Welcome spring. Just like the environment around us, our bodies are warming up and kicking off the stagnation, dormancy and built up waste from the winter. This sometimes feels similar to how it looks as a mountain area melts the winter snow - moist, wet, water run-off, sticky and heavy. If you’re still confused by my analogy- how do you feel when spring allergies have hit? What did your end of the winter cold feel like?
Every environmental cycle has an impact on us. We can use it to our advantage or we can let it take advantage of us. In times when our bodies respond heavily to the environment around us it is easier for chemicals, foods, dusts, bacteria, virus fungus or pollens to invade, (bacteria, virus, fungus) affect, or flood our system.
If spring is naturally the time our bodies come out of dormancy, wake and warm up - more of a yang state if you study Chinese medicine - than creating practices to enhance this process and support the organs affected could make the transition more effective with a little less discomfort.
Now let’s talk about the starting line up of organs when it comes to body spring cleaning.
Organ systems of emphasis
Lymphatic system
The garbage disposal of our bodies. This system helps eliminate cellular and inter-cellular waste. Drinking lots of water helps provide a carrier for the waste. Movement contracts muscles which act as a pump to the deep lymphatic vessels and light pressure assists movement of superficial lymphatic vessels.
Urinary system
The urinary system filters water and eliminates waste. The kidney’s have a big role in filtration. They contain capsules that act like strainers to sift waste from our blood and tubes that compact the waste while retaining minerals and electrolytes emptying the rest into the bladder for removal.
Gastrointestinal system
The Gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a really long tube yet, it is so much more. The upper GI system breaks down food, the middle assimilates and absorbs nutrients and the lower removes waste. The mouth secretes enzyme containing saliva that starts the breakdown of carbohydrates. The stomach secretes acid for breakdown of bacteria and digestion of heavy proteins. The gallbladder secretes bile for the breakdown of fat and the pancreas secretes enzymes for the breakdown of carbohydrates. The large intestine at the lower part of our GI system collects and eliminates substances our body used up or cannot use and wll absorb water in times of need like in dehydration. The GI tube is like a factory production. It needs all the key departments present and in good working shape for optimal assimilation, absorption of nutrients, and removal of waste products.
To help support organs of elimination, bind and eliminate waste with a spring time rhythm we have gathered a few suggestions.
How to support:
Food
Spring greens
Green vegetables are very good for us. They are supportive to our digestion with a bitter taste stimulating digestive enzymes, containing nutrients and antioxidants to repair damage, and fiber to bind and eliminate waste. We need to eat lots of vegetables. Research shows 7-9 servings are optimal but we typically start suggesting at 3-5 servings and move up from there. One serving size is 1/2 cup cooked 3/4 cup raw. Not a big deal, just eat more - mix in eggs, as a bed of salad, mix in a smoothie, add as a side, etc. Myplate.gov has vegetables as the largest category of our plate, is it the largest category on your plate?
Now if you’re good with eating vegetables let’s go beyond. Energy is typically abundant at the leaves of plants in the spring time, the fresh baby looking shoots. If you are looking to capture the nutrients, phytochemicals (plant chemicals that help our bodies regenerate) and prana (type of energy) the fresh little leaves are what you are looking for out of your spring greens. Your box of greens may say “spring greens” but they could be overgrown, getting ready to produce flowers and putting energy into that process. Let’s take arugula for example. Arugula is usually harvested in the baby stage because as a plant grows it typically becomes more bitter in flavor. Arugula is bitter enough in the baby stage therefore, it is commonly picked younger for a more palatable experience. Get to know the young edible plant stage better by growing and experimenting with different stages of harvesting on your own or ask your grower how & when they harvest.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a cold weather plant and a perennial (comes back year after year). When spring comes so does the Asparagus and it gets hard in the trunk and flakes into little stems when it matures. Therefore asparagus trunk, the part we consume, is typically not harvested beyond the optimal energetic time. The bonus of asparagus is it contains properties that are diuretic in nature, meaning they make you pee! Yes, it tints the odor of your urine but if you can get past that it can help with elimination through your kidneys.
