Spring in TCM

Spring has arrived, rain hail or shine, it is here.

Spring is a time for new growth, preparing for the hotter, drier months of Summer. The perfect time to introduce our monthly dose of at-home Chinese Medicine, separate from our 'what's on' Newsletter, this one is just for you to bring a little more Chinese Medicine into your life. 

Let's talk more about Spring, Spring in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a time for regeneration and cleansing, a time for renewal. In TCM the season itself is associated with the Wood element. The Wood element in terms of its relationship to our bodies involves the Liver and Gallbladder organs. To put it simply, in TCM these two organs play a vital role in balancing our stress and emotions, which in turn aids our digestion and our ability to withdraw nutrients from our food to create energy. When either of these organs is not in balance we might experience headaches, an increase in stress, poor tendon repair, poor vision, digestive issues, irritability, period pain or excess heat.

The wood element is also associated with the colour green and the taste, sour, so when we reach Spring, the time of the Wood element, it is these colours and flavours we want to be more present in our diet. So we want you to be thinking:

• leafy greens, kale, broccoli, cabbage, spring onions, black beans

• lemons, limes, pickles, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar 

And just in case you haven't heard it from us before, we aren't big fans of cold or raw foods so we are talking mainly about cooked foods.