In the glow of the dawn,
Welcome a new day,
Greet the golden sunlight or rain,
Nature in all its subtlety.
Whip of the wind,
Earth unfolds,
Softly falling rain,
Growing plants and buds blossoming.
Visions of the earth, with glories of nature,
Beauty of the daffodils,
Sunshine and rain from a rainbow,
Awe! Nature in full bloom

- Blanche Black, Springtime

Nature’s abundance springs forth in April, as we shake off the lethargy of burrowing inward from winter’s cold. It’s time to cleanse, take brisk walks in the fresh air, and enjoy the green sprouts and herbs of spring. As Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods, notes, “This is a time for contacting your true nature and giving attention to self-awareness and self-expression.”

Traditional Chinese medicine recognizes that human beings are part of nature, and eating according to the seasons is one way we align with the natural world. A time for growth and renewal, in spring we tend to eat less and may wish to fast to cleanse the body of the fats and heavy foods of winter. We no longer desire the heavy stews, fatty meats, salty food or warm winter squashes that were so comforting in the cold weather.

Now is a time for tender young plants, sprouts, fresh greens and immature wheat or other cereal grasses. Fresh asparagus is one of the first vegetables of spring and is delicious simply roasted with olive oil, black pepper, sea salt and a dash of lemon added before serving. Other spring vegetables you may want to try include pea shoots and chives.

Leafy green vegetables like swiss chard, kale, spinach, or bok choy have been a traditional part of the spring diet in most cultures. These greens have long been associated with freshening, cleansing and building the body. Cooking greens is fairly simple. They key is not to overcook them. Slice your greens on the diagonal into strips and add to the pan after sautéing some garlic and onions in a little olive oil. They are ready when they have turned a bright green color. You can add sea salt or ginger and you have a tasty vegetable dish. Steaming the greens works as well.

Most leafy greens contain high amounts of vitamin A, as well as vitamins B, C and E, which are all considered antioxidant nutrients in the body, thought to neutralize unstable, cancer-promoting oxygen molecules known as free radicals. Greens are also a great source of fiber and essential minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium and folic acid.

The active part of these plants is chlorophyll, which gives them their intense green color. “This may be the one of the strongest, true healing agents known to man,” according to Elson M. Haas, MD, in Staying Healthy with the Seasons. In the 1950s, scientists discovered that chlorophyll resembles hematin, the substance that combines with protein to form hemoglobin. A large molecule that carries oxygen in our blood, hemoglobin has an iron molecule at its center; whereas, chlorophyll has magnesium. Surgeons at the time found that chlorophyll had a positive healing effect on wounds, peptic or gastric ulcers and inflamed or ulcerated colons.

The best seasonings this time of year, according to Chinese medicine, would be herbs like rosemary, dill, fennel, marjoram, caraway, bay leaf and basil. They are known as pungent herbs that create an expansive personal spring within. Vision becomes clearer and things are seen in new ways as the body cleanses itself and renews in the spring.

Raw and sprouted foods are often recommended in spring. In Ayurvedic thought (an East Indian practice), these foods are known as “vatic” or wind-like. They are believed to encourage quickness, rapid movement and more outward activity, as well as providing cleansing and cooling properties to the body. Raw foods are thought to bring about renewal by reminding the body of the earlier, more youthful stages of human development, going back in our evolution to more primal biological states. Eating some raw food daily as the weather gets warmer is thought to bring balance to the body.

You can top off your spring menus with light teas, such as green, rosebud or chrysanthemum. In Chinese medicine, such refreshments are filled with the energy of spring and when you are in harmony with the seasons, you are in harmony with qi (chee) or life’s energy.

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