SPRING into Wellness!
Believe it or not, Spring is just 8 days away!!! Yep! Clocks just "sprang" ahead last night, and the Spring Equinox is Monday, March 20!
The word “spring” brings to mind not only the season, but also “spring” as in “launch”, “spring in your step”, things “springing up all over”, such as flowers and plants, and finally, “Spring cleaning”. Not only is it time to clear out the dust bunnies that may have gathered in your home over the winter months, but it is also time to clear out your liver and jump start your health in preparation for the faster paced fun-in-the sun Summer months.
Eating for SPRING, eating with SPRING
Mother Nature provides us with the perfect foods to help us “Spring clean” our bodies. The flavors of Spring are those meant to encourage movement and detoxifying, and make way for new life. The flavors are termed “bitter” , "pungent", and “astringent” in Chinese medicine and the Indian healing system of Ayurveda. The color is bright, spring green. Two seasonal favorites which are champions at Spring cleaning are asparagus and dandelion greens. Asparagus is a wonderful blood cleanser and dandelion greens not only strengthen the liver, but also aid in kidney function. Dandelion greens act as a very mild diuretic and are rich in calcium, folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, iron, choline, and vitamins B1 and B2, as well as trace minerals. These vegetables, as all vegetables, are best when they are organic, fresh, and locally grown. (If you are interested in why this is so, contact me for further information.) Asparagus should be cooked until just done, or still firm, and lightly steamed, to retain maximum vitamins and minerals. When cooked correctly, the color of asparagus brightens. Dandelion greens are best raw, tossed in with your other salad greens to retain their vitamins and vitality. You may also wish to gently steam or sauté them with other greens, such as chard and/or spinach.
Another aid in our Spring journey toward wellness is the lemon. We know it is astringent because of the way we “pucker up” when we taste it. Squeezing fresh lemon over salad or your favorite vegetables is a wonderful way to promote digestion and cleansing, and it tastes great, too. Drinking a fresh lemon juice beverage in the morning will help to wake up your liver, readying it for its workday of cleansing and detoxifying.
‘Tis the season to go RAW more than cooked!
Look for foods full of life force and vitality--Spring energy. Look for anything green, Spring green. And include any of the following veggies in your diet, in abundance: asparagus, arugula, dandelion greens, radishes, daikon root, kale, Chinese cabbage, lemon, parsley, spinach, okra, green onions, snap peas, spring greens, micro greens, baby greens of all sorts. Be sure to "spice things up" during this season, to clear out the stagnation that came from the hibernation of the Winter. Some spices that will help “fire things up” and get things moving? Yep, you guessed it: garlic, ginger, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili peppers…
Along with eating to cleanse and clear out old, stagnant energy, consider including the young, bright energy of Spring in your diet. An easy way to do this is to add raw SPROUTS to your salads or steam or sauté them in lemon and ghee or olive oil. Growing your own sprouts is a wonderful way to experience the bursting energy of Spring right on your windowsill or counter top. You will be surprised to discover how easy it is to do, and how quickly they sprout! “Spring” into Spring!
I invite you to join me online for a Spring Cleanse! Refresh and renew your liver and yourself with a cleanse! We'll start on the Spring Equinox, Monday, March 20. You can find more information here: http://bit.ly/2nty87A
May your journey to wellness this Spring be delightful and delicious!