Life Stages, Seasons and Constitutions Flashcards
Life Stages: Childhood
- Childhood is dominated by moisture.
- Children often have runny noses, noses,‘wet’ productive coughs and allergies.
- Reduce (as much as possible): dairy , sweet or high water content fruit and vegetables, refined sugars and carbohydrates.
- Increase: light, crunchy and dry foods , whole grains, vegetables,and aromatic spices such as peppermint (if tolerated).
Life Stages: Teenage years and Adulthood
• Teenage years & adulthood are dominated by heat .
• Teenagers have ‘hot’ red acne and angry outbursts.
In adult years ‘hot’ symptoms such as inflammation, stress, high blood pressure are more common.
• Reduce: very hot food and drink , ‘pungent’ spices such as chilli, dry ginger, red meat, oily foods, stimulants such as coffee and alcohol.
• Increase: salads, raw food, green smoothies , bitter vegetables and detoxifying herbs.
• For acute ‘heat’ problems such as fevers, use warm teas and mild spices to promote sweating which cools the body.
Life Stages: Mature Years
• Mature years are dominated by dryness .
• After the age of 50, we start to get dry signs such as wrinkles, joint stiffness, decreasing physical strength and stamina.
• Reduce: light foods such as biscuits, legumes that increase gas, starchy grains. grains. ‘Astringent’ herbs such as green tea, too many hot spices.
• Increase: soups, stews and smoothies, sweet and high water
content fruit and veg, root vegetables, nut milks , ‘mucilaginous’ okra, chia and linseeds , liquorice, most herbal teas
Life Stages: Old Age
- Old age is dominated by coldness .
- In our senior years digestive power weakens, circulation reduces, we feel colder, and there is declining mobility, exhaustion and withdrawal.
- Reduce: frozen and refrigerated foods and drinks, too many cold, raw and ‘bitter’ leafy foods, cold smoothies, sushi.
- Increase: warm, cooked and mildly spiced food and drinks that increase body temperature, digestive power and circulation.
Energetics and Seasons: Spring
- Spring is dominated by moisture .
- Productive cough, runny nose watering eyes, allergies, hay fever.
- Reduce: dairy , high water content fruit and vegetables, gluten, refined sugars and carbs.
- Increase: light, crunchy, dry food, whole grains , vegetables, spices. This is an ideal time to detox using the fresh green leaves that emerge in early spring such as nettles and cleavers
Energetics and Seasons: Summer
- Summer is dominated by heat .
- Inflammation, prickly heat, sun burn, irritability.
- Reduce: red meat , oily foods,
- Increase: salads, raw foods, green smoothies, bitter vegetables and detoxifying herbs.
- In the summer nature provides abundant greens, berries, fruit and veg perfect cooling foods.
- Although the summer diet should be generally raw and cool, warm teas and spices can be used to promote sweating which has a ‘cooling’ effect.
Energetics and Seasons: Autumn
- Autumn is dominated by dryness .
- Dry skin, joint stiffness, decreased energy,
- Reduce: light, dry foods such as biscuits, gas forming legumes , ‘astringent’ green tea, ‘hot’ spices.
- Increase: warm and ‘hearty’ soups, stews, broths , root veg, high water content fruit and veg, sweet herbs such as liquorice, herbal teas.
- In Autumn nature provides its harvest of nuts, seeds, grains and root veg. Perfect for building energy, weight and warmth in time for winter.
Energetics and Seasons: Winter
- Winter is dominated by cold .
- Poor circulation, weight gain, sleepiness, low mood , seasonal affective disorder
- Reduce: refrigerated & frozen foods, iced drinks, cold, raw food, leafy foods, sushi.
- Increase: warm cooked , spiced food and drinks to raise temperature, digestive power and circulation.
- Winter provides cruciferous vegetables which are warming and help clear respiratory mucus. Aside from this we should stay warm, rest, relax and enjoy warm and luxurious ‘soul’ food and ‘spices’.
Constitutions: Hot
Hot constitutions:
• Character:‘fiery’ disposition, motivated, energetic, courageous.
• Risks: prone to inflammation, stress, irritability and anger, over acidity, especially in hot climates and seasons, and during teenage and adult years.
• Diet: reduce oily foods, red meat, chemical additives , stimulants.
Increase cool water, raw foods, leafy greens, bitter detoxifying herbs. Warm teas and spices promote sweating and hence ‘cool’.
• Hot types should consider gentle forms of yoga, tai chi, and exercise in fresh air.
Constitutions: Cold
Cold constitutions:
• Character: cool, composed, steady nature.
• Risks: prone to poor circulation , tense muscles, weak digestion , spasmodic pains, low mood, especially in cold climates and seasons.
• Diet: reduce refrigerated, frozen foods, iced drinks, cold, raw and ‘bitter’ leafy foods.
Increase warm drinks, cooked foods, spices such as ginger and cinnamon to increase circulation and digestive power.
• Cold types need to get ‘fired up’ with more vigorous (cardiovascular) exercise. Get these individuals active.
Constitution: Moist
Moist constitutions:
• Character: calm, reliable, loving nature.
• Risks: mucus, lethargy, weight gain, especially in wet climates and seasons.
• Diet: reduce dairy, sweet fruit, watery fruit and vegetables, gluten, refined sugars and carbs, cold smoothies, ‘mucilaginous’ foods such as okra, chia, linseeds. Increase warm , dry and spicy foods, whole grains .
• Damp types need to challenge themselves and take more risks in life (i.e. be adventurous).
Acute situations
• Acute situations involve heat. Thus hot, cold, dry and moist constitutions experience heat signs if they suffer injury, infection, inflammation (fever, redness, yellow discharges).
• In this case always address the heat first using warm treatments:
- Teas, baths and blankets promote sweating which stimulates immunity and cools the body in fevers.
- External warming rubs containing aromatic herbs (tiger balm, ginger), especially when alternated with cold treatments, reduce inflammation and pain.
• Once acute phase passes return to constitutional advice.
