Happy Spring!

With the arrival of spring, we have seen a big shift in the weather and energy in our communities. Tulips, daffodils, roses, greenery and other flowers are now in bloom. Alongside this natural beauty comes allergies, forgotten New Year resolutions, bygone healthy eating & drinking, and even the notorious spring colds and flu.

Some seasonal wisdom can ensure our health stays our #1 priority in this season of change. Spring is a time to shed our winter dormancy, cleanse our bodies, and give more attention to self awareness. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, spring time belongs to the liver. The TCM liver functions include: storing blood for menstruation, ensuring smooth qi (energy) flow, opens to the eyes and manifests in the nails, controls the sinews (tendons & ligaments) for better movement and houses drive & emotions for planning and envisioning. The sister organ to the liver is the gallbladder. Symptoms of an imbalanced TCM liver and gallbladder include: irritability, frustration, joint pain, brittle nails, dizziness, difficulty making decisions, tension headaches, irregular menses, menstrual cramps, blurred vision, floaters, and seasonal allergies.

Getting up early and exercising will ensure a lightness and bring some warmth to your day to fight the dampness and stagnation of the season. Eating lighter foods cooked with pungent & aromatic herbs (fennel, rosemary, dill, basil, caraway) will enkindle a digestive fire that will purge any spring heaviness. You can imagine eating a big roast and potatoes will certainly clog up your digestion at this time of year. So this spring season try eating foods that will keep your TCM liver balanced like young green plants & sprouts. Check out this table of TCM Liver Food Cures from AcuPro Academy.



Although spring has this heavy and thick quality in the air, it is also the time of year in which the world around us is full of life. So with our health we can tap into this nurturing season and grow personally, expand our mind, and pursue our goals! Try journaling, daily meditation, and spending time out in nature. If all this talk of blooming flowers makes your nose stuffy and eyes itchy, come in for a visit at Living Wellness. Get natural allergy relief, an environmental allergy scratch test, or find out more about the curative treatment for allergies - Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT).

Warmly,
Dr. Emily Munn BSc, ND

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pps. This spring newsletter was inspired by Live Yoga.