Episode 185: How to Stay Healthy Through the Seasons | Chinese Medicine & the Five Elements

Do you expect yourself to eat, move and live the same way every day of the year? Our needs aren't static. They change with the seasons, our activity, our energy, our age and what's happening in our lives. In this episode, Chinese Medicine practitioner Tania Grasseschi returns to explore the Five Elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water—and how they can help us understand and respond to change. Together, we travel through spring, summer, late summer, autumn and winter, exploring what each season can teach us about food, movement, rest, connection and nourishment. You'll hear why spring encourages flexibility and new beginnings, summer invites connection, Earth brings us back to nourishment and grounding, autumn reminds us to let go, and winter gives us permission to rest and restore. We also explore an important meeting point between Chinese Medicine and the Eating for You approach: this isn't about replacing one rigid health plan with another. It's about becoming more aware of what you need and learning to adapt. Because perhaps healthy living isn't about finding the perfect routine and sticking to it forever. It may be about becoming better at noticing when your needs have changed. If you'd like to explore any of the Five Elements in greater detail, you'll find YouTube links to our previous seasonal conversations here or you can tune in on your favourite podcast platform: Spring: Episode 143 Chinese Medicine Secrets for Spring: Mindful Eating, Movement, and Balance https://youtu.be/c2Hj1aaPMls Summer : Episode 153 Healthy Summer Eating: Chinese Medicine Tips To Stay Cool, Nourished And Off Diets https://youtu.be/GOyxfU9LNTY Autumn : Episode 162 Autumn Is the Best Time to Strengthen Your Immune System https://youtu.be/Wxh_1eh0SlY Winter : Episode 172 How to Stay Healthy This Winter (Eating Comfort Food) https://youtu.be/UPml8Ol_Ioc Earth : Episode 176 Is your digestion trying to tell you something? https://youtu.be/SoBLDG5lliM A pictorial overview of how the Five Elements work together which is available on the Eating for You Website: https://eatingforyou.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Five-Elements-.pdf For Tania’s resources: Spring workshop: https://www.orientalwisdom.com.au/workshops/ E-books: https://www.orientalwisdom.com.au/shop/ Next week, I'll continue this conversation about change with a personal episode for World Menopause Day , reflecting on my own transition through peri-menopause and menopause and how it often wasn’t what I had expected!