Today we would like to give you some tips on how to balance diet in a Chinese-style way achieving the fine balance between yin and yang.

To maintain harmony with the natural world the body must match nature’s cycles by eating with the seasons:

Spring is the ideal season for detoxifying a congested liver in preparation for the hot summer months. Greens are a traditional part of the spring diet in most cultures; their use is associated with freshening, cleansing and rebuilding the body.

You should eat fresh fruits, green vegetables, asparagus, corn, wheat, celery, cucumber, berries, lemons, sour plums, yoghurt, limes, pickles, brown rice, nuts, seeds and dandelion.

For summer you need cooling and bitter fruit- and vegetable- based foods and drinks. Foods should be lightly cooked (think boiling, steaming and stir frying) and the diet packed with cooling foods like fruits, salad greens, cucumber, lemons, seed and mint.

Chicken and dairy products should be restricted. Have grains, broccoli, spinach, apricots, peaches, cherries, salad greens, cucumber, lemons, limes, cayenne, ginger, lemongrass, mint and seeds.

Autumn: Foods like fish, vegetables, olive oil and stronger tasting warming foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products combined with longer cooking methods (baking and roasting) help draw energy into the food to heat the body. Eat root vegetable (potatoes, yams, squashes, carrots, onions), spinach, nuts, beans, seeds, garlic, ginger, meats, dairy products (including eggs), mangoes and bananas.

Winter is traditionally a time for soups, stews and casseroles, Winter meals require garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper to add warmth to the body. Cooked whole grains served with lentils or beans are excellent winter staples. Have baked and roasted dishes, soups, stews, meats, turnips, seaweed, mushrooms, squashes, melons and salt (sea salt, soy sauce).

Explore and enjoy your new Chinese diet!