Let’s all bounce into spring
The grass, the flowers, the new life bursting forward, beautiful.
However there is also the cool breeze, the huge temperature changes, the allergies. People do get sick a little easier this time of the year. You immune system will be tested.
Our bodily reaction to Spring, can include:
- Feel hot and cold
– More open to circulation issues, so prevention of high blood pressure, heart conditions and strokes are crucial
– We can catch colds, influenza and develop sore throats
– Massive increase in pollen allergies
– Joints can become painful and arthritis can get worse
– We can feel flat as our energy is changing
What do you do? Firstly eat for spring!
Spring is all about the liver and the gallbladder. These organs are in charge of regulating a smooth and soothing flow of energy throughout the whole person (body and mind). Unfortu-nately, they’re prone to congestion or ‘stagnation’ because most people take in too many poor quality fats and overly processed foods, chemicals, medications and intoxicants [alcohol, rec-reational drugs]
Get the liver or gallbladder energy wrong and we can experience anger and irritability (for women, PMS), depression, insomnia, and an inability to lead or make decisions.
When the liver and gallbladder are out of balance we are susceptible to problems like mus-cle pulls and strains, joint pains and headaches .
The good news is there are many ways to work on your dietary and food preparation habits in order to prevent a major liver/gallbladder meltdown.
GREENS, green, green, green, did I mention green? Spring is associated with the colour green. Consume foods that are rich in chlorophyll (including cereal grasses like wheat or barley grass juice, micro algae like spirulina, blue-green, and chlorella, parsley, kale, swiss chard, and cabbage, things like that) in order to accelerate liver rejuvenation.
STIR FRY, BLANCH. Cook vegetables for a shorter time but at a higher temperature. This way, the food is cooked slightly ‘al dente’. Think lightly steaming or minimal simmering.
DETOXIFY. Wake up, then before that first cup of tea or coffee, drink warm water with a slice of lemon to detoxify the liver and gallbladder. A bit braver, 1 teaspoon each of apple cider vinegar and raw honey in one cup of water. Mint or Peppermint tea throughout the day is an-other excellent remedy for soothing liver qi (energy). I recommend this in especially if you are experiencing irritability, frustration, or notice frequent sighing. GRUMPY
4. CUT OUT THE HEAVY OILS. Avoid heavy foods which can increase sluggishness in the liver. These include dairy, fried foods, crappy meats and large quantities of nuts (including nut butters).
5. IMMUNE SYSTEM. Make sure to in-crease moderately pungent foods like green onions, garlic, ginger, watercress, mustard greens, turmeric, basil, cardamom, marjoram, cumin, and fennel in your diet. These will help to ease the transition into spring when huge changes in weather make us susceptible to colds, flu, allergies and acute illness. These foods also have a powerful immune boosting qualities.
6. RAW FOOD. Eat more light raw foods, sprouted grains and seeds. Also get some root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, and turnips into your diet too.
7. BITTER IS BETTER. Increase foods with a slightly bitter quality as these can help your deal with problematic heat and inflammation in the liver. Rye, cos lettuce, asparagus, quinoa, radish leaves, citrus peel, dandelion, chamomile, milk thistle seeds, and oregon grape root all have liver cleansing capabilities. Include these in your diet on a regular basis if you are prone to springtime allergies characterized by itchy, red eyes, runny nose and/or sneezing. These foods can also benefit red, swollen joints.
SOME TIPS to bounce into spring
– Get up early and follow the rising sun energy to strengthen our own energy
– When sleepy, have a little nap.
– Avoid draughts and wind, and always take extra clothes with you when you go out
– Drink warm water [lemon in it] Not cold water
– Eat lots of green vegetables, less red meat and heavy oils
– Make sure you go to the toilet daily
– Exercise, walk in the mornings and stretch that body more
– Go to the park or to green spaces when you walk or exercise. The colour green is a great balancer in Spring
– Drink more Mint, Chrysanthemum tea and Peppermint tea
– Eat more bitter vegetables
DO MORE QI GONG [you knew I was going to say that????]
Never done Qi Gong? Try a free class CLICK HERE for more information