Each major organ of the body has its own season, foods and flavours, according to the Chinese five element system, and Spring is the time for rebooting the liver with sour, clean-tasting foods - lemons, vinegar and sharp greens. Raw live sprouts are good for spring cleaning, while sulphurous foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, nuts and flax seeds contain great liver-building enzymes.

Best of all for pushing out wastes and invigorating new liver cells are chlorophyll-rich green foods - for a convenient top-up try green wheat leaf stirred into some grape or pear juice.

Winter is the season of kidneys and the bladder and is associated with salty tastes. Black rings under the eyes suggest that kidney energy is low: seek out natural salts in fish, especially salmon and trout, sea vegetables and kelp, celery and beetroot. Fragrant red cabbage baked with cloves and cinnamon, or a kidney bean chilli spiked with garlic can help to bring kidney energy back up.

In the traditional Chinese approach, where lungs and colon are both linked to the Metal element, the organs benefit from the same pungent tastes to help a sluggish system. Cook up a curry with ginger and spices, and be lavish with leeks, onions and garlic. Serve with brown rice, which will provide great nutrients and essential fluid for the colon.

Pancreas, spleen and stomach are considered to be partners in balancing blood sugar, absorbing nutrients and building up the blood by recycling red blood cells. These organs are best supported by naturally sweet foods, such as squashes, carrots, parsnips and grains such as barley, oats and rice will help in their vital work.

Find out more

• Green Leaf Powders are the finest foods for spring cleaning the liver - have a look at our Green Barley Leaf and Wheat Leaf (currently out of stock)
• See also Fine Kelp, sprouting seeds, Algae Flax Fibre and brown rice