What to eat this spring, according to Chinese Medicine
The Practice, Seasonal Eating & Living – Part 3
The Practice is a regular series offering holistic, heart-sourced guidance for healing journeys of all kinds—integrating body, mind, and spiritual wellness. Recent topics include noise sensitivity, what actually works for better sleep, and how to finally eat less sugar. You can upgrade your subscription for full access here:
Dearest Reader,
My work as a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor is an alchemy of holistic medicine, mindful living, and minimalism. By “minimalism,” I mean intuitive, accessible, simple.
Seasonal eating and living offers a taste of that—and of Yang Sheng Fa 养生法, a branch of Chinese Medicine translated as “Nourishing Life Principles.”
What does this mean as spring begins to unfold?
In Chinese Medicine, spring marks the movement from winter’s inward Yin towards rising Yang. Energy moves upward and outward. What was stored and cultivated in winter now seeks expression.
Emotionally and physically, it’s a season of waking up and release. A time to move and stretch the body. To see things in a new way and engage with curiosity and wonder. To loosen what has grown tight and shed what no longer serves us. As new possibilities arise, the practice is to stay supple and easeful within them.
The Chinese classics counsel us to go to bed and rise with the sun. Upon waking, we’re to take a brisk walk outdoors, wearing loose clothing and letting our hair down so we feel relaxed all over. (Yes, the classics really do say that.)
When it comes to food, winter’s dense stews begin to lighten. Brothy bowls may still nourish on cooler days, but lighter fare and fresh vegetables take center stage. Green soups return, their emerald tones matching the first shoots pushing up from the soil.
In Chinese Medicine, food and eating aren’t separate from the rest of life. Seasonal eating is one expression of embodied attunement, supporting health and vitality.
Of course, seasons are only part of the story. When I work with patients, or create my own eating plan, I consider age, constitution, health conditions, body-mind patterns, and personal goals.
Seasonal guidance belongs within this broader framework. In Chinese Medicine, the order is this:
seasonal considerations
Each season asks something different of us, inviting its own expression of balance.
This special edition of The Practice continues the series with Part 3:
5 tips for spring eating, paired with links to fresh, vibrant recipes.
