with
it for all of us (delicious, if I do say so myself) and remember thinking it was my first pot
roast of the season. 

I was struck by that last comment to myself: “…of the season.”
 
I associate pot roasts, stews, hearty soups and other such foods with fall and winter.
I prefer entirely different foods in summer.  I think we all do.

What struck me about this is that none of the many, many contemporary diet “systems”
out there acknowledge this natural tendency.   Nor do most dieticians.  However, there
is an ancient system that makes seasonal variation in diet a keystone of its approach to
wellness: Ayurveda.

Ayurveda teaches that we all have a unique blend of body characteristics (doshas). 
Our doshas respond to our internal and external environment, becoming stronger or
weaker depending on the sum of all influences.  Ideal health results from maintaining
our personal unique balance despite changing environments.  Being out of balance
results in illness.

The seasons have a major influence on the doshas, and so different seasons require
different foods to maintain balance and health.

Two points: Ayurveda may seem exotic and “fluffy” to some, but the least intuitive and
sensitive among us automatically adjust and shift their diet with the changing seasons.

Secondly, isn’t it interesting that that modern dietary advice neglects this seemingly
obvious aspect of our relationship with food?

Avurveda is a marvelous approach to wellness that’s worth exploring if you’re so
inclined.  The main lesson of this ancient approach is that we’re all unique and it is
ultimately our own responsibility to notice what supports us in maintaining our own
balance, and thereby our vitality.

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