"Behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing [of birds] has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."  (Song of Solomon 2:11,12) 

I love spring.  I positively relish the sprouting of nature, the chirping of the birds, and the warm spring air.  New life is springing up everywhere!  It is so refreshing... especially after the extended and exceedingly snow saturated winter we enjoyed this year.

Although we might live on different continents, there are things that we all share when spring begins to sprout.  I would like to share with You some tips from Chinese medicine for greater spring-time health. 

As seasons change, the needs of our bodies change also and so should our eating habits.  Nature certainly provides us with hints we should pick up on and follow. 

We all know that liver is the organ that neutralizes poisons in our bodies... but many do not realize that liver also has to neutralize emotional poisons.  Liver is most active during Spring-time.  All nature is being renewed.  A new cycle of life begins.  This affects our livers, causing most grown ups - especially those of us who lead the modern, stress-filled life-styles - to have overburdened livers. 

Overburdened liver is also called "over-heated" liver.  As heat always moves upward, it causes problems in the head section: dry skin, dry hair, hair loss, migraines, headaches, high blood pressure, indigestion, a myriad of allergies, receptiveness to viruses.    Congested liver causes emotional problems like: irritation, anger, mood swings etch.

Unhealthy liver is at the root of a very large number of health problems.  Most  people who have developed heart problems, have had an extended period of overburdening their livers. 

Modern society does not stress the importance of regular rest in order to calm and gain inner peace.  It is interesting that scientists say that people who daily take the quiet time for prayer are healthier than those who do not. 

If we do not make time for rest, our livers get seriously damaged, causing a myriad of health problems.  We then visit a doctor who prescribes synthetic drugs for us, which cause even greater damage to our livers.  Sick liver in turn causes other organs to malfunction... and again we "need" a doctor.  This is a vicious cycle.

Although it is not possible to heal liver only with food and supplements (apart from peaceful rest), there are things we can do to calm and heal this vital organ.  An important thing to remember is to eat the lightest foods in spring.  Our bodies are in need of a good Spring-clean, so, we need to feed our bodies with light foods that are easy to digest. 

We have to cut out (hopefully for forever) all white flour and white sugar products, white rice, unhealthy fats, and alcohol.  We can substitute white flour with wholemeal fours... white sugar with unrefined raw sugar, honey, molasses or rice syrup... and unhealthy fats with pure butter, extra virgin olive oil or other cold pressed (preferably certified organic) oils.  We should reduce the consumption of meat, cheese, eggs, and salt.

Spring, being the time of sprouting nature, provides us with a very important tip for healthy eating - sprouting.  It is the time to sprout lentils, beans and all kinds of seeds.  Sprouts are some of the most wholesome foods we can ingest for they are living foods, packed with enzymes, vitamins and minerals.  Eat a few spoonfuls before meals and You won't be sluggish after eating.

Very important Spring-time supplements are seaweeds.  We can find good seaweed products like Spirulina, Chlorella, Wild Blue-Green and others from our local health food stores.  Seaweeds help heal liver.  One of the very best supplements available on the market is our certified organic In-Liven probiotic with 13 bacteria, seaweed and many green nutrients that are vital for our body's wellbeing. 

Omega-3-fatty acids should become a part of our daily diet.  Unrefined goat milk and lamb milk are very beneficial.  Spring foods that help calm liver are brown rice, buckwheat, sprouts, beans, lentils, seeds, fresh vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables and fresh fruits, especially apricots.  Herbs that are beneficial are: basil, balm, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, mints, laurel, horseradish and especially dandelion. 

A good cleanser for the body is comprised of 1 tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar and 1 tablespoonful of raw honey, mixed in 1 glass of water.  Drink it before a meal.

I wish You all a beautiful Spring and a calm liver!

If this article was helpful to You and You would like to share it with someone else, You are more than welcome to copy it.  But You are requested to add my name - Eve Juurik - and my website address - http://www.TheSpringOfLife.net - to the article.  All the material is copyrighted.  Thank You!

Many blessings & success to You,