Thursday, April 17, 2014
Spring into Greens!!
10:08 AM | 
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
Hello and welcome to the Kaplan Center of Health and
Wellness blog . After a bit of a hiatus , it is my pleasure to welcome everyone back to this informative
blog series .
After a treacherous
winter in the Northeastern states , spring is cheerfully greeted. As the leaves
begin to bud and show their wonderful
green tones, our plates should become green as well. Spring greens are tender
plants and vegetables that signal not only the end of winter but also a
farewell to the heavier foods of the fall and winter seasons.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western herbology , the use of spring
greens is said to traditionally detox the liver. In fact the spring greens used
for this purpose have a flavor quite different from the spring mix found in the
produce section of your local grocery store. Many of them have a bitter or sour taste.
Across cultural lines , these tastes are said to stimulate bile production an
important part of the digestive process.
Traditional nutritionists argue that the typical American diet lacks
adequate amounts of bitters and that this deficiency is a key factor in the
obesity rate of the United States . In
addition to stimulating bile production , it is said that many of these foods
also stimulate the pancreas and sugar metabolism as well.
As a holistic science, TCM also review the mind-body
correlation between these bitter foods and their stimulation on our mental-
emotional development. It is thought
that bitter and sour foods can encourage our
growth in areas of our lives where we have been sluggish or stagnant. Many of these spring foods help our bodies to
release dopamine and serotonin , the “ feel-good” hormones that often motivate
and empower us ! Coupled this with the “ grounding “ effect that foods that
grow so close to the ground , spring greens are an excellent way to stimulate
new ventures. As this series continues this week, we will investigate ways to
integrate spring greens into your diet.
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