Happy Spring Equinox! A time to break new ground, find your light, and step into action. We also welcome the Aries season (the astrological new year), and a new moon this week; potent times to reflect on our intentions from the winter solstice and imagine which direction we will take as the year starts to unfold. Hibernation was sweet and sacred this year, and ideally, we carry all of our learnings into the bright days ahead. My feelings towards spring had always sat on a scale of indifference to impatience, but since I’ve learned to tune in and slow down, it genuinely fills me with hope and wonder. Smelling dirt and grass for the first time in months, leaving work with daylight to spare, and having access to more green, fresh, sprouting foods gives me the energy I need to shake off winter’s slumber.
It should come as no surprise that I turn to food and nutrition as a cornerstone in supporting my body through these changing times. In spring, we should start turning towards young plants, sprouts, and fresh greens to begin incorporating raw foods, increasing consumption as the temperatures rise. It is also recommended to cook food for a shorter time, with a higher temperature such as light steaming or simmering or a quick high-temp saute. Finally, we should work to support the liver - the organ ruler of the spring season in Traditional Chinese Medicine - by consuming a variety of bitter greens and easing up on heavy, fatty meals, alcohol, and sugar.
For me this looks making green juices, using sprouts as the greens in my smoothies, making salads with handfuls of watercress and dandelion greens, and simplifying my plates with lightly steamed vegetables like asparagus, green beans, and carrots as accompaniments for beans, eggs, chicken, and fish. Our bodies naturally crave less comfort from food during this time as it naturally begins to detoxify, giving us more time and energy to move, connect, plant seeds, and clean house.
Fennel Turkey Meatballs with Pumpkin Seed Pesto, Massaged Kale, and Green Beans
I made this meal last Thursday when the temperature was warm, daylight savings had set in, and the snow started to melt off the streets. I was starved for green and this combination made for a delicious soft launch of a new season, while sticking to the principles above. The turkey meatballs are light, and bright from the addition of fennel fronds and lemon zest, pumpkin seed pesto starts to become a staple in my fridge at this point in the year, the massaged kale is going to be your new favourite side salad, and who doesn’t love the snap of a green bean?
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