Rhubarb
The rhubarb vegetable is another spring perennial that is consumed by eating the stems. The stems are bitter, so bitter it is typically consumed in sugary deserts to balance the bitterness. Rhubarb pie, tart, crisp - all delicious but if overdone could outweigh the benefits. Rhubarb stems have been found to be rich in amino acids, mineral and essential fatty acids. They have been found to contain anti-inflammatory properties and helpful to regulate the immune system. Also bitterness in plants support the liver and gallbladder function and the fiber is great for binding waste. (1)
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is an external application of water with extreme temperatures to create a positive internal reaction. Thanks to Wimm Hoff’s cold plunges it is becoming quite popular. The good news is it does not have to be extreme to create a positive effect. What we try to achieve is enough of a temperature change to challenge our body’s equilibrium and making internal change to counterbalance. The internal reaction could improve or modulate our immune system, move blood through our vascular system, improve hormone communication and more all to to get back to a steady state.
This can be as simple as taking a hot shower then turning it cold, repeating 3 times. Our body will create a pump like effect trying to respond to the flux from the environment. To respond it increases the heart rates, improves blood flow, and moves the blood to areas further away from the heart. You can get more extreme with the external temperature change (go for the plunge) but knowing why we are doing this is great so you can utilize the resources you have.
Hydration
Drinking lots of water is key to move things through our system. If there is low water in a river bed is their a good chance for removal of built up bacteria and debris? Does the water look clean? Keep the water flow fresh and streaming throughout your body.
Movement with stretching - compressing the deep lymphatic system, expanding constricted fascia for easier fluid movement.
This is a perfect time for a mountain or forest hike- the ground is soft and supple, it can provide a soft rebound effect. This is awesome because constricting muscles on this ground enhances the rebound effect on the lymphatic system.
Dietary Fasting/Cleanse programs
Typically these programs include a period of time with little to no caloric intake. This can give our digestive system factory workers a break and allow energy to support areas of elimination.
Cleansing and fasting programs often pair with spiritual rituals. Fasting and cleansing challenges the mind and the emotions. Be cautious of these programs or make sure you have a stable support system when engaging in anything extreme.
Detoxification requires energy and organs in good state to be able to eliminate. Cleansing programs usually recommend an increase of fresh fruits and vegetables, abundant amounts of water, and reduced intake of foods/drinks that tax our systems. Flooding our system with nutrition helps support detoxification pathways and chemicals found in fresh food helps repair our system.
Types of fasting/cleansing programs should depend on the desired outcome, level of engagement, and budget. There are so many types of cleanses and fasts, you will really have to decide what you need, make sure it’s safe with your doctor and engage in carefully. Engagement doesn’t have to be extreme to produce an outcome. Sometimes one less cup of coffee, alcohol or sugary beverages for a temporary period of time can reduce the burden on the body enough to produce a positive effect.
Okay, this is a start! May this information be helpful to support healthy bodies and happy lives. Let me know what you think of articles like this; if you find the useful, what you like most, etc. So I know know to temper information in the future!
Happy Spring.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steinke
This information is purposed for entertainment and education only, it is not medical advice nor is the information contained in this article proven by the FDA. Please consult your medical practitioners and wellness practitioners for safety before engaging in health and wellness changes.
Resources
Dai LX, Miao X, Yang XR, Zuo LP, Lan ZH, Li B, Shang XF, Yan FY, Guo X, Wang Y, Zhang JY. High Value-Added Application of Two Renewable Sources as Healthy Food: The Nutritional Properties, Chemical Compositions, Antioxidant, and Antiinflammatory Activities of the Stalks of Rheum officinale Baill. and Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Regel. Front Nutr. 2022 Jan 24;8:770264. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.770264. PMID: 35141263; PMCID: PMC8819138.