Spring!

Hi! Gina here...

And if you're in the Chester County area, then you are most likely celebrating our hard-won week of delicious weather like I am.

Wandering around in a certain business complex yesterday, I came across several smiling faces ....like this one guy standing outside in button-down shirt and tie, just because he couldn't stand it in the office anymore.

Love it.

Something about the fresh air and warm sunshine, I've noticed,seems to inspire us to take renewed self-care measures.

A couple of things I've started doing in the past two weeks - and I gotta tell ya, have really turned my flagging energy around - are juicing and making miso soup every morning.

Miso soup, if you're not familiar, is a simple broth made with a few vegetables and a fermented soybean paste called miso. Miso is rich in calcium, protein, vitamin D and friendly bacteria which aid digestion.

Over the years, I managed to get into a bad habit of stumbling out of bed and starting the day with coffee before I ate anything... something my stomach could never tolerate when I was younger.

Because I didn't notice feeling bad right away, it didn't occur to me that this might be having a negative effect on my overall sense of well-being.

I was reminded by a book I'm now reading of a few simple practices I used to do years ago, and almost immediately after picking them up again, I felt 15 years younger.

First, is (after stumbling out of bed) splashing cold water on my face 20 times. Then drinking a glass of water, ideally with a couple grains of sea salt added to rehydrate.

Then I do a full body scrub with a hot wet washcloth before getting in the shower. This is amazing in its ability to get the blood flowing.

After the shower I make my soup, some whole grain dish or another (oatmeal or barley, etc) and a handful of greens, like kale.

Then, and only then will I indulge in my cup of coffee. And I've found after the soup, I really don't want or need more than one cup, as I have sustained energy throughout the day.

This energy feeds on itself, too, as I'll go outside to walk or run around with my youngest son.

See? Simple things.

Some other foods that are helpful to get a sluggishness liver moving after a long winter are: barley; leafy and preferably bitter greens; tart apples, like Granny Smiths; pickled and fermented foods like miso, soy sauce, and sauerkraut; sour plums (umeboshi) and vinegar.

Questions? Comments? Post 'em below! What do you do to wake up your body in the spring time?

P.S.: Miso Soup Recipe..

4-inch pice of wakame, soaked until soft, finely sliced
4 cups water
1/2 yellow onion, cut in thin, half-moon slices
1 small carrot, cut in thin coins
1/2 cup finely shredded green cabbage
2 teaspoons barley or brown rice miso
2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal for garnish

Combine wakame and water in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the remaining vegetables, cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are oft, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove a small amount of broth, use to dissolve the miso, and stir back into soup. Simmer, uncovered 3 to 4 minutes to activate the enzymes. Serve garnished with sliced scallions.