A Wealth of Health: In Tune with Springtime
If you’re in New Jersey or the Northeast, it might not feel like spring, but it is! And the perfect time to re-run this Cathy’s Wealth of Health on being in tune with the season.
By Cathy McNease, Herbalist
In Tune with Springtime: Healing the Liver
Spring has arrived with its chirping baby birds, windy weather and multitudes of fragrant blossoms. The Spring is associated with the Wood Element (Liver and Gall Bladder). We will be the healthiest when we attempt to attune our energies to that of the natural seasons around us. Imagine your energy is like that of a tree – if you observe the natural flow of the tree’s Qi (vital energy) through the seasons, you get an idea of being in harmony with Nature. In Winter the energy is deep in the trunk and roots, storing up for seasons to come. In Spring the tree’s Qi (vital energy) moves upward and outward to the branches, forming buds.
When our energy goes dramatically counter to this natural flow, we encounter health problems. In Springtime if we are still indulging in the heavier Winter storage fare, eating lots of meat, cheese and rich dishes, the end result is stagnant Liver Qi, allergies, headaches, skin conditions and lots of phlegm. A visit to the local farmers’ market will get you in touch with the fruits and vegetables that are truly in season for your locale.
The following are guidelines for optimal health during this glorious Spring season:
Our diet should nourish the Liver and help it to dispel and disperse stagnation and toxicity. This includes dark leafy greens, sprouts, celery, spinach, dandelion greens and green tea to cleanse the Liver and relieve stagnation. Lemon and lime juice clear Liver heat; flax, sunflower, pumpkin seeds and olive oil nourish the Liver, as well as poultry, legumes, whole grains, berries and fruits. This is a great time to be using Gou Qi Zi (Lycii berries) and Suan Zao Ren (Ziziphus seeds) to nourish the Liver blood. Green is the color associated with the Liver, so eating anything green, visualizing green and wearing green, will all benefit Liver health. And, avoiding artificial chemicals, preservatives, colorings, and trans fats, will reduce the burden placed on the functioning of the Liver. The Liver performs over 500 jobs daily for us…processing aspartame and red dye #2 should not have to be one of them.
The Liver needs movement!! Nothing will move your stagnation like exercise. Regulate sleep, with a goal of being asleep before the Wood (Liver-Gall Baldder) hours begin at 11 p.m., and no late night eating or overeating as this burdens the Liver’s patent flow of Qi and contributes to stagnation of energy.
We know that the emotions associated with an out of balance Liver are anger, depression and frustration. On the positive side, for resolution of the Liver’s emotional imbalance is forgiveness. May we all seek to heal through the practice of forgiveness, especially now as we tune into Spring.
Cathy McNease is a nationally certified herbalist with a Diplomate in Chinese Herbology from the NCCAOM, a B.S. in Biology and Psychology from Western Michigan University and two Master Herbalist certificates from Emerson College of Herbology in Canada and East-West Course of Herbology in Santa Cruz. You can find her book, ‘In Harmony with the Seasons: Herbs, Nutrition and Well-Being’ on Amazon.