Food For March

It's time to transition from winter to spring (well, for most of us)! As a result, you may naturally be craving less/lighter foods.

After months of feasting on high fat, high protein foods, it's time to embrace a harvest that will remove bogginess from our systems. This is the genius of creation because as spring arrives, so do the rains. The earth holds onto more water this time of year...and so do we. As a result, congestion is a problem for many. Hence why spring is also known as "allergy season". Fortunately, nature provides the perfect antidote.

Really, the only food nature is making available this month are bitter roots, which are mucus free, fat free and aimed at cleansing the body. Therefore, it's important that in the early spring our daily diet includes bitter roots such as chaparral, dandelion and goldenseal. Bitter roots help your liver eliminate toxins, strengthen your immune system and remove excess fat from your intestinal wall.

Dandelion, the first bitter root I experimented with my first year of eating with the seasons, balances blood sugar levels, relieves heartburn and soothes digestive issues. I started with sipping dandelion root tea. You can also add bitter roots to lighter soups this time of year.

SOON WE'LL SHIFT TO SPROUTS, SALADS, BERRIES AND CHERRIES:

I say that now to emphasize the overall lighter harvest this time of year. I invite you to take the nudge from nature to lighten up the body this month! A few tips for doing that:

- Pay attention to your appetite. For most people it will naturally begin to lessen this month. Honor that and eat less.

- Enjoy lighter vegetable soups, rather than the hearty stews of winter.

- Make lunch the biggest meal of your day and make supper smaller. If you are trying to lose weight, experiment with skipping supper once or twice a week and letting lunch carry you all the way through to breakfast. Perhaps drinking a bitter root tea in place of supper!

DIFFERENT DAYS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS CALL FOR DIFFERENT DIETS:

In most regions, spring weather can vary between cold/grey or warm/sunny. On days that are colder, consume heartier, heavier, cooked winter foods. On days that are warmer, eat lighter, such as spring soups and salads.

Have a favorite recipe to make in March? I would love to try it! Forward it to me by commenting below or emailing michel.ombrella@gmail.com!