Traditional Chinese medicine foods for spring season will empower the end of your winter hibernation
Ah, springtime. The sun emerges again. The flowers begin to blossom. Your Seasonal Affective Disorder starts to fade into a distant memory for a whole year.
In ancient China, humans were seen as one part of the greater natural world. That’s why Traditional Chinese Medicine recommends adjusting our lives and habits to exist in harmony with the planet — “food is the best medicine,” as the saying goes, and the concept of a seasonal diet is getting more and more scientific attention.
“Traditional Chinese Medicine doesn’t prescribe the same treatment for one condition,” TCM practitioner Emily Siy once explained to me in an interview. “Treatment should always be customized to the individual — that’s why TCM is successful, but sometimes difficult to understand for those who come from a Western background.“
Even though TCM is most effective when tailored to an individual, there are key themes to consider that can help all of us lead healthier lives.
In spring, as everything begins to bloom and surge forth with renewed life and vigor, we should be doing the same. It’s time to shake off the leftover lethargy from winter, and nourish ourselves with life-giving green plants. We should pay extra attention to our livers and gallbladders, and join in with the season in getting things moving!
To help you get started, here are 17 traditional Chinese medicine foods for spring season.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Foods for Spring Season
- Peppermint – Peppermint is tapped for its cooling properties as our bodies become used to the warmer temperatures, and can help reduce inflammation and support digestion.
- Artichoke – Artichoke is so good for the liver and for digestion, that you can press the leaves into an extract which will release bile and relieve hangovers! It also supplies good fats to balance out the body’s leftover fats from the winter season.
- Nettles – Nettles are a natural diuretic and can help cleanse the body of toxins. One great way to consume these is as a tea. Drink a cup each day to keep the body’s systems in a state of flow.
- Radishes – You’ll notice a lot of sour and bitter flavors on this list. Radishes have a pungent flavor, and can help clear things out in the liver and digestive system.
- Garlic – Garlic is considered warming. It can help promote circulation, and also boost the immune system.
- Fennel – Fennel is considered a digestive aid in TCM and can help alleviate bloating and gas. Get up and move your body in the springtime, and let the fennel move some gas around!
- Seaweed – It seems that each day we find out new health benefits that come from consuming seaweed. Seaweed is rich in minerals that can be harder to get on land, and can help support the liver and kidney systems while promoting detoxification.
- Green leafy vegetables – As a rule of thumb, if it’s green, it’s probably good for spring. Spinach, kale, chard, and other green leafy vegetables are rich in chlorophyll, which helps keep the liver in good shape.
- Sour foods – Lemon, vinegar, and other sour foods can help stir things around, promoting flow that had become stagnant during the winter season. Try squeezing some lemon into your nettle tea, and you’ll be on the right track.
- Asparagus – Asparagus is considered a “liver tonic” in TCM and can help detoxify the body.
- Scallions – Scallions, like radishes, are just pungent enough to get things moving, stimulating the liver and promoting circulation.
- Celery – Celery is a natural diuretic and can help reduce inflammation and improve digestion. It’s also calorie-negative, giving your body useful materials without weighing you down.
- Sprouted grains and beans – Mung beans, adzuki beans, and other sprouted grains and beans are considered cooling and detoxifying in TCM. This could even be a fun project to cultivate at home on your windowsill!
- Apricots – Apricots may even have originated in China. They’re a good source of antioxidants, and make a great go-to fruit from spring through the heat of summer.
- Ginger – Ginger is a classic. While it’s great to consume this warming root throughout the winter season, it can also help you shake off the dust as you transition into spring.
- Goji berries – Goji berries are a TCM superfood, supporting the liver, kidneys, eyes, and lungs. They’re often prescribed to tonify and moisturize specific bodily feedback loops.
- Dandelion – Dandelion is one of many herbs that can be beneficial during the springtime. Its leaves and roots encourage the flow of bile, and have been used to treat everything from liver and gallbladder problems to constipation.
And there you have it — 17 traditional Chinese medicine foods for spring season.
Eating specific foods for each season can sound both foreign and familiar. After all, we love enjoying certain foods during a holiday or festival, but we may not always think about the connection between our bodies and the Earth itself.
This kind of thinking isn’t specific just to traditional Chinese medicine — think of the Hermetic axiom, “as above, so below.”
Here’s hoping this list of traditional Chinese medicine foods for spring season gets your mind thinking about those connections, and gives your body something to celebrate.
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