Spring

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Element: Wood

Direction: East

Yin: Liver

Yang: Gallbladder

Emotion: Anger

Color: Green

Flavor: Sour


Harvest Time:

The season of Spring is the signal of new growth of plants, birth of wild animals and the unfurling of renewal. Early Spring is when we begin to plan and organize, design our gardens, start planting seeds and move outward. This surge of energy and force can be confronted with obstacles leading to emotions of frustration, anger and depression. Take note of what is growing around you and how the vibrant greenery of this season offers itself to your diet and well-being. Spring asks us to take a walk outside, move with our manifestations and observe the emergence of new growth.

March- Early Spring

April- Mid Spring

May- Late Spring


What to Harvest:

Roots

Sprouts

New, fresh leaves

Herbaceous plants

Bark

Blooms

Flowers

Pollen

Pitch


Plants:

This list is according to the time when to begin your harvest.

Early Spring

Blackberry root

Bleeding Heart

Cascara bark

Cattail

Cherry bark

Chickweed

Dandelion leaf and root

Dock root

Douglas Fir pitch, bark and needles

Herb Robert

Horsetail

Maple sprouts and blossoms

Nettle

Plantain leaf

Red Cedar

Usnea

Violet

Western Hemlock pitch, bark and needles

Willow bark

Mid-Late Spring

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Blackberry leaf

California Bay leaf

California Poppy

Cattail pollen

Cleavers

Comfrey leaf and root

Fiddleheads

Hawthorn leaf and flower

Highbush Cranberry (Crampbark) bark

Hyssop leaf

Lomatium dissectum root

Mallow

Oak bark

Oregon Grape root

Oxeye Daisy

Pineapple Weed

Raspberry and Thimbleberry leaf

Red Alder bark

Rose buds

Salal leaf

Sitka Spruce needles and pollen

Shepherd’s Purse

Strawberry leaf


Food as Medicine:

Spring gives us the power in the growth cycle to overcome obstacles. Shoots burst out of the ground reminding us of life’s power to move out of the depths and into new vision. They also offer themselves for optimal nourishment for our Liver and blood while aligning us with the seasonal energy.

Think green. The new greens revealing themselves are the ideal food to incorporate for reducing Liver stagnation and repressed emotions. Young, tender greens such as sprouts, mustard greens, osoberry leaves, dandelion leaves, chickweed, radishes and lamb’s quarters leaves in combination with pungent herbs of ginger, basil, cilantro and mint are invigorating for the body and mind. Add an herbal infused vinegar and a splash of olive oil for a sour addition to further support your liver health.

 It is also important to incorporate seasonal foods that are bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty along with our sour spring greens. We still need to balance our diets and nourish our entire system.

As the light and temperature shift, this is an invitation to eat less food. Reduce foods high in saturated fats, meats, dairy, eggs, refined oils, excess nuts and seeds, rice, wheat, processed foods and intoxicants. However, if you feel depleted, continue eating more protein and meat. If you feel malnourished, continue eating more frequently.

To stimulate the liver and move stagnation incorporate foods that are dry and light, with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. Apples, pears, pomegranate, artichoke, radicchio, broccoli rabe, brassicas such as kale, mustard greens, collards, and sprouts are all good spring foods. Choose grains that are drying to remove water retention from winter diets such as barley, quinoa, buckwheat, rye, millet, soba noodles and corn.

how to prepare your meals

Pay attention to the environment of where you live. Nature will let us know when it is warm enough to eat the young, tender shoots and embody this refreshing energy. The optimum cooking method for this season is quicker than winter, yet use discernment. Spring fluctuates with temperature­– if the weather is still cool, consider eating lighter soups full of greens so you can keep your body warm while moving towards high-energy cleansing foods. Steaming is a great cooking method as the weather warms. And as the weather gets even warm, you can lightly stir-fry your food for more raw, fresh tastes.