Spring arrives not with a bang but a bloom—soft green shoots breaking through the soil, the scent of damp earth, and a feeling in the mind-body that something is beginning again. After winter’s inward turn, we start to crave lightness, colour, and movement—both in food and in life.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring is the season of the liver and the wood element—connected with growth, renewal, and emotional flow. After the stillness of winter, we desire to stretch and circulate again, as the comfort we craved in the winter lead to more eating, less moving and stewing in our lower emotions instead of shifting them. Spring is not a time for harsh detoxes or dramatic resets. Instead, spring invites a gentle clearing—through food, breath, movement, and noticing what your body is craving.
But you don’t need a cupboard full of powders or exotic herbs to support this seasonal shift. The nourishment you need is already close by—in the earth beneath your feet and the produce just coming into season.
What Spring Wants to Feed You
Spring’s harvest aims to awaken the senses and support the liver—our inner planner, detoxifier, and mood regulator in TCM. In Western biology, the liver metabolises fats, proteins, and carbs, eliminates toxins, produces bile for waste removal, and stores nutrients. Here’s what to look for locally and why they’re great now:
1. Wild Garlic
With its bold green leaves and unmistakable aroma, wild garlic is a natural cleanser. It supports digestion, clears internal stagnation, and tastes incredible blitzed into a pesto or folded into eggs.
2. Nettles
Yes, the stingers. Once boiled or steamed, nettles lose their sting and become a deeply mineral-rich food. In TCM, they help move qi (energy) and cleanse the blood—ideal after winter’s heaviness. Try them in a soup with leek and potato or as a tea.
3. Radishes
Peppery, crunchy, and just a little fiery—radishes support digestion and help relieve internal heat. They’re also surprisingly grounding when roasted whole or sliced into brothy bowls.
4. Spring Greens & Herbs
Think sorrel, watercress, spring onions, dandelion leaves, mustard greens. These bitter and slightly sour flavours help support the liver’s natural detoxifying role and bring energy upward and out—perfect for the upward movement of spring.
5. Lamb
Traditionally eaten in spring, lamb is warming but not overly heavy. In TCM, it’s seen as nourishing to the blood and helpful for replenishing strength as energy ramps up.
6. Lemon & Apple Cider Vinegar
Sour flavours gently stimulate the liver and gallbladder, helping to support detoxification and digestion. A squeeze of lemon in warm water in the morning is a classic seasonal ritual for a reason.
It’s Not About Restriction—It’s About Response
Spring nourishment isn’t about cutting things out—it’s about responding to what your body naturally wants. This might mean lighter meals, more raw or lightly cooked vegetables, more herbs and teas, and maybe less sugar or overly processed foods.
But it’s not rigid. It’s about aligning with what already is.
Simple Ways to Eat with the Season
Warm water with lemon or apple cider vinegar in the morning to gently stimulate digestion.
Nettle and leek soup for a warming, mineral-rich meal.
Wild garlic pesto stirred through grains or spread on toast.
Shaved fennel and radish salad with lemon and olive oil for brightness.
Roasted spring vegetables with fresh herbs and a drizzle of tahini.
Spring is Generous—Let It Feed You
More than anything, spring is an invitation to unfurl. To soften out of winter’s constriction, to let go of emotional or physical stagnation, and to trust that there’s life moving through you again.
This is nourishment: not just what you eat, but how you eat, how you move, how you listen.
So listen. Taste what’s fresh. Smell the air. Stretch slowly. And let spring do what it does best—wake you up, one green bite at a time.
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