SPRING NOURISHMENT

Spring as we know is a time for growth, for renewal, and new life. The energy of Spring is rising, as does the sap in the trees. As we all come forth from our wintering, where we naturally tend towards heavy and hearty foods that nourish us through the cold - we may emerge feeling the need for a cleanse of sorts. Spring brings about this desire to refresh, to dust away and make space for something new. In this sense, and in alignment with ancient traditions such as Chinese medicine (TCM), Spring is also associated with the liver. It’s a great time to give this organ and natural cleanser and detoxifying system, some additional care and intention brought to it. Below I’ve included some ways you can do so through food and herbs as medicine, as well as some other ways you can nourish yourself for the season of Spring.

FOOD AS MEDICINE

The foods we find in season during Spring, are many of those that are so nourishing for us at this time. Dandelions, their roots and leaves, rocket and all the leafy greens like kale, chard, and spinach - are all wonderful for supporting our liver through their bitter qualities. Add them to fresh salads or even into smoothies, pastas, and roasted dandelion root makes a wonderful tea with a similar taste to coffee with some milk and honey. Another simple way to support this area is drinking warm water with some lemon (as it is also bitter) upon waking or before eating food to support your digestion and the production of bile, and therefore the breakdown & absorption of your food.

Along side this, add fresh sprouts and other vegetables of the season to your meals such as zucchinis, asparagus, peas, snow peas, artichokes, carrots, beetroots, radishes and carrots

BOTANICAL MEDICINE

If you feel like your liver may need some additional love, there are many herbs that can help. These are known as hepatotonic herbs, which help to restore the function of your liver if it’s been overworked, and can also prevent damage from occurring. Some common herbs you may already have at home that can be made into decoctions (brewed on the stove into a tea) include ginger and turmeric. Green tea, milk thistle, and globe artichoke leaf are also lovely.

RISE WITH THE SUN

As we have just shifted into daylight savings time here and the sun is naturally setting later, it’s nice to allow ourselves to go to bed a little bit later and wake a little later in the morning. As a mama I also give myself, and my children grace at this time of year in trying to adjust to the increasing sunlight. I find it more beneficial to allow my little ones to go to sleep when the sun does, and just ensure they are still having naps during the day - rather than trying to go against what their bodies are telling them (that it’s still daylight out) and keep their bedtimes at the ‘same’ time. If you’re also a mama and wondering what you will do with your little ones before it gets dark, something we like to include is simply more time outdoors; wether it be a family stroll after dinner, having dinner outside and continuing to play in the garden, or just checking on the vegetable garden, this is a lovely way to wind down for the evening.

MOVEMENT

Exercise is important all year round, but to go alongside supporting our bodies to cleanse, an important factor to consider is the lymphatic system. This includes all of our lymph nodes and the vessels that connect all throughout the body - and is essentially ‘pumped’ or worked, through our movements. Exercises I love include yoga - and stretching out our side areas in many poses is also nourishing for the liver. I also love nature walks, especially at this time and with young children who are experiencing this change in season with fresh eyes. We always carry a little basket to collect nature treasures along the way. If you are a woman who has her natural cycle, something beneficial when it comes to exercise is doing so in alignment with each of the phases. I go into much more detail in my hormone health guide, which you can find here.

You may also find your little ones are in need of more movement during Spring. as the increase in sunlight, warmth and energy all around greatly influences their energy levels and increases their vitality. While it’s important to not over do it and still provide times for rest and quiet activities, it’s a wonderful time to be outdoors with little ones and allow them to simply frolick through the grass, climb all the logs, and jump and skip as they please. You may need to re work your rhythms of the day and week to allow for more of this time so that they don’t become restless (and perhaps a little chaotic) indoors.

EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

The liver is associated with the emotion of anger. When our liver is overburdened or out of balance, feelings of anger, irritability and even depression can present themselves. Repressing our anger is also said to be harmful to the liver in traditional chinese medicine. Symptoms of an imbalanced liver may be headaches, tension around the neck and shoulders, as well as waking between the hours of 1 and 3 am (again in TCM). If you feel like this is you, seeing an acupuncturist / Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner can be incredibly nourishing and may help relieve many of these feelings. Other practices that are available all the time to support these feelings include breathwork, meditation, yoga, journalling and trying our best to be patient as well as flexible.

TIME IN NATURE

This is something I always try to have an abundance of, but Spring is really the perfect time to be outside amongst the greenery and all the lovely blossoming trees and flowers, while the air is still fresh and its not too hot to be out. Walks through the forest or whatever natural scenery you have near you are incredibly nourishing, always for both adults and children too.

CREATE & MAKE NEW

As Springs is a time growth and renewal, it’s also the perfect time for creative projects. Wether starting something new, finishing off, or trying a new craft or hobby all together. I also love to clear out and make space within our home during Spring. This feels like such a natural inclination after a long winters hibernation mostly at home. There are things we accumulate, dust that gets into corners of the home we maybe haven given much attention to, and the entire space usually benefits from being rearranged and cleaned and put back together again. Make the energy in your home feel like new again. I love to clean with natural ingredients and cleaning brands like Eco Koala have the most refreshing scents from essential oils in all of their products that make the process feel all the more whimsical, and nourishing for the home as well as you. Decluttering your childrens areas - toys, clothes, books and anything else at this time is also great for them.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found some inspiration to help nourish you this Spring. If you do any of these things, or have other suggestions please leave a comment below.

Sarah x