Spring Fever into Spring Love
The other day I told someone that I had Spring Fever. To be honest I have used that term probably multiple times, every year during the month of April. I have heard it my entire life. Here in the south, when we can experience multiple seasons in one week, we long for winter to be put to bed, but are not looking forward to those humid days with temps averaging 90 plus degrees. Honestly, we want weather like my oldest daughter experiences 360 days a year in Southern California. Picture with me- perfectly cool nights, and warm, not hot, sunny days without the humidity. Anyway, after I said I had “spring fever,” I wondered…what is the “definition.” So of course, I grabbed my phone did a quick search and read these words from Wikipedia, “Spring fever is any of a number of mood, physical, or behavioral changes, which may be experienced coinciding with the arrival of spring, particularly restlessness, laziness, and even amorousness.” Amorousness?! The state of being amorous…showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire. Well…I guess that definition could describe me.
Of course, anyone who knows me knows that I could not stop there, I had to research the term and today I am going to attempt to break it down for you.
In the 18th century, Spring Fever was a real disease. Also known as Spring Disease it was sometimes fatal, and the symptoms were more serious than a listless loss of ambition or feeling restless. Those who suffered had profound weakness, loose teeth, poor healing wounds, and joint pain. This disease became known as scurvy, which is caused by a lack of vitamin C. During winter, when no fresh vegetables were available, people depleted the vitamin C they had stored in their body the previous year. It is thought that this is where the common saying of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” actually came from. Apples can be stored through the winter and contain vitamin C. It also may be why many of our grandparents will recall how excited they were to get an orange in their stocking at Christmas time. Our bodies truly know and tell us what we need if we stop and listen. Yes, it was a sweet treat filled with nutrients their body needed that was scarce in the winter, rarely available. Past generations may not have fully understood the scientific importance of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and role that a well-balanced, nutritiously dense diet plays on overall health, but they did listen to their bodies and in many ways practiced balancing of the mind, body, and spirit.
It can be argued that we don’t have these same issues in our modern-day world. I say we do have similar issues. With our high paced lifestyles, accompanied by prepackaged, fast foods, our society primarily consumes high calorie, low nutritionally, dense food. If you believe that taking supplements will fix these problems, then you should know that these are not the most efficient way to get adequate vitamins and minerals into our bodies. Many “healthy” superfood powders, and over the counter products are not bioavailable and are quickly excreted. It may surprise you that documentation in cases of malnutrition still occur today for high-risk groups. Most often these include those who are isolated and live alone, suffer from psychiatric illness, eating disorders, alcoholism, the elderly, and/or those in food deserts. (PMID:33654545- Case Report of Modern-Day Scurvy). I know several people who fall into the previous category, and it has challenged my thinking. Why does any of this matter? Maybe, we can all do something this week to help someone.
I know I can. I can make a small difference. I will take a homemade nutritious meal and a filled basket of fresh fruit/vegetables over to someone’s house. A person who I know is struggling, needs a smile and show them that they are loved. That with a card could not only feed their body, but also their spirit as well. Couldn’t we all benefit from a giving some “Spring Love”?
So, my challenge for you this week dear reader. Let’s all turn our Spring Fever into Spring Love.
Blessings,
Lynn