Dubai: Ripe mangoes in summer, dandelion greens, beans and blueberries in spring and roasted chestnuts in winter. Eating what nature produces according to seasons is said to be the natural way to good health. In 2010, locally grown produce was voted the top food trend by nearly 2,000 chefs worldwide.
A research conducted in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London indicated a marked difference in the nutritional quality of milk in winter and summer. According to the research, cows that were fed on preserved food in winter as compared to fresh food in winter yielded milk that was nutritionally different in the two seasons.
Yet another research in Japan found that spinach grown in summer had a higher vitamin content as compared to the same leafy green grown in winter. The slightest shift in weather can create a marked dissonance in nutrition, so you can imagine how this affects produce that has to be refrigerated and transported across miles.
In the UAE, where a significant percentage of the food produce is imported, the habit of seasonal eating is in a highly altered state. Having said that, the UAE is growing more and more of its own vegetables and fruit and this augurs extremely well for its people in the long run.
We look at the various reasons why eating seasonal produce makes the maximum health sense apart from the ecological benefits of a shrinking carbon footprint.
Many health and medical experts agree that seasonal eating is a good habit as nature intended certain nutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes to be made available to you and help you deal with the requirements of the weather. When a fruit or vegetable is plucked from the tree at its naturally ripening time, it retains not just its true flavour but also most of its nutrition.
Dubai-based nutritionist and health coach Marcella Manon says, “The nutritional cycle of nature is an annual cycle; it takes a year for all of the nutritional needs of the body to be met. Although there are four seasons, there are three primary harvests: fall, spring, and summer. Eating with the seasons allows you to eat as nature intended, reaping the health benefits of a diet that is diverse and naturally detoxifying.”
She outlines the important nutritional requirements of the human body in each season which is an evolution-driven programme that is still the mainstay of our relationship to food, largely unchanged despite the progress and urban mass migrations across the globe. The seasonal caveat on winter (a period for storage of proteins and fats), for example, is still traditionally true and remains relevant for us in the UAE as well, despite the absence of extreme winter temperatures.
“Although winter is not severe here, there is nevertheless a drastic drop in temperatures as compared to summer where we experience 45C and even 47C,” says Manon. “Winter temperatures dip to 15 or below, so although the cold is not severe, the drop in temperatures still requires our bodies to adjust to the season and go through the same requirements as anywhere else on the globe where there are extreme winters.”
Given nature’s logic, what happens when you choose to opt for the produce that is available round the year? “Non-seasonal foods require bending of natural rules in order for them to endure the improper season, therefore, these foods are often full of pesticides, waxes, preservatives and other chemicals that are used to make them look fresher than they are,” says Manon. Eating seasonal foods from local geographic areas helps prevent food intolerances, allergies, obesity, Type-2 diabetes and other chronic diseases, she adds.
Some of the obvious benefits to be derived by eating seasonal fresh foods are:
• Helping your body to return to its natural rhythm.
• Consuming fresher foods, which are more tasty and contain higher concentration of antioxidants than non-seasonal foods.
• Benefiting from rotating your foods, thereby preventing your body from developing food intolerances.
• Helping yourself reach healthy weight goals as well as enjoy high energy levels.
• Support local farmers and markets.
Do allopathic doctors support seasonal eating?
Perhaps not, says Dr Ashraf Nasim of DNA Health Corp, Founder & CEO DNA Health Corp, a centre for Integrative Medicine and Wellness, Board Certified Internal Medicine (USA), Board Certified Integrative Medicine (USA), Board Certified Nephrology & Hypertension (USA). “Allopathic doctors in general are not supportive of such concepts.”
Dr Nasim, an allopath, also practises Integrative Medicine that assimilates other streams of alternative medicine in his therapies following Dr Andrew Weil, the father of Integrative Medicine. He quotes extensively from other therapies about the benefits of seasonal eating.
“From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, there are certain seasons which correlate with types of foods one should consume to maintain health and wellness. For instance, in spring, one should consume bitter flavours (for example, dandelion, rocket, watercress, chicory) to support liver detoxification and cleansing of the blood.
“In the Middle East, chicory and rocket salads are esteemed to have this healthful effect.
“From an Ayurvedic medicine perspective, it is also recommended to eat foods that are seasonal based on the individual food’s characteristics (hot, cold, etc.). Foods with characteristics of heat, such as peppers or ginger, should be consumed in the winter months and cold foods, such as cucumbers and fruits, should be consumed in the summer months.
“Foods are usually harvested when they are at their peak and typically have the most flavour and nutrients, so eating seasonal food tends to be tastier, healthier and better for the environment. Also, by eating freshly harvested produce, you will be rotating your foods and, therefore, potentially preventing your body from developing intolerances to certain foods.
“Many foods that are imported are sprayed with pesticides to prevent them from rotting while on the farm and/or on their transportation journey to the consumer. This can have detrimental effects on your health. In addition, some fruits are picked “unripe” and then treated with chemicals to hasten their ripening. But the proof is in the nutrient and antioxidant content, which tends to be higher in locally grown seasonal foods.”
Our ancestors, says Dr Nasim, ate seasonal foods because it was a natural way of life for them. “We, on the other hand, can make informed choices of opting for foods that are grown seasonally and coordinate our diets with the cycles of nature’s seasons,” he says.
