Eating with the seasons — choosing foods that grow in their natural abundance at a time of year — has been a traditional part of human life for millennia. Supermarkets today carry produce from all over the world every month of the year.
It is then easy to get strawberries for yourself in the dead of winter or pumpkins in peak summer. Convenience and taste aside, it may not be the best for your health.
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With the changing weather pattern, it is also important to change your food patterns because seasonal foods are nature's way of providing what our body needs in that climate. Watery fruits during the summer cool and hydrate us, whereas root vegetables in winter nourish with warmth and energy. Eating things that are not in season can create imbalance to your body, digestion and immunity.
“Many non-seasonal foods are transported long distances, stored for weeks or months on end, and are grown in artificial conditions, their nutrient content can decline and exposure to chemicals can increase,” says Chennai-based clinical nutritionist Dr Kavya Nair. This disconnect, she adds, between what your body requires and what you feed it over time can lead to health problems that can go unnoticed initially.
Here are eight signs your body may be responding badly because of non-seasonal foods:
Frequent Bloating
Non-seasonal produce is less digestible because it is more fibrous or has lower enzyme activity, resulting in gas and bloating after meals.
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Low Energy Levels
If the food is not aligned with what the season requires from the body, you will spend more energy to process the food, making you feel heavy or tired.
Weak Immunity
Seasonal foods are rich in nutrients that provide immunity for that season. When you don't eat them, you can easily succumb to infections.
Unexplained Weight Fluctuations
Mismatched foods result in digestive inefficiency and hormonal imbalance. The result is sudden weight gain or loss that is not commensurate with changes in activity levels.
Skin Breakouts
Chemically-treated or stored-vegetables can lead to inflammation and skin problems such as acne, rashes, or dullness.
Worsening Seasonal Allergies
Non-seasonal eating habits and low immunity can lead to inflammatory conditions that increase allergy symptoms at peak of the season.
Digestive Discomfort
This, in turn, leads to a disequilibrium in gut bacteria, which can subsequently cause constipation, diarrhoea or irregularity.
Mood Swings
Non-seasonal foods can disrupt the balance of key nutrients and digestion, which helps produce serotonin, leading to irritability, anxiety, or low mood.
Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis.
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