An inspiring or annoying spring?

Today is the first day of the second week of spring in the Chinese calendar. The sign of the day is Rain Water (Yǔshuǐ, 雨水) which means that the weather is getting warmer and the snowfall is starting to turn into rain. Today, this has at least been true for us in Mäntsälä. It snowed in the afternoon, which has now turned into rain towards the evening. So you could say that we are already firmly on the side of spring!

I noticed another sign of spring while eating breakfast yesterday. The steamed turnips and striped carrots didn't taste so good anymore and I felt like leaving the portion unfinished. The root vegetables that grow underground are Yin food and are excellent during autumn and winter. Spring is Yang time which includes vegetables that grow on the ground such as broccoli, cauliflower and green leafy vegetables.

At this time of year, most of us are waiting for spring. Winter is a long and dark season. The first sunny days of spring, the singing of birds, the sound of melting water. it feels like waking up again from a long winter sleep. The mind is full of new ideas and the body is getting stronger and energized day by day.

But what if spring feels difficult?

The sun's rays cause headaches. The feeling becomes unbearable. It feels like you should be energetic and clean all the dusty and dirty corners that the sun exposes - but it's not fun. Starts to annoy, annoy and depress. The little scratches and the feeling of being down vary from an hour to a day. My head is in overdrive, I've promised myself to all the cat baptisms, but when the agreed-upon day arrives, I just want to crawl under the covers.

Yes, this is the other half of spring when you suffer from wood element imbalance.

The wood element includes internal organs Liver and Gallbladder and they are most active in spring. A balanced wood element represents harmony, justice and compassion. In a state of imbalance, irritability, suddenness and depression emerge. Spring depression has a more manic quality, and the term "cry-kickers" fits well into this category.

Generally, the symptoms of the wood element are described by their rapid change from one extreme to the other.

Another typical symptom of spring is an increase in migraines and headaches. The energy of the liver is upward and that means that the final stop is in the head. Start acupuncture treatments well before spring if you suffer from migraines. Rosacea (acne rosacea) also gets worse in the spring for this same reason.

General instructions for the spring diet

• Make food preparation simpler. Long-simmered stews and stews are a thing of autumn and winter, now is the time to lightly steam, stir-fry quickly, add sprouts and grated cheese on top of warm food.

• Eat less. In the spring, it is good to reconsider the amount of food. In the winter we store, in the spring we clean and activate the functions of the body. Yang time also brings us more energy, so we don't need to eat as much as in winter.

• Less meat and fat. In spring, you don't need such heavy food as in winter, so leave out red meat and eat chicken, fish a couple of times a week, otherwise vegetarian food. Liver and Gallbladder are easily strained by too heavy food, so also change the fats to lighter ones. Olive oil is excellent. You should also reduce the amount of nuts you eat a little.

• Eat clean, chemical-free and unprocessed food. The liver is active in the spring, so it's the best time to clean waste materials from the body. This requires no more detox than lightening the diet to suit the season and preparing meals from organic ingredients.

• Sprouts and sprouts are the best spring food! They reflect the new beginning of spring and are full of nutrition. Mung beans are very balancing in disturbances of the wood element.

• Sour is the taste of spring. So add sauerkraut, kombucha, lemon, dandelion root, parsley, tomato, blueberry and plums to your diet.

• A tangy taste is needed when the Liver is out of balance (headaches, irritability, lack of energy, stiff joints). For example, spring onion, garlic, turmeric, basil, coriander, fennel and cardamom are suitable for this (especially if you have a cold in your body).

• Start your morning with a combination of warm water and lemon juice. In this way, you can gently activate the cleansing of the body.

• Movement is medicine, especially in spring!

If spring seems difficult, start by changing your diet and make an appointment with your acupuncturist. This way you will find the way towards balance and you can enjoy the renewing power of spring more freely!