Spring! The season of new beginnings with longer and brighter days, warmer weather, blossoming of tress and flowers, rainy days, and singing of birds! Spring represents renewal and rejuvenation… a time of releasing stagnant emotions and energies; an emotional and physical detoxification to embrace regrowth and renewal! There is optimism that shines through as the days get longer and we spend more time outdoors. We feel more energetic as the sun shines more and more hopeful of what is to come.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is the season of the Wood element. The stage of development associated with the wood element is birth, the climate is wind, the colour is green, the emotion is anger, and the corresponding organs are the Liver and Gallbladder. The Liver is most affected during this time of year – especially by wind, often flaring up issues that are Liver related.
As we enter this new season, I wanted to share a few of my favourite holistic foods, herbs, supplements, and lifestyle practices I find most helpful during this seasonal transition. The following tips will help support the immune system, regulate the nervous system, encourage detoxification, and encourage healing.
- The colour associated with the Liver is green, so when it comes to food, you want to be increasing the dark leafy greens as well as foods such as broccoli, beans, peas, zucchini, cucumber, etc which help our liver detoxify and function optimally.
- Herbs like dandelion root, milk thistle, and ginger may aid in detoxification, promoting healthy liver function and supporting the body’s adjustment to the seasonal shift. Pungent cooking herbs such as basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, turmeric, coriander, dill, and bay leaf are great for teas and cooking. Spring is the best time for major cleansing, drinking nourishing liquids such as vegetable juices and herbal teas for a period of 5-10 days.
- Seasonal allergies and hay fever peak in spring so supporting your immune system with anti-histamine supplements can be helpful in Spring. Supplements such as vitamin C, Zinc, Fish oil, Liposomal glutathione, quercetin, rutin, perilla, chaga mushroom, and NAC may be helpful.
- Choose local, in-season produce where possible. The fruits and vegetables that grow in your region this time of year usually contain the optimal nutrients needed.
- Step outside first thing each morning to soak in the rising sunshine. This will regulate your nervous system and hormones, boost your energy and mood. When it comes to movement, exercising is also great for Liver energy and improves our circulation. It doesn’t have to be anything too intense, even a short walk or a stretch session in the living room can really help support liver flow.
- Avoid consuming sugars and alcohol during this season to protect the liver and encourage detoxification from foods and drinks that don’t serve us.
- When winds are gusty and strong and the environment is damp, keep yourself protected. Wind stirs up our Liver energy, so protecting ourselves from the elements can be especially important in spring. Even when we see the sun shining and are tempted to not take a sweater with us, make sure you do!
- One last piece to leave you with… try to embody the ascending and expansive quality of spring. It’s a time for birth and new beginnings after all, so it’s a perfect time to start thinking about your goals, what you’d like to embody more of, what you want to let go of, and where you want to grow and expand on a physical, mental, and spiritual level.
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