Tips to Ease into Spring Eating + Celeriac Soup
Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links, and, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please be assured that I only recommend products that I believe in & have personally tried or used. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Warmer days are peaking in (albeit intermittently between frosty cold), and that means we are easing into spring! Ah the season for renewal, rebirth, regrowth after the restless stagnancy of winter. We are awakened and reinvigorated by the sunshine and fresh air, but that also means we need to ease our bodies out of hibernation and heartier foods in this transition because the dramatic fluctuation of weather, harvests, and microbes can make it challenging to stay healthy. The body is unprepared for the sudden changes.
And, thus, one of the many reasons why I advocate for eating with the seasons. Mother Nature knows best. By living in harmony with our environment and the wisdom of nature, we can prevent illness and imbalance, which is one of the defining characteristics of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian wisdom meaning the ‘Science of Life’. Ayurveda, a philosophy I embrace in my every day, is a lifestyle and health system helping us to understand that we are nature and we are of nature. And there is a special term for eating seasonally: ritucharya. Eating seasonally is a holistic way to reconnect with ourselves and nature on a deeper level.
With industrialization making once-seasonal food available year-round, and the fact that we spend more and more of our lives inside, it’s easy to forget what it feels like to truly live in harmony with the rhythms of the seasons. That’s where the concept of ritucharya comes in – with “ritu” translating to “season” and “charya” translating to “to follow” — it breaks down what to eat during each season to maintain health and prevent disease. Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished, energized, and aligned.
In Ayurveda there are 6 seasons, and we are currently entering the Vasanta Ritucharya. Lasting from mid-March to mid-May, nature begins to stir back to life and earth and air energies combine to make this time a lively transitional period. We are coming out of a darker, wetter season in which we needed to eat heavier foods to keep us warm and satisfied. What this means is that our bodies natural rhythms can get out of balance, but we have the power to put our well-being back into our own hands by following seasonal living guidelines.
What to Eat Right Now
This emergence of spring is one of the more sensitive times for our body. Ayurveda advises us to avoid heavy, oily, sour, and sweet foods to prevent further adding to the volume of mucous already flowing through the body. This is why so many of us are prone to spring fever, hay fever, pollen allergies and coughs and colds in this season. Instead, focus on eating easily-digestible and gut-healthy pungent, bitter, and astringent foods like lentils, millet, honey, artichokes, radishes, chicories, cabbage, greens, celery, beets, fennel, turnips, peas, garlic, onion and gently stimulating herbs and spices like parsley, cilantro, coriander, cloves, cumin, ginger, black pepper, and turmeric. Light, bitter foods help dry up the excess moisture.
And this is where celeriac, aka celery root, comes in. One of the lightest root vegetables and the only with as much flavor and freshness as leafy greens, it promises satisfaction without weighing you down. It’s bitter and astringent to aid digestion and metabolism, but softly sweet and slightly warming to still keep you satisfied.
While I consider soup season to be year round, this is a particularly beneficial soup for right now. Silky smooth and full of flavor, yet light on the palate and body, as it is all vegetable and no cream. I picked up some awesome produce from Giordano’s Garden Groceries in my South Philly neighborhood and have been thoroughly savoring this soup. You’re welcome to use various toppings, depending on your mood, but I liked it served with a sprinkling of California Walnuts, pomegranate seeds, celery leaves, and lemon zest, a drizzle of turmeric oil, and a side of my toasted gluten-free sourdough. Try this soup to help you ease into spring eating.
TIPS TO EASE INTO SPRING EATING:
HONOR YOUR APPETITE: Your appetite may begin to lesson on warmer days. Follow your natural desire to eat heartier soups and stews on colder days and lighter fare on warmer days to help remove mucous. Focus on incorporating transitional foods from both the winter and warmer seasons. Tune into your body’s cues to help you feel energized and satiated.
EAT LOTS OF GREENS: Greens are abundant right now and powerfully aid in your body’s natural detoxification and provide many nutrients and fiber to keep you energized.
COOK YOUR GREENS + VEGETABLES: Vegetables are binding in their raw form and too much could be too hard on your digestive system right now. Cooking your greens will help them be easier to digest in this transition. Think roast, sautee, grill, stir fry, soups.
GARNISH WITH LOTS OF GREEN LEAFY HERBS: The herbs are beginning to grow and have lots of healing nutrients and flavor.
BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH ROOTS: Think ginger, burdock, turmeric to help shed mucous, reduce inflammation, and give your immune system a needed boost with much-needed antioxidants.
SWAP OUT HEARTY GRAINS: Heavier grains are typically harvested in the fall when we need them for extra warmth and sustenance for the colder months. They are harder on our systems to digest, so swap them for other complex carbohydrates (like beet, beans, millet, buckwheat) come warmer days.