7 Spring Wellness Tips From Traditional Chinese Medicine

Hello, spring! With its bright skies and warm weather, spring fills our hearts and souls with joy, especially after those long winter months. 

Spring is an excellent time to adopt some new habits and nutritious foods that will significantly improve your overall health and well-being. 

So, in today’s blog, we’ll give you 7 wellness tips you can adopt to enjoy the spring season, based on Traditional Chinese Medicine wisdoms. And we will seal the deal with some how-tos to help you eat healthier during the season of blooms.

Let’s dive in.

Spring and Traditional Chinese Medicine Wisdom

Spring is the time of cleansing the body of winter. The quality of Qi in the spring is expansive as yang begins to rise in a time of growth and development. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver energy is most active in spring and is in charge of circulating the body’s energy/Qi. Beginning in April the Qi moves and becomes full like the flowers that begin to blossom and the earthy mother nature Qi becomes more solidified and centered. 

To stay in seasonal harmony during spring add more pungent, sweet, and neutral-warm foods into your diet to promote qi movement upwards and outwards as yang is rising.

7 Spring wellness tips rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine

1. Do some spring cleaning

Spring is the season for doing away with the old and bringing in the new. 

For many, this means it’s time to clean your house, change old furniture or add some new ones, wash your rugs and just make your home feel fresh and vibrant. 

Spring cleaning your home helps you get rid of dust, mildew, and molds before they become an issue to your health or your loved ones’. In fact, 

Studies also show that deep cleaning helps reduce stress and improve moods, some find spring cleaning quite the therapeutic activity.

And, as a special treat, organizing and decluttering your home can turn into a treasure hunt where you can find items you’ve misplaced or completely forgot you had!

2. Switch up your beverages

While the warm weather of spring might tempt you to go all out on frozen milkshakes, sweet tea, and coffee drinks, you might want to consider replacing those with healthier beverages. 

How about some lemon sparkling water and cold brew coffee instead?

You can also try squeezing a fresh lime or lemon into warm water to get the benefits of lower cholesterol levels, vitamin C, and lower blood pressure. 

Or try smoothies packed with heart-healthy veggies and fruits. A lot of people don’t know this but blending some fresh spinach with almond milk, frozen fruits, and bananas is quite healthy and nutritious. Warm teas and soups are also good to balance your body’s physical and energetic temperature.

3. Go outside and exercise

Springtime gives us brighter skies and warmer days. 

Thus, it is the perfect period to enjoy the weather while exercising. You can even add a variety of activities into your workout routine like running through leafy trails and hiking. We love what Vancouver has to offer when it comes to exercising outside. 

But remember: spring is a time of great change which affects us physically and energetically. So aim for low-impact exercises like walks, yoga, and anything that will not shock the body too much.

4. Allow yourself enough sleep 

Ensure you sleep between 6-8 hours every night. We cannot emphasize this point enough!

Not only does lack of sleep affect your health, staying up late can increase your chances of overeating and overeating can make sleeping more difficult. What a vicious cycle that becomes.

So, ensuring you have a good sleep and proper rest can help you improve your general health, make better diet decisions, and stay productive throughout the day. 

5. Drink enough water

You should have plenty of water all through the day to stay hydrated.

Drinking enough water provides your body with so many benefits, including:

• Helps in carrying oxygen and nutrient to your cells

• Aids digestion

• Helps in the regulation of your body temperature

• Protects your organs and tissues

• Flushes bacteria from your bladder

• Prevents constipation and a lot of others

Such a simple thing to do with amazing benefits!

Ensure you drink at least 7-12 cups of water daily unless your doctor says otherwise.

6. Plant some veggies in your home and garden

If you’ve never grown anything before, you can start doing it this spring. 

Herbs and veggies are perfect for planting during the spring season. Not only does planting your vegetables allow you to incorporate more heart-healthy foods into your diet; it also helps you experience the stress relief and other mental health benefits that come with working in a garden.

Taking care of your vegetables and spending time doing some work with your hands feels your soul. But you don’t have a garden, there are other ways to make it happen. You can simply start with a  small herb garden or a windowsill garden in your kitchen. 

Some vegetables you can plant to boost your heart health are leafy greens, squash, carrots, asparagus, and bell peppers.

7. Schedule an appointment with your doctor

Of course, spring is a good time to tune up your health. But to be more intentional with the direction you want to go in, we recommend you check in with your doctor, naturopath, or any other health practitioner you trust. 

For instance, here at Unplug Hour Wellness, we offer holistic lifestyle education to help you make better-informed decisions for your health. Many of our clients benefit from our guidance, especially when they need help adjusting to new routines or treatments.

This step is important as it helps you prevent any negative impact or manage stress and pain while you are getting more active and spending more time outside. Going for regular checkups can also help identify and reduce your risk of developing terminal illnesses before it’s too late to treat.

How to eat healthier during spring

Now that we’ve given you some wellness tips for spring, let’s move on to healthy eating habits.

If you’ve been thinking about shedding a few kilos for spring and getting your summer body ready, you’re not alone. And if you play your healthy food cards right, you’d be surprised by how much you can transform your body in only a matter of months through simply eating better and moving more. 

So, if you are looking to improve your diet effortlessly, follow the tips below-

1. Find spring vegetables 

When it comes to vegetables, the more you eat, the better and healthier you get. Canada’s Food Guidelines recommend 5 servings per day of vegetables and fruit for children aged 4 to 8 years and 7 to 10 servings/day for adults.

However, the best way to enjoy maximum benefits from eating veggies is to eat a variety of them. This is because they supply different nutrients that are beneficial to your overall health. Some of them you should try are:

Asparagus: This nutrient-filled veggie supplies a lot of nutrients including fiber, lutein, folate, beta carotene, and vitamin E. 

Artichokes: Artichokes are quite filling. This is because they are eaten slowly, which helps you not to consume too much food at once. Besides, they are very rich in satiating fiber, about 25% of your daily needs. 

Spring peas: These tiny green balls taste nothing like the frozen kind. Creamy and delicious, they are rich in iron, lutein, and beta-carotene. 

2. Enjoy your berries

Berries like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries can improve your health in ways you can’t imagine. 

They have enough anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that give them their blue and red colour. This helps reduce the risk of heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, improve brain function and also maintain a healthy weight. 

Additionally, berries are rich in fiber, especially blackberries and raspberries. 

In many parts of the world, late spring is the start of the local berry season. However, you can also opt for frozen berries so long as they are fresh and have no added sugars.

3. Make one healthy change daily

One healthy change daily could cause a good turn in your health. You can start with an extra serving of nuts, vegetables, or fruits instead of chips and other fries.

Every small change counts. From waking up a bit earlier to do some morning yoga to reading a few chapters of a book every night, make time for your self-care. True wellness is a practice, not a one-time thing.

Make the most of spring to get healthy

The changing of the seasons is an amazing time to take control of your health and begin to adopt new habits that would help you stay fit and healthy. 

So, go ahead and use this guide to help you take your next step. And as you do so, don’t forget to enjoy this spring season to the max.

Were our tips helpful? If they are, make sure to share this with loved ones who can benefit from them too. Also, how about getting a head start and prepping for summer as well?

And, if you want to explore the world of holistic healing and Traditional Chinese Medicine, we invite you to check out our Acupuncture services. Come visit us anytime you are in Downtown Vancouver!