Spring is good for your health
Spring is the season in which we can feel most inspired and purposeful. On the other hand, we can often fall into the patterns, which bring up feelings of anger, frustration and lack of direction in life.
The ancient Chinese discovered that Spring relates to the liver and gallbladder. You can regulate the liver and gallbladder and increase stamina by enjoying the following foods in your diet during this season:
Barley, wheat, spelt, chicken, turkey, fish, tempeh, radish, cabbage (inc. sauerkraut), leafy greens, rhubarb, asparagus, beetroot, leek, sprouts, chives, basil, parsley, mint, coriander, lemon, sour apples, cherries, plums, grapes, pickled vegetables, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, cherries, plums, grapes, pickled vegetables, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sourdough rye bread, unemboshi plums, light salty miso soup and green tea.
These foods nourish and cleanse the liver and gall bladder, reduce cholesterol, dissolve fat and mucus, can help relieve hay fever and premenstrual symptoms and kick start a natural way to detox!!
As liver and gallbladder are nourished, you will notice that you will feel lighter, become full of vigour, have more patience and be open to new direction.
Cooking style for Spring
With the seasonal change from Winter to Spring, we tend towards lighter cooking methods. These include steaming, boiling, poaching and stir frying. Less oil and seasoning are used as this brings us into harmony with the rising energy of Spring.
Vegetables are cut into smaller pieces for quicker cooking and for use in pressed salads. Gomasio and miso condiments can be used in small amounts. Gomasio is made from unhulled sesame seeds and sea salted crushed and roasted together, which can be used daily as a condiment sprinkled on all meals.
It is an ideal way to get salt into the body without causing excessive thirst as the oil from the crushed sesame seeds coats the salt. It also relieves tiredness by neutralising acidity in the blood and strengthening the nervous system.
Barley and rice balls - a recipe for Spring
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of brown rice
- 1/2 cup of unpearled barley
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup corn off the cob
- 1 1/2 cups of sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons of tamari
- 1/2 teaspoons of kuzu
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Preparation:
- Wash the rice and barley, add the corn and then bring them to the boil in 5 1/2 cups of water. Add the salt and tamari and let it simmer for about one hour. The rice should be well cooked so that it sticks together.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze the rice balls will be rolled in. Take 1/2 cup of water, add kuzi, dissolve well, then add a little salt and bring to boil in a small saucepan, stirring slowly and constantly so it does not stick at the bottom.
- The glaze will turn transparent when ready. Put aside to let cool.
- Dry roast the sunflower seeds in a frying pan. When the grains are cooked, stir in the sunflower seeds and mix well.
- Dip your hands in cold water to form the balls by hand, or use a small cup, rinsing it in water after each ball to help the ball sliding off easily. Place the balls in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour to set.
- When ready, dip each ball in the glaze then roll in sesame seeds.
- Place on a baking dish and bake at 200 degrees centigrade for 40-50 minutes.
Tarami is a naturally produced soy sauce made from soya beans, wheat and sea salt. Wheat-free tamari is available, and is made by pouring off the juice from making hatcho miso. Use sparingly in soups, stir-fries, casseroles and dressings. It provides digestive enzymes (to boost digestive function) and alkalinises the blood.
Kuzu is a white root-starch, that is a prized thickening agent. It is honoured in Oriental folk remedies.
Have you tried an Umeboshi plum?
A salty pickled plum is traditionally recommended in Japan for relief of stomach troubles, diarrhoea or constipation, headaches, fatigue and hangovers. Often called the “king of alkaline foods”, the umeboshi plum has a great alkalising effect on the body because of its rich content of critic acid and alkaline minerals, such as iron, calcium, manganese and potassium.
Another Spring Tip
This is the season to spring clean your home, detox your body and unclutter your mind. Unsure best how to? Find out with Oriental Medicine – an abundance of ancient secrets for our modern-day lifestyles.
The year is spring.
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