Technically it's Spring, but my body says otherwise...

Today is technically the first day of Spring, but I've decided it's Summer! :) Not because I'm impatient (okay, maybe a little), but because I can already feel my body shifting and if I've learned anything over the years, it's that the body doesn't run on calendar dates, it runs on cues.

The sun is already different. I've started wearing a cap again this week, the blankets are starting to get too much, I've already packed away the hot water bottles, and the sun is peeking in earlier and stalling that second cup of coffee.

The changes I'll be experiencing over the next few weeks include incorporating fasting days to support my cycle, a craving for colder, fresher foods, and less dense root veg. I've already started chilling my tea.

There’s a kind of intelligence to seasonal eating that no diet culture can ever teach. And because we've been taught to ignore our natural impulses, if we're not feeling guilt, we don't really think anything else of it... Instead of asking, what is my body asking for? What does it need? And why?

It's a rhythm.

Chinese medicine explains how the body benefits from warm, cooked foods in winter and cooling, raw or lightly cooked foods in summer. They've been doing it that way for centuries. It's only now that Western science is starting to catch up.

So, the why?

Seasonal produce helps improve microbiome diversity, nutrient density, and local adaptation.

There’s also something more that happens when you start eating with the seasons...

You slow down, reconnect, and begin to notice what your body naturally craves and when.

The food we eat is part of the ecosystem we live in. I'm already thinking about all the fresh blueberries in my yoghurt and in my smoothies. Crispy apples! I spotted some fresh guava and asparagus today and bought the most giant of courgettes I've seen in a while!

Seasonal changes aren’t just about putting away the hot water bottle; it's the excitement of change.

Maybe it’s not summer where you are... Maybe your body is still in hibernation mode. Or maybe even... your summer is coming to an end, and your body is feeling the changes too.

Your body has a voice, listen.