A Conversation with Dr. Nicole van Poelgeest

Allison and her family recently escaped to Salt Spring Island for March break, a scenic ferry ride from Bowen. The island is home to Lavender Black Farm—where we source some of our exquisite ingredients—and dear friend and gracious host, naturopath Dr. Nicole van Poelgeest. Though the week was rainy, wandering Salt Spring’s winding paths, spotting the first signs of spring, and soaking in Nicole’s wisdom on transitioning the body from winter to spring made for a deeply restorative trip. Read on for more about Allison’s visit.

While she was there, Allison sat down with Dr. Nicole van Poelgeest, a naturopathic doctor dedicated to holistic healing, to talk about the best ways to transition our bodies naturally into spring. With her deep knowledge of botanical medicine and the body's rhythms, Nicole shared insights on aligning with the season's renewal- supporting detoxification, balancing energy, and embracing lighter nourishment. See below for our Q&A, where she delves into simple, restorative practices to welcome the shift.

Allison: Even though it doesn’t look like it, spring is here! What are some ways we can help our bodies transition from winter to the new season?

Dr. van Poelgeest: I love to think about how people throughout history may have made this transition, and two primary methods come to mind: eating fