Your body & mind in April

By April spring fever is in full swing. You may have been hibernating indoors throughout March, but by the time April rolls around, the itch to get outside is an important sign that physical changes are happening in your body.

Your body -- Accustomed to the cold of winter, your body is now adapting to warmer days. This is a huge transition! Although you have may have been craving this heat, your body isn't ready just yet - it's still catching up to the changing weather. As a result, this excess heat can cause symptoms suchs a mucus congestion, allergies, runny nose, itchy eyes, rashes, sore throats, puffiness and swelled hands/feet. Good news though: this same heat pushes blood to the surface so your skin which gives you the rosy-cheeked glow of summer 🥰

Emotionally -- April & May are full of sweetness and affection. With the itch to get outside, the desire for romance rises in the hearts of the birds, the bees, and people too! Your liver is pretty hot by this time in the season so you may also be inclined to hot blooded reactions like anger. Winter's bitterness becomes anger in spring. What you have been stewing on all winter rises to the surface to sprout. Physically, angry rashes may spread on your skin.

Here are Ayurvedic tips for feeling your best this April:

DIET TIPS

🌱 Avoid wheat, dairy, sugar and salt as well as heavy, fatty, fried food

🌱 Favor light, bitter, pungent and diuretic foods (e.g. dandelion, arugula, asparagus, fennel bulb, watercress, chard, radicchio, lettuce, beet greens, endive, microgreens) and herbs to keep accumulated moisture flowing out of the body and relieve you from liver congestion and sluggish circulation

🌱 Grapefruit, and raw beets for liver cleansing

🌱 Favor corn, celery, kale, cabbage and collards

🌱 Improve circulation with mint, peppermint, rosemary and basil & spices such as innamon, cayenne, ginger and black pepper

🌱 Reduce puffiness with chickpeas, legumes, sprouts, raw veggies, millet, barley and buckwheat

🌱 Fruits: apricots, cherries, oranges, lemon, pomegranates, tangerines and kumquats

LIFESTYLE TIPS

✨ Don't oversleep this time of year! It is ideal to wake with the sun.

✨ Aim for at least 15 minutes of daily exercise. Walking, hiking and biking are all great ways to lighten up. Also include stimulating backbends that will energize you, open the lungs and wring out the liver

✨ Daily dry brush & self oil massage in the morning as a way to increase blood flow and boost your energy in the morning. It takes 3min! Skip during your period.