Medicinal cooking to improve common spring ailments

March has arrived, and we are finally entering full-blown spring.

In spring, temperature fluctuations are significant, and the weather is unstable.
With the new fiscal year and new life starting in April,
it is hard to feel settled.

Spring is a time of many changes for both mind and body, making it easy to feel unwell.

So today, I will talk about common spring ailments and their causes,
as well as how to improve them with food.

♪:*:･･:*:･♪･:*:･･:*:･♪:*:･･:*:･♪･

Common spring ailments include:

feeling down
irritability and short temper
heavy-headedness
hot flashes
stiff shoulders
eye strain
shallow sleep and feeling unrefreshed

and so on.

🔸Causes of spring ailments

The body, which was curled up due to the cold in winter,
starts to release energy
and tries to become active
in the spring.

♪:*:･･:*:･♪･:*:･･:*:･♪:*:･･:*:･♪･

In Traditional Chinese Medicine,

the function of the organ known as the 'Liver'
starts to become active.

✅Liver functions
👉 (1) Circulating 'Qi', the body's energy, throughout the entire body.
(2) Storing 'Blood'.

Because the Liver circulates Qi and Blood throughout the body,
it is busy and working at full capacity in the spring.
That is why it gets tired and exhausted every day.

✅When the Liver weakens
👉(1) Qi does not circulate. Heat concentrates in the upper part of the body.

Emotional instability, irritability, short temper, depression, stiff shoulders, migraines, hot flashes, and dizziness are more likely to occur.

👉(2) Inability to store blood -> Blood deficiency

Eye problems, bloodshot eyes, and eye strain occur.
When there is less blood, sleep also becomes shallow.

♪:*:･･:*:･♪･:*:･･:*:･♪:*:･･:*:･♪･

If you have these ailments all year round, not just in spring,
it is a sign that your Liver itself is weak.

Review your lifestyle, such as by reducing stress,
and try actively incorporating ingredients that invigorate the Liver.

🔸Spring Medicinal Cooking

Physical and mental ailments can be improved by
regulating your organs with food ingredients.

*️⃣Sour taste
Sour flavors help revitalize the liver, which works hard and gets tired.
✅ Dishes using vinegar and citrus fruits

*️⃣Bitter taste
Many spring vegetables have a bitter taste.
They help the liver by flushing out toxins from the body and improving the circulation of 'qi' (energy).
✅ Wild vegetables like canola blossoms and butterbur sprouts

*️⃣Pleasant aromas improve the circulation of 'qi'.

✅ Aromatic vegetables: shiso, celery, cilantro, garland chrysanthemum
✅ Citrus fruits: orange, grapefruit, iyokan
✅ Herbs: mint, chamomile

They also lower heat that has accumulated in the upper part of the body.
When you feel frustrated, try smelling a pleasant aroma.

*️⃣Sprouted vegetables
Spring is the season of budding. Sprouted vegetables contain plenty of energy for vigorous growth.
Let's store up healthy energy to grow toward summer.
✅ Bean sprouts, pea shoots, etc.

🔸How to spend spring

Finally, here is how to spend your spring.

Just as trees stretch out their branches in spring,
let's spend our time in a relaxed and carefree way.

Avoid clothing and hairstyles that constrict you,
and imagine the energy actively circulating inside your body.
Relax with a walk,
and keep your mind and body cheerful, bright, and open.

🔸Summary

✅ The liver is prone to weakening in spring.
Circulation of 'qi' worsens, and ailments due to blood deficiency are likely to occur.
✅ Sour and bitter ingredients.
✅ Aromatic vegetables, citrus fruits, herbs, etc.
✅ Sprouted vegetables.

Seasonal ingredients
supplement and help what the human body needs at that time by ripening in that season.

Humans are also part of nature. This is a basic concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Medicinal cooking is also based on this idea.

Knowing which parts of yourself are weak,
and simply making easy stir-fries or dressed dishes with ingredients you can buy at the supermarket
is excellent medicinal cooking.

Please try incorporating medicinal cooking into your life.


Thank you for reading until the end.

If you could give me a like, follow, or comment,
it would be encouraging 💕