Few things feel better than the first signs of Spring! After the long, cold, isolating winter we’re overjoyed to see those classic harbingers of spring: birds chirping, green buds sprouting, daffodils blooming, and longer daylight hours.

Traditional Chinese Medicine characterizes spring as a lighter, forward-moving season. Whereas winter is the time to settle down and rest, spring is the time to get up and go! This is the season to make changes: clean up your diet, clean out your closet, shake up your routines, and shake out your body! Changing our diet and lifestyle with the seasons helps maintain balance and support our bodies through the changing needs of each season.

As a season on changes, spring foods perfectly support this. They give the body a break from the heavier, fattier foods of winter to support the increased energy and activity of springtime. We should eat foods with what TCM calls “upward energies” — think green, sprouting vegetables — and sour citrus fruits help cut fats that may have been stored up in the body during the winter months.

Seasonal Associations

TCM associates spring with the liver and the gallbladder, which regulate a smooth flow of energy throughout the whole body. Stagnation of the liver and gallbladder can manifest as anger, irritability, depression, insomnia and even pain. For balanced spring eating, It is advised to increase sweet and pungent flavors as this facilitates the liver to regulate energy throughout the body. Now, when TCM says “sweet flavors” it doesn’t mean chocolate and ice cream (unfortunately). Sweet foods are considered to be grains and meats, and sweet herbs like licorice, astragalus, and dates. Pungent flavors help clear congestion and include rosemary, peppermint, pepper, and ginger.

Coming out of winter, the body may hold onto some excess heat, leading to dry throats, bad breath, constipation, thick tongue coating, and yellow urine. Foods like bananas, pears, water chestnuts, sugar cane, celery and cucumber can help clear the excessive heat. See the graphic below for a full list of recommended spring foods!

Food Preparation

When preparing food, this is the time to start simplifying. Move away from the long-simmering and stewed foods of winter, toward steamed vegetables and quicker-cooked foods. Raw foods can start to be added back in as they help stimulate the liver, but as we ease into the warmer months keep uncooked and frozen foods in moderation.

Here are some other foods TCM recommends during the spring:

See our posts on autumn and winter eating for more information on eating and living seasonally with Traditional Chinese Medicine.