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Happy (belated) Earth Day! May this day be a reminder that one of the most impactful things you can do for your physical and mental health is to connect more deeply with the earth.
You can begin right now with simple but intentional moments in your day—allowing your body to experience your closest wild environment through all of your senses.
- Touch grass in whatever way you can.
- Find something green and alive to explore with all your senses.
- Find a tree and take 5 slow breaths with your back resting against it.
- Notice the sun warming your face and the air moving around you for one full minute.
- The next time it rains, stand in it for 30–60 seconds (umbrella optional) and be with the experience of water.
The moments don’t need to be complex or long. In fact, one of my favorite strategies for building consistent habits is to keep them short enough that you can stay consistent—in spite of life.
Spring is also a fantastic time to focus on making supportive shifts in how we fuel ourselves, so our bodies can transition from one season to the next with greater ease. As we move from the heavier energy of winter to the lighter, warming energy of spring, our bodies begin to crave foods that support digestion and the clearing of stagnant energy and toxins that may have built up over the winter.
Our needs change with the seasons, in direct response to our environment—and nature provides what we need. Our bodies begin to crave the season’s bounty, while that bounty naturally supports our nutritional needs.
For example, increasing our intake of bitter greens and sour tastes supports digestion, bile production (our gallbladder), and the liver—whose primary role is helping clear waste from the body. We have a higher need for this as spring rolls in.
Guess what one of the first things to pop up as the weather shifts is?
Dandelions. Bitter greens for us, and flowers that provide a primary food source for pollinators (who keep our entire food supply going). Greens like lettuce, arugula, kale, and spinach also thrive in the spring. It’s almost like it’s intentional.
Some other notable nutritional shifts (and the seasonal bounty to support them):
Evaluate your water consumption. Hydration is critical to every process in the body—especially our ability to clear waste. If your intake feels low, aim for at least 64 oz per day, then adjust based on activity level and body needs. You can also increase hydration through foods like cucumber, celery, and (when in season) watermelon.
Increase Vitamin C to support the immune system as allergen exposure rises (hello, pollen). Foods high in Vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, kale, broccoli, red and yellow bell peppers, and kiwi.
Increase your Vitamin D. Levels are often at their lowest as we transition out of winter. While supplementation can help, sunlight is the most effective way for the body to absorb it. Vitamin D plays a role in everything from immune function and energy levels to bone and heart health. Aim for at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight daily. Bonus points if this happens shortly after waking—it can support your sleep and wake cycle.
Start to lighten fat intake. Winter often brings a natural pull toward heavier foods. Spring is a time to lighten up—switch from fried to grilled, incorporate leaner proteins like fish and chicken, and shift toward vinaigrettes and lighter preparations. This gives your liver and digestive system some ease.
Lightly cook spring vegetables to support digestion. As digestion recalibrates, raw vegetables can feel harsh at first.
Fiber helps keep things moving. At the end of the day, if you aren’t pooping, it doesn’t matter how well you eat. Regular elimination is key to detoxification. Fiber also feeds beneficial gut bacteria and supports overall gut health. Aim for at least 25 grams per day from food sources when possible. Fiber-rich foods include beans and legumes (chickpeas, black beans, peanuts), sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, berries, celery, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds.
Spring is when produce sections and local farmers markets come back to life. Farmers markets connect you to local, fresh, and energetically vibrant foods of the season. They’re also a beautiful way to reconnect with your community and the land where you live.
One simple way to begin: try building one meal per week (or more) using mostly ingredients sourced from your local farmers market. I would love to see what you make!
All Love,
Amber
P.S. If you’d like to geek out more about how seasonal changes impact our circadian rhythm, nutritional needs, and overall health, this is a great listen:
https://www.ifm.org/podcast/seasons-nutrition-health-circadian-rhythm
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