The sweetness of beets paired with aromatics and the sour flavor of vinegar is the perfect combination to help move stagnate Liver Qi. Since spring is the season of the liver, we can be prone to developing liver qi stagnation. Liver qi stagnation shows up as feeling easily irritated, frustrated, and finding yourself feeling tense in the neck, shoulders, and diaphragm. If you notice these symptoms showing up in early spring, simply add some more sour flavored ingredients, and sweet root vegetables to your diet.
Ingredients:
- 9 small beets
- 6 green onions
- 1 bunch/head cilantro
- 2-3 T balsamic vinegar
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- pinch of salt (optional, I often omit the salt)
Directions:
Chop the greens and the root tails off of the beets, and peel them. If you don’t want your hands to take on a lovely pink hue, then grab a pair of gloves before you start working with the beets.
Once the beets are peeled, chop them into roughly one inch cubes and place in a steamer. Steam the beets for fifteen -twenty minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
In the meantime, slice the green onions into one cm slices. Roughly chop the cilantro. Place both the green onions and the cilantro into a salad bowl to await the steamed beets.
For the dressing, pour 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar into a small bowl or ramekin. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, a 1/4 tsp ground pepper and an optional pinch of salt. Use a small whisk and whisk the ingredients into the oil. Take a little taste and see if you need to add another tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. You’ll know. Set aside.
When the beets are easily pierced with a fork, then add them to the bowl containing the green onions and cilantro. Toss them all together, then add the dressing and toss the whole medley a few more times to coat everything easily. Serve and devour as politeness allows.
Stick Out Your Tongue 
[…] An example: feeling reactive to stress, easily frustrated, having a hard time making plans, and getting frequent tension headaches or migraines, may relate to a condition we call liver qi stagnation (this can be further differentiated, but let’s keep this example simple). The season of the liver is the spring, and often we’ll see quick mood swings between feeling frenetic, stressed, and easily angered, to feeling depressed and overwhelmed to the point of wanting to give up. During the frenetic, stressed, and rising emotions of anger, it is helpful to eat sweet root vegetables, like a steamed beet salad tossed with balsamic vinegar, cilantro, and green onions. The root vegetables help anchor the rising energy of the liver, and the natural sweetness of the vegetables sooth the energy of the liver. The cilantro helps circulate energy, and the sour flavor of the vinegar helps further to anchor and consolidate the energy of the liver. Recipe here. […]
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