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In Chinese medicine, the gift of the Summertime is our capacity for love and the joys of friendship and intimacy. With the increase in sunlight and warmth, we spend more time in pleasurable pursuits: sharing time with friends, closeness with lovers, vacationing with family.

“CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks because the population has little to no immunity against it.” At the same time, “it is expected that most people will recover without needing medical care.”

As a general rule, it is best to eat foods that grow during the current season and/or have a warming affect.  In the winter time, or when we are trying to strengthen the kidneys and bladder energy, the following foods can be added:

Catherine Varchaver, Nutrition Counselor at Body and Soul Nutrition, has great wisdom about eating with the seasons.  Her article Season to Season: Ode to Eating and Living with Winter, is a lovely piece echoing the energetics of winter I treat through acupuncture, by using foods appropriate to the season.  I know that by eating stews, root vegetables and other warming foods during the winter, I feel stronger and more grounded than when I eat the raw and cooling foods more appropriate to summer.  Food is one of the main ways we gain qi/energy, and it serves us best when we eat with intention – both in what we eat and how we eat it.

Try this simple but delicious recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup which blends the nourishing, soothing qualities of late summer’s Earth energy, according to Chinese medicine, with Autumn’s pungent clearing energy found in ginger.  Cooked carrots are very gentle on the digestive system and the nervous system, too. Serve this in a soup plate with a side of crusty whole grain bread and arugula salad made with roasted walnuts, apples and balsamic mustard vinaigrette. Or have it in a small bowl as a first course, followed by blackened cod and your favorite cooked greens and garlic– another pungent gem of Autumn’s healing energy.  Learn more at Body and Soul Nutrition.

As we head into cold and flu season, take advantage of one of Nature’s most powerful medicines for the lungs: ginger. It’s pungent, spicy quality is associated with Autumn and the Metal Element in Chinese Medicine and it is considered to be warming and clearing.  Drink it as a tea with a spoonful of honey and a squeeze of lemon– it’ll make you sweat and help loosen any phlegm so that your body can move it out. Ginger is also great for soothing a queasy stomach, so enjoy!

Allergies are back in full force! Our immune system is in overdrive, trying to remove allergens from our body with itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and a profusion of phlegm. Acupuncture can be extremely helpful in regulating our immune response – both to strengthen it against viruses and infections, and gentle it when it overreacts to harmless substances like pollen or wheat. Limiting exposure to the offending substance decreases the allergic response, and a Neti Pot can be used to cleanse your sinus passages of pollen, dust and mold.

Physical Symptoms of Imbalanced Spring Energy:
Abdominal bloating
Acid reflux
Aversion to wind
Blurry and/or weak vision
Breast tenderness
Bruising
Constipation
Flatulence
Floaters in front of eyes
Gallbladder issues
Headaches or migraines
Hemorrhoids
Indigestion
Irregular menstruation
Lack of flexibility/ stiffness
Liver issues
Menstrual cramps/PMS
Nausea and/or vomiting
Painful menstruation
Pain on right abdomen
Stiff neck
Stiff muscles
Stiff shoulders
Weak and/or brittle nails

Anger is a normal part of our emotions.  It is a healthy response to an appropriate situation, it rises and falls and, when allowed to be expressed, is released and forgotten.  Anger that is unexpressed, repressed, or held onto is unhealthy and begins to have negative consequences for one’s overall wellbeing.  Learning when and how to get angry is one of the difficult challenges of life.  Many people learn to contain their anger so completely that they don’t feel angry even when they should.  This lack of anger is as much an indicator of an imbalance as is the constant feeling of anger and irritation that can come from blocked Spring energy.

Following are exercises to help you cultivate and nourish the gifts of Spring on your own. Adjust them to suit your style.

• Make a list of your goals for today. Feel the satisfaction as you check off completed tasks.