Food / Oriental Diet Therapy ~
Spring

For spring, the following foods and methods are recommended for nourishing and supporting all of the organs at this time of year:

Method of Cooking: Lightly cooked foods (steaming, poaching, stir-frying), small amounts of raw foods. Soups, stews, congees and casseroles are advised for those with any digestive problems or are ill or weak in any way.

Grains: rice, barley, oats, spelt, quinoa, wheat bran

Vegetables: onions, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, beetroot, carrots, celery, turnip, pumpkin, leafy vegetables, sweet potato

Fruits: grapefruit, tangerines, peach, strawberries, figs

Nuts, Seeds and Beans: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, adzuki beans, black beans, string bean, tofu, soybean and only a little amount of pine nuts and almonds

Meat: fish (mackerel, tuna, halibut), chicken, turkey, a little beef or lamb preferably well cooked in a soup or congee

Herbs and Seasonings (only if lacking fire or feeling stagnant): black pepper, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fennel

In Case of Energy (Qi) Stagnation: Small quantities of wine and/or coffee (black and one a day) can be helpful to stimulate digestion, move Qi, blood and support healthy bowel movements.

Avoid / Reduce

- Cheese, cream, ice-cream

- Pizzas

- Deep Fried Foods

- Excessively spicy foods

- Refined sugars, artificial preservative and artificial colorings

- Beer

- Margarines

- Excessive amounts of red meat and BBQ’d foods