Spring is here! Foods to eat during this time of year!
Spring is here! Foods to eat during this time of year! It’s a new beginning, the time of year to rise early with the sun! In Chinese medicine, Spring is the season when the Liver and Gallbladder work to their optimal level. At Tao to Wellness, we tell our patients to eat naturally, eat less and cleanse the body of the fats and heavy foods of winter. If you are considering a detoxification program this is also a great time of year to do that as well. Call the Tao to Wellness and meet with one of us to discuss which program might be best for your body type. Your diet should be the lightest of the year and contain foods that emphasize Yang and the ascending, expansive qualities of spring. Cook food for a shorter period of time, but at higher temperatures. If cooking with oil, use rice bran or coconut oil. If cooking with water, light steaming or minimal simmering. Sweet and pungent flavors are appropriate as a means of creating a personal spring from within. Pungent cooking herbs are: basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill, bay leaf, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, ginger, black pepper, horseradish, mints, and lemon balm, garlic and all members of the onion family. Foods to eat during this time are: legumes, seeds or grains that are sweet and can be sprouted such as: amaranth, quinoa, rye, millet, alfalfa and mung beans; young beets, carrots and other sweet starchy vegetables, mustard greens, watercress, taro root cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, asparagus, radish leaves, citrus peel, celery, seaweeds, lettuce, cucumber, tofu (in small amounts), mushrooms, radishes, chestnuts, pine nuts, cabbage, turnip, kohlrabi, strawberries, peaches, cherries, blackberries, huckleberries, raspberries, dark grapes and plums. Switch from refined sugars to sweeteners like honey, stevia, unrefined cane juice granules, whole sugar cane, licorice root, barley malt, date sugar, molasses and rice syrup. Chlorophyll rich foods accelerate Liver rejuvenation; wheat or barley grass, wild blue green algae, parsley, kale, watercress, alfalfa, and collard greens. Spirulina is also a great supplement if you were never breastfed. Those who were not breastfed are more likely to develop immune deficiencies, allergies, difficulty with weight management, digestive disorders and asthma. It supplies the body with Omega 3’s and GLA. Eat less and eliminate foods high in saturated fats (with the exception of coconut oil), hydrogenated or poor quality fats, excesses of nuts and seeds, chemicals in food and water, drugs (including prescription), intoxicants and highly processed and refined foods. If you have any questions, remember we are always here to help. Give us a call at Tao to Wellness 510.883.0383
Are you a Wood element personality type?
Are you a Wood element personality type? In Chinese medicine, there are five different elements; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each element possesses certain properties which can coincide or align with a different personality type. Of course, we just aren’t just one type, most of us posses two, one being a little more dominate then the other. For example, you could be a Wood element with Fire element tendencies. Sometimes people can be three, but never four or all five. So, are you a Wood element? The Wood element possesses an energy that expands quickly, but can also build up under pressure. Wood element personalities tend to be ambitious and are explorers. They feel most content when they are traveling in some way. Whether it is traipsing around the globe or on an introspective journey of the inner self, that’s where the Wood personality is at their happiest. Wood element types can speedily assess most situations and spring into action. At their peak they can rush from one task to the next hardly taking a breath. Onlookers often feel exhausted just watching them in action. Wood element personality types can become extremely frustrated by a lack of action or banal tasks or challenges. When they become frustrated by not being able to progress their plans their energy becomes blocked leading to feelings of anger and negative emotions. Unless the Wood type can find a means of venting this frustration it can lead to headaches and emotional disorders. Physical activity can help to unblock the energy channels and reset things quickly. They frequently eat while doing other things and they tend to use stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and even drugs to keep active or relax. In full flow, Wood element personalities can be inspirational to those around them. They can motivate co-workers and partners with their all-action approach and good sense of humor.
