Seasonal Wellness Tips for Li Chun - Beginning of Spring
According to Chinese culture, Li Chun marks the Beginning of Spring and is the first of the 24 solar terms that make up the ancient agricultural calendar. It generally falls between February 3rd and February 5th each year.
In western culture, we tend to think of spring as starting in late March, around the vernal equinox. However, to understand why the Chinese consider early February the beginning of spring, you only need to step outside.
Although the first signs of spring are subtle, once you start looking, you will notice an abundance of green shoots bursting forth from the soil, and tree buds and blossoms beginning to unfurl. This mirrors the energetic direction of spring, which is upward and outward, powerful and unstoppable.
Yin is giving way to yang, and the weather can shift rapidly and dramatically at this time of year. Therefore, we must change our lifestyles and eating habits to keep our bodies in harmony with the natural world.
Read on for my top wellbeing tips for Li Chun, and learn how to stay healthy at this transformative time of year.
Love Your Liver With Pungent Foods
In Chinese medicine, the organ associated with spring is the Liver. It belongs to the wood element, which, like spring, has an upward and outward energetic movement.
The Liver is responsible for "raising and dispersing" and ensures the smooth flow of qi and Blood throughout the body. This function is supported by pungent-tasting foods, which also have a raising and dispersing action.
Some good examples of pungent foods include:
Radish
Chives
Spring onions
Leeks
Onions
Coriander leaves
As well as supporting the Liver, these foods have the additional benefits of dispersing accumulated winter cold and dampness, and relieving the symptoms of colds.
Sweetly Support Your Spleen
It is important to support the Speen year-round as it is one of our key digestive organs. However, it is seen as particularly crucial in spring.
In five-element theory, wood controls earth, like the roots of a tree sucking up nutrients from the soil. In our bodies, this means that the Liver (wood) controls the Spleen (earth).
If these two organs fall out of balance, the Liver can "invade" the Spleen and interfere with its function, causing digestive issues. This is more likely to happen if the Liver is overactive and the Spleen is deficient.
Therefore, while we are eating more pungent foods to support the Liver, we must also support the Spleen. This means eating more naturally sweet foods, such as:
White or glutinous rice
Millet
Sorghum
Soy beans
Black-eyed beans
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes and yams
Pumpkin
Wood ear and shiitake mushrooms
Dates
Chestnuts
These foods harmonise the Spleen and Stomach to support digestion, and give meals a satisfying sweetness without the issues associated with refined sugars.
Lighten Up!
As we enter spring and the weather warms, our metabolic requirements change and we no longer need to consume the rich, energy-dense foods of the winter.
Most of us will naturally feel less desire for these heavy foods and will begin craving lighter meals. This is vital, as continuing to eat a winter diet in spring may cause excess heat to accumulate in the body.
Cutting down on meat and fat consumption and eating more vegetables is a great place to start. Another simple change we can make is switching our cooking methods from roasting and frying, which are very heating, to steaming and boiling, which are more cooling.
However, although spring has begun, winter has not gone far, so it is important not to introduce too many cooling foods just yet. This means things like raw fruit and salads should be eaten in moderation and always chewed well to avoid straining the digestive organs.
For more personalised seasonal wellbeing advice, you can book a holistic health coaching session via the contact page.
References
买雯婷 (2011) 第一养生药膳 - Tangmark Publishing and Distribution, Beijing
Leggett, D. (2005) Helping Ourselves (second edition) - Meridian Press, Totnes