Eating with the seasons is a great way to optimize your health. Now that we are moving into the spring season, we can enjoy fresh vegetables and fruit in the garden! Learn more about cooking and seasoning your food with this spring season food guide!
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Spring Awakening
Welcome to spring! Spring is the wood element season in Oriental Medicine! Spring is a time of new beginnings—a mind and body renewal. The Yang is rising, so it is time to wake from our winter hibernation and begin spring activities. Spring is the time for young green plants to sprout, which nourishes the eyes.
Our appetite shifts, needing less food, and the body naturally begins to cleanse itself of excess, including- food, weight, toxins, and emotions of dissatisfaction, impatience, and anger. The world is seen in new ways as the metaphorical veil over the eyes and mind is lifted, and vision becomes more transparent—a time to connect with our true nature and give attention to self-awareness and self-expression.
How to eat in the spring season
Spring is the time to take care of our liver and gallbladder by cleansing the body of fats and heavy foods eaten during winter. People should generally eat less and decrease their intake of high-fat, highly processed, and refined foods. Spring is the time to start including raw foods; however, it is advised in the United States’ climates to cook most of our food to maintain digestive balance.
In the spring, sauté food for a shorter time but at higher temperatures (think: stir fry), lightly steam, or simmer for a minimal time. Food may not be thoroughly cooked (maintaining a raw element) but is easier to digest.
Eat green vegetables! Parsley, kale, watercress, collard greens, spinach, and microalgae benefit the liver. Limiting (but not eliminating!) salty flavors during the spring is best due to its sinking, heavy energy, which can clog the liver. Sweet and spicy foods are favorable due to their rising qualities. Other flavors that are beneficial are sour and bitter.
Emotional Balance in Spring
Addressing any emotional feelings and imbalances during the spring is essential. Desires driven by greed, anger, and resentment significantly damage the liver. When emotions are unresolved, they are stored in the body, creating physical pain, rigid, tight, sore muscles, constipation, insomnia, mood swings, depression, allergies, swelling, skin disorders, waking unrested in the morning, bloating, indigestion, and menstrual issues. Therefore, as diet improves, it is necessary to address emotional imbalances. Unresolved emotional imbalances can ruin even the best diets.
Conclusion
Learning how to eat during the spring season is a wonderful way to support your overall health! It’s important to remember to release any stuck emotions during the spring season such as anger and resentment to maintain physical and emotional health. Focus on eating quality protein and fresh fruits and vegetables with herbs. Use seasonal cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, and stir-frying to optimize your digestion and make your meals even more nourishing. For more information on how to eat with the seasons subscribe to our newsletter and check out the seasonal food guides below!
