Spring has Sprung …

Everyone knows that spring is a time for renewal, days are longer, the seeds are sprouting and the birds and the bees get busy. Just as nature comes alive, it’s also a time for us to make some diet and lifestyle changes.

In Oriental Medicine, spring is the time for us to come out of hibernation and become active again. This is the ideal time to do a cleanse for the body, when it is active again and ready purge any toxins that we have accumulated over the sedentary winter. It is time for us to put away the hearty soups and stews that have nourished us over the fall and winter and replace them with smaller and lighter meals. As the temperature rises, consider less sweet root vegetables like yams, potatoes and squashes, and more leafy greens, like parsley, lettuce, arugula or spinach, more salads and fruits, and incorporating poultry and fish instead of red meat. As we move towards summer, think “mediteranean” food – light and fresh.

Likewise, if you haven’t already, springtime is definitely the time to become more physically active, especially outdoors. Do those hikes you’ve been looking forward to, bike to work instead of driving and spend the weekends outdoors with the sunshine and fresh air (yes, even some Vancouver liquid sunshine if need be). This increased activity will not only drive away the winter blues, but get you in shape for the summer.

If you are interested in more information about cleanses, diet as medicine and how to live in harmony with the seasons and what you can do for the springtime, feel free to contact Kurt at kurtjurek@acufeelgood.ca or call 604-365-3655 and book a consultation.

Kurt Jurek is a practitioner of Oriental Medicine in private practice in Vancouver, Canada

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