April 2008 

"We are new every day." -Irene Claremont De Castillego

Spring Greens Bring New Life
 

Nature’s abundance springs forth in April, as we shake off the lethargy of burrowing inward from winter’s cold. It’s time to cleanse, take brisk walks in the fresh air, and enjoy the green sprouts and herbs of spring. As Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods, notes, “This is a time for contacting your true nature and giving attention to self-awareness and self-expression.”

Most leafy greens contain high amounts of vitamin A, as well as vitamins B, C and E, which are all considered antioxidant nutrients in the body, thought to neutralize unstable, cancer-promoting oxygen molecules known as free radicals. Greens are also a great source of fiber and essential minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium and folic acid.

The active part of these plants is chlorophyll, which gives them their intense green color. “This may be the one of the strongest, true healing agents known to man,” according to Elson M. Haas, MD, in Staying Healthy with the Seasons. In the 1950s, scientists discovered that chlorophyll resembles hematin, the substance that combines with protein to form hemoglobin. A large molecule that carries oxygen in our blood, hemoglobin has an iron molecule at its center; whereas, chlorophyll has magnesium. Surgeons at the time found that chlorophyll had a positive healing effect on wounds, peptic or gastric ulcers and inflamed or ulcerated colons.

The best seasonings this time of year, according to Chinese medicine, would be herbs like rosemary, dill, fennel, marjoram, caraway, bay leaf and basil. They are known as pungent herbs that create an expansive personal spring within. Vision becomes clearer and things are seen in new ways as the body cleanses itself and renews in the spring.

Raw and sprouted foods are often recommended in spring. In Ayurvedic thought (an East Indian practice), these foods are known as “vatic” or wind-like. They are believed to encourage quickness, rapid movement and more outward activity, as well as providing cleansing and cooling properties to the body. Raw foods are thought to bring about renewal by reminding the body of the earlier, more youthful stages of human development, going back in our evolution to more primal biological states. Eating some raw food daily as the weather gets warmer is thought to bring balance to the body.

You can top off your spring menus with light teas, such as green, rosebud or chrysanthemum. In Chinese medicine, such refreshments are filled with the energy of spring and when you are in harmony with the seasons, you are in harmony with qi (chee) or life’s energy.

Recipe of the Month:

Sautéed Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Toast pine nuts on a cookie sheet in a 325-degree oven for 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil. 

3. Add greens, sea salt and raisins. Stir and cook 5 minutes.

4. Turn off heat, add in pine nuts and transfer to serving dish.

Notes: Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

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