IN SEASON: April

A holistic guide to shifting your energy, habits, and nourishment for spring.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been really feeling the heaviness of this past winter both physically and emotionally. Maybe it’s because of my absolute disdain for spending any extended amount of time outdoors in -30 degree weather. Call me crazy. I should probably think about picking up a winter hobby, but I just can’t bring myself to become a cool winter girl. This leaves me indoors for much of the season, which isn’t terrible, per se, but I do tend to go a bit crazy when my extracurricular rotation is: yoga class, expensive dinner out, facetime my mom (love you), and sitting on the couch. I need the outdoors. More specifically, I need to be able to sit in the grass and look up at the sun 90% of the time.

March in Montreal this year—and most years, for that matter—was tough. Early March teased us with about a week of warmth. The annoying thing about Canadians is that we can’t wait to jump on the opportunity to show our knees to the world as soon as it hits anywhere above 5 degrees. Or maybe it’s charming, who knows. One of my best friends in Boston even had a beach day… in EARLY MARCH. The party had to come to an end at some point, and it did, hard. Rounding off our few days of glory, a generous ice storm brought us back to reality. And so, the winter gear came back out and stuck around for the rest of the month. Spring was close, but Mother Nature wasn’t quite yet ready to let us have it.

Now, as we head into one of my favourite months of the year, the city is abuzz with sunshine, crowded streets, and iced coffees. It only takes a moment to forget what winter put you through. Seasonal depression? Idk her.

Those first signs of spring feel like little glimmers of hope, pointing not only to a change in season, but to a change in energy. New beginnings, clearing out stagnation… Life is beginning to move again. And there are simple things we can do, and ways we can eat, to help ease ourselves into the new season.

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Energy

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, spring corresponds to the Wood element, and the Liver + Gallbladder meridians. Themes around this are:

• movement

• growth

• detoxification

• creativity

• irritability if energy is stuck

After the winter months, Qi begins to rise upward. Think of it as sap moving up through the trees.

People often experience symptoms such as headaches, irritability, PMS flare-ups, allergies, feeling restless or ungrounded, and digestive sluggishness around this time. This is Liver Qi stagnation from the slower months of winter.

Energetic support during this month can look like:

• gentle cleansing foods

• bitter and sour flavours

• movement

• time outdoors

• supporting the liver and lymph

In Ayurveda, early spring overlaps with Kapha season, a time associated with heaviness, dampness, and slower energy. That’s why we tend to feel a bit sluggish, congested, puffy, or foggy around this time of year. Kapha can accumulate in the body, and can show up as:

• congestion

• sluggish digestion

• puffiness or water retention

• seasonal allergies

• brain fog

• fatigue

To support the Kapha dosha and encourage a natural rebalancing of the doshas, Ayurveda recommends:

• lighter foods

• bitter greens

• warming spices (like ginger, cumin, and coriander)

• temporary reduction of heavy foods like dairy, fried foods, and excess sugar

• movement and circulation

Both TCM & Ayurveda highlight the same thing: clearing stagnation.

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Taste

Traditional medicine systems emphasize certain qualities or tastes in the spring to help the body transition out of winter. While meals should still feel warm and grounded, adding these flavours can support the body’s natural detoxification pathways and ease the shift into the lighter months ahead.

Bitter

Stimulates digestion and bile flow.

• dandelion greens

• arugula

• radicchio

• chicory

Sour

Helps move liver energy.

• lemon

• fermented vegetables

• apple cider vinegar

Pungent

Promotes circulation.

• ginger

• green onion

• garlic

• mustard greens

Consuming these foods can help signal to the body that winter is coming to an end. Try incorporating a dandelion greens salad, arugula and lemon, and sautéed mustard greens to complement your next meal.

lentil soup with sausage and mustard greens

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Seasonal Foods

In March, we saw a lot of carry-over foods from winter reserves: root veg, apples and pears, etc. (Honestly, it’s not my favourite month for local foods—long winters mean a lot of food repetition and my creativity was starting to run low.) While this stash is still relevant going into the new month, we are going to start seeing more foods that are naturally lighter, more bitter/pungent and green, and higher in antioxidants and fibre begin to reappear at markets. Think: asparagus, dandelion greens, spinach, radishes, herbs, and peas. And, as TCM suggests, bitter and pungent foods help move Liver Qi. By adding in more of these foods, we are supporting liver detox pathways, reducing inflammation after heavier winter foods, improving digestion and bloating, and naturally boosting energy.

April in Quebec is maple season. While I consume maple all year round, April is an especially good time for maple sap water. In most northern climates, early spring is the brief moment when trees move water and nutrients upward from their roots. Traditionally, people drank tree sap as a spring tonic long before it was reduced into syrup. It’s mineral-rich, super hydrating, and lightly cleansing. People saw it as a way of drinking the first movement of life in the forest.

FRUITS

• apples

• pears

VEGETABLES

• arugula

• beets

• brussels sprouts

• cabbage

• carrots

• garlic

• green onions

• kale

• leeks

• microgreens

• mushrooms

• mustard greens

• onions

• parsnips

• pea shoots

• potatoes

• radishes

• rutabaga

• shallots

• squash

• sweet potatoes

• turnips

• watercress

OTHER

• eggs

• cheeses

• butter

• bread

• honey

• maple products

• jams & preserves

• nuts and seeds

• ferments

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Spring Support Bowl

(with roasted carrots, arugula, lentils, and lemon-maple dressing)

Ingredients (serves 2)

Roasted vegetables

• 3-4 carrots, sliced lengthwise

• 1 small beet, peeled and sliced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt, ground black pepper

Lentils

• 1/2 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed

• 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed

• 1 bay leaf

• salt

Lemon-maple dressing

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp grated ginger

• pinch sea salt

To assemble

• 2 cups arugula, watercress, or mustard greens

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley or dill

Additional toppings: toasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta, roasted tofu, fermented vegetables

Instructions

1. Roast the vegetables: Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss carrots and beet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 25–30 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized.

2. Cook the lentils: Place lentils, garlic, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Cover with water and simmer 20–25 minutes, until tender. Drain, discard bay leaf, and season lightly with salt.

3. Make the dressing: Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and ginger (if using).

4. Assemble: Divide lentils between bowls. Top with roasted vegetables, greens, green onions, and herbs. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

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Lifestyle Practices

Circulation & movement

If you haven’t experimented with lymphatic drainage yet, spring is a great time to start. Dry brushing before a shower and using a gua sha for a couple of minutes every morning will support circulation and the body’s natural elimination pathways. Movement in the form of twisting and shaking will stimulate the area around the liver and gallbladder meridians, helping relieve feelings of stagnation or irritability that often arise in spring.

Digestive support

This time of year often brings the desire for a little internal reset. Ayurveda recommends simplifying meals in early spring to help clear out any accumulation from winter. Good digestion requires good stomach acid levels, and adding in bitters about 10 minutes before meals is the perfect way to help the body process food more efficiently. Applying a castor oil pack 2-4 nights a week can support circulation and parasympathetic activity, which helps digestive and metabolic processes function more smoothly.

Environment & energy

Spring energy is all about release, renewal, and intention. Open the windows first thing in the morning for 10-15 minutes to help clear the accumulation of stagnant air, indoor pollutants, and moisture. Declutter your space this month by focusing on 1 area a week to help reduce mental stagnation, improve focus, and signal the beginning of a new energetic cycle. Morning light helps regulate the circadian rhythm and hormonal cycle. Within 30 mins of waking, stand outside for 5-10 minutes. Bonus if you can get near water, trees, and wind. Extra bonus if done barefoot on grass or soil.

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What’s one ritual or intention that you will be taking with you into this new month? What part of your life is ready to grow?

Wishing everyone a very well-deserved transition to spring. Happy April!