Spring is Here!
Spring is here and I’m so excited! As we notice trees beginning to bud and flowers blooming, it stirs a feeling of renewal within ourselves. For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, we also have a renewed hope of warmer days coming soon! Let’s look at some ways that we can help our bodies transition with the season.
Spring and the Liver
Chinese Medicine associates Spring with the element of Wood and the paired Liver & Gallbladder organs. It’s no surprise that the color green is also associated with this time of year, as this vibrant color becomes more abundant. The emotion related to this season is anger. This can manifest as impatience, frustration, resentment, or even repressed emotions that give way to depression. Liver Qi stagnation is common during Spring and some signs are frequent sighing, pain just below the ribcage, a feeling of something being stuck in the throat, indigestion, irritability, and depression. Learn more about the Liver, according to Chinese medicine here.
Recipe for Liver Qi Stagnation
If you could relate with any of the signs of Liver Qi Stagnation, add this simple drink to your daily routine. (3 x daily)
-1 tspn Apple Cider vinegar
-1 Tspn Honey
-8oz warm water
Foods for Spring
During spring, our diets should be the lightest of the entire year. This is a great time to eat less and even introduce some periods of fasting. Cooking methods for our vegetables, during this time, should be a quick, high-temperature sauté. Foods that are helpful to add during springtime:
-Sprouts and microgreens
-Cereal grasses
-Basil, fennel, rosemary, dill, carraway
-Young beets and carrots
-Honey/Mint tea
P.S.
Other helpful hints for springtime health include:
-Rising early, with the sun, and take brisk walks
-Limit heavy and salty foods
-Get acupuncture regularly to help relieve Liver Qi Stagnation
Call to Action: Read more blog posts related to Chinese Medicine and book an acupuncture appointment.
#selfcare #naturalmedicine #springtime #acupuncture #acupunctureworks #Liverhealth #cdaidaho #coeurdalene #pnwliving #supportlocal