Even if we snack all day, variety is a key. With winter long gone, it's time to refresh that diet. We can start with a go-getting strategy of introducing a variety of vegetables and fruits into each meal. The natural health benefits of fruit will give us extra energy with plenty of antioxidants and much needed vitamins and minerals. Take a pick from these vegetables and fruits to stimulate our appetite in this spring season.
Imagine you are picking tender, leafy vegetables that represent the new growth of this season -- real fresh and crisp. The greening that crop ups in springtime should be represented by greens on your plate, including Swiss chard, spinach, Romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, and basil. Oriental spring vegetables are delicious sample of healthy Chinese medicine, green plants are filled with the energy of spring and particularly useful as we enter this season. Best ways to prepare these foods are lightly steaming or sautéing (cooking briefly over high heat), so they retain the most nutrients and are easier to digest.
Eating fresh fruits in spring can refresh our body and improve our immune systems as well. Fresh oranges are a versatile pack of all-important Vitamin C. One each day will increase our water intake naturally and help keep colds at bay. Watermelon is the ultimate summer fruit, packed with Vitamin C, potassium, and glutathione which can help improve our immune system, and will prevent those warm-season colds and flu bugs. Papaya packed with carotene which is essential for eye health. Vitamin C is another natural addition, giving us plenty of immune support. Papaya mixes well with mango, guava, and other exotic fruits so plates of these are sure to fit the bill for a fresh take on dessert.
But what we lack in fruit, we can make up for in other things, such as goats’ milk cheeses, seafood and spring lamb. Wild salmon and sea trout are early spring treats. This is the season of gentle, delicate flavors, a slow and tender start to the year.
During spring time, we however have to avoid heavy foods, since they tend to bring the body into a sinking, passive, inward-moving state. Heavy foods are, for example, heavy or fatty meats, greasy or oily foods, and foods high in salt which we should avoid in spring.
Spring is the perfect excuse to explore some exotic fruits and flavors; add some nourishing and detoxifying fruits to our daily fare, and enjoy the added benefits of natural minerals, vitamins, and nutrition. We also salute spring’s gradual slide into summer. From then on we can get ready for the non-stop ripening of everything in the garden. Within a few weeks we’ll hardly be able to keep up.