Spring into lightness

Cleanse, purify, detox

It’s that time of year – spring – where nature comes alive again and so do our bodies. We want to go outside and feel the fresh air; we want to feel renewed, fresh and vibrant. In Chinese medicine, spring is “liver time,” meaning vibrancy, rejuvenation and energy. It also means more greens. Our digestive systems need to take a break from the heavy, dense comfort foods of winter. If we just slow down and take in what surrounds us, nature will guide us and provide us with what we need.

To detox and cleanse without excessive dieting, fasting and juicing, we must integrate more greens into our daily meals. One way to feel lighter and wake up from winter is to intake more sweet or savory green juices and smoothies.

While we want to lighten up and refresh our bodies, we also want to simplify things. Simplicity comes down to the foods and the food preparation. Choosing top quality ingredients makes simple tasty, and we can enjoy the nourishment of a meal without working hard to create it.

To prepare your meals in the spirit of spring, re-proportion your plate. Combine meals differently than during winter – perhaps with less starch and more green vegetables with high fiber content. This will help cleanse the digestive system, as well as energize and detox the liver.

Perhaps the most important and accessible tool that could help us feel better every day is adding clean water. We most often overlook the simplest things, but this small detail can make the biggest difference in how we feel every day. Add lemon for an extra liver boost.

While there are many meditation methods out there, I prefer to just call it mindful practices. While taking a stroll, pay close attention to the little things that pop up in nature. Feel your feet on the ground and breathe so that you feel the breath all the way in your belly.

Spring provides us the opportunity to be more mindful of taking deeper breaths. Ensuring that our lungs are filled with fresh air helps to calm and center our whole being. When we focus on our breath, we reconnect with ourselves, and when we breath mindfully while outside, we connect with nature.

Spring Time Pasta

Change up your pasta by making it from zucchini to get a lighter, more vibrant spring meal. It provides the fiber and fat that helps you feel full.

Ingredients:

for 1-2 servings

  • 1 summer squash or zucchini
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • pine nuts
  • cilantro
  • microgreens or other fresh spring greens

Method:

Spiralize the zucchini. One zucchini gives you one to two portions depending on the size. Drizzle with sea salt and massage lightly. Mix with herbs of choice. Add preferred oil, such as olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, flax or hemp. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (to your taste) and freshly ground pepper. Top it off with slightly roasted or raw pine nuts. If you are roasting the pine nuts, put them in a dry sauté pan on medium heat and stir. Babysit them closely because they turn black quickly.