Spring is a time for new beginnings—planting seeds of food and health for the coming year—and for releasing the stored energy that both we and nature built throughout the winter. We enter a new cycle with nature, one with increased temperatures and prominent moisture and heaviness in the atmosphere. The warmth prompts our body to begin to open up. For example, excess mucus melts and rushes out of our system, a reason why many of us experience colds and congestion in the spring. Therefore, we need to change our diet, or our physiology will become sluggish. Because like increases like (i.e., part of the Golden Rule of Balance), the increased humidity in the atmosphere will presumably also manifest in our stomach, which will lower our digestive fire and slow down our metabolism, leading to feelings of heaviness, fatigue, lethargy, and a small appetite. You may also notice excess mucus, a cough, clammy skin, and weight gain. To avoid these symptoms, Ayurveda recommends that we gradually and comfortably adjust our diet to favor cooked and warm foods that are dry, light, and predominantly pungent, bitter, and astringent in taste. In general, your plate should contain less grains, a moderate amount of protein (preferably for lunch and not dinner), and more vegetables.