Spring has sprung! (Hopefully for good)

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By this time, I’m sure we can all agree that we are over the freezing cold weather. When March rolls around, the weather starts to change – hopefully by becoming warmer – which calls for new beginnings. I relate the seasons changing to changes of seasons in one’s life. We are always changing, whether that’s reestablishing old or new cycles into our lives, reflecting on the past, and maybe even creating new goals for the future.

 

I may be biased because my favorite color is green but green is widely represented in different ways in different cultures. In our culture, most of us think St Patrick’s Day and maybe relate the color to the overwhelming naturalistic aura it gives off in the spring when trees grow new leaves and plants start to bloom.

 

In the 19th century and thereafter, green was viewed with the relationship between prosperity, rebirth, and wealth which represented some dualities of life - health and sickness, longevity and discontinuity, etc. The color boomed in social life, fashion, art, medicine, and even interior design being the forefront in a lot of couch colors. One reason it was so largely identified is because absinthe and the pigment it provided when added to creative mediums. Strangely, the active ingredient in the drink also had influence on medicinal perspectives. It is evident that the color green had many uses during this time, and it is interesting to see how some may have changed or stayed the same over time.

 

When identifying things that have stayed the same, I look to the medicinal effects of a lot of green foods. This isn’t necessarily the same type of medicinal properties as the absinthe people once thought of but perhaps an even better.

 

Leafy green vegetables - Spinach, kale, arugula and collard greens are all examples of vegetables that have a robust dark green color. There are many nutrients that can act as immune builders and help with reducing free radicals in the body. This can include different antioxidants, chemicals like flavonoids that give these vegetables their rich color, and nutrients that can help support important body processes.

 

Broccoli  - Broccoli is a coniferous vegetable that can help decrease the risk of cancer when consumed regularly. This vegetable is also high in nutrients like vitamin C and K as well as fiber.

 

Green beans - Green beans are often overlooked as a vegetable but can offer a wide variety of medicinal properties. With a wide range of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and they can also help with digestion and metabolism.

 

Bell peppers - green bell peppers are a good addition to any meal or even as a snack. They offer a wide variety of again some B vitamins and vitamin C. they are very versatile with their uses and can be stuffed, roasted, raw or cooked.

 

Our greens are very important and an essential part of life especially when thinking of health and wellness. The medicinal properties may be different from uses in the past but they still show up in similar ways. Though we don’t often think of the other ways the color green shows up in our lives but it may be more prevalent than we think, and for good reason!


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https://www.artandobject.com/news/green-19th-century-cultural-history

 

 


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