Spring Health Tips

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I love the arrival of spring, after the cold, overcast days of winter. As the earth stirs and awakens, my body seems to as well. It’s a time of renewal, rebirth and growth.

And spring is the perfect time to check in, health wise, to see what the body, mind and spirit need to thrive. Each season brings its own health benefits…and challenges.

Check out Spring Health Tips for ways to boost health and benefit from all that the season offers.

Include More Fresh Veggies and Fruit

Spring is the perfect time to shift from bigger, heavier meals to lighter fare.

Visit farmers markets or the produce section of the grocery store and load up on dark, leafy greens, celery, onion, peas, bell peppers, chives, asparagus, carrots and mushrooms. These vibrant, fresh foods invigorate the body. Fresh herbs are abundant too. Add them to salads and recipes and steep them in teas. Plus spring is a wonderful time to forage for wild foods that are probably growing in your backyard.

Prepare big chopped salads and store them in the fridge. Lightly stir-fry veggies together for a delicious and healthy meal. And make use of all of the berries coming into season. Pick your own or purchase strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Add them to oatmeal and salads or eat them as a snack or dessert.

These spring foods are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that the body needs. Fill your plate with the nutrition the season offers.

Get Outdoors

The abundant sunshine during the spring months invites all to venture outdoors. Fresh air and sunshine are both beneficial. We receive vitamin D from the sun and the body releases serotonin, making us feel happy. If possible, spend 10 minutes a day bathing in the sun’s rays.

When spending more time outdoors, protect the eyes with sunglasses and the skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen or a big floppy hat that shades the face.

Nature is so restorative, especially after months of indoor activities. It stimulates all of the senses, calms the mind while improving focus and mood, and reduces inflammation in the body. Check out the surprising benefits of nature HERE.

Increase Activities

It’s easy to feel sluggish during the winter and put on a few extra pounds. Spring brings with it the opportunity to get outdoors and move the body. Just 11 minutes of exercise a day benefits health and extends life. With warmer weather, it’s easy to find activities to do.

Walk, hike, bike, skate, swim or play. Gardening offers so many health benefits, including burning up calories. Pulling weeds, planting, mowing and raking are all great ways to stay in shape and beautify your surroundings. And growing your own food provides fresh veggies for meals.

Exercise eases pain, improves arthritis, keeps joints flexible and protects against osteoporosis. Additionally, it improves mood and provides an overall sense of wellbeing.

Boost the Immune System

Spring not only brings sunshine and showers, it brings seasonal allergies, colds and viruses.

When the body comes under attack, from bacteria, viruses or allergens, the immune system launches a counter attack. Its job is to defend the body against disease causing micro-organisms.

A healthy body supports a healthy immune system, making it more difficult for illnesses to gain a foothold. A body battling disorders already or one suffering from dehydration, chronic sleep deprivation or fueled by a poor diet can’t adequately handle an invasion.

Eating nutritionally dense foods boosts the immune system. Vitamin D from sunshine or supplements supports the immune system as well. Additionally, staying hydrated, improving gut health, getting enough sleep and managing stress keeps the immune system healthy and strong.

Read more about boosting the immune system HERE. And if spring allergies bring you low, check out ways to combat them naturally through this LINK.

Hydrate

Up to 75% of adults experience chronic dehydration. There are many symptoms of dehydration, including headaches, muscle cramps, low blood pressure and brain fog. Dehydration actual shrinks brain tissue and impairs concentration and cognitive function.

With spring activities, warmer temps and outdoor fun, staying hydrated is crucial.

Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Refill it throughout the day. Eat more fruits and veggies, as they contribute to hydration as well. Drink herbal teas. They provide crucial liquids and nutrients that the body needs.

Cut back on salty and processed foods, limit alcohol…which dehydrates the body…and eliminate soda, which creates thirst, rather than quenching it.

Clear Away the Clutter

The increase in energy that arrives with spring naturally creates the urge to clean. Now is the time to clear away the clutter, in our spaces and in our lives.

Check medications, packaged foods and spices. Toss any that are past expiration dates. Throw away old makeup, cleansers and toiletries. Clean out that junk drawer, rearrange a room, remove clothes from the closet that you haven’t worn in a year. Give away, throw away or donate items you no longer want.

Clearing away clutter opens up energy flow and creates space for new things to arrive.

Spring is an excellent time to evaluate life also and to let go of anything that no longer serves you. Forgive others and self, release the past, eliminate anything that carries negative memories or energy for you, and literally and figuratively make a clean sweep of your house and your life. Your mood will lighten as a result.

Adjust Sleep Schedule

Daylight Savings Time arrives with spring, creating longer days of sunlight…and often messing with our natural sleep patterns.

Even though I’m not a morning person, I naturally wake up earlier during spring and summer. If this is true for you as well, go with that. Get up. Create a morning routine that serves you. Mine includes making the bed, opening the blinds, brushing my teeth and doing my morning skin routine and creating a healthy breakfast.

And create a nighttime routine as well. Disconnect from electronics an hour before bed. Listen to soothing music. Write down gratitudes. Practice meditation. Sleep in a dark, cool room.

It’s important to get at least seven hours of sleep a night, with eight to nine optimal. A tired, sleep deprived body can’t function well. And sleep deprivation contributes to a stressed immune system.

Try New Things

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. The season presents a powerful opportunity for renewal in our lives by trying new things.

Experiencing new things increases creativity, boosts a sense of adventure and creates new pathways in the brain. Those fresh experiences push us out of our comfort zones and help us face fears. (This is the heart of my other blog, Cindy Goes Beyond.)

What do you want to try, see, experience…that you’ve never tried, seen or experienced before? Spring invites you to go for it. I encourage you to go for it too!

Which Spring Health Tips Will You Try?

I’m a gardener. My backyard garden serves as my gym, my sanctuary, my happy place. Spring’s season of renewal is visually represented in my garden as flowers and herbs push up through the soil and stretch toward the sun. I love being outside, tending this sacred space. It does my body, mind and spirit good.

Which spring health tips call to you? What ones will most benefit your health and wellbeing?

May this season bring you joy and an increase in energy, vitality and health.

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I am not a medical practitioner. I study health and wellness related topics and share experiences from my own personal healing journey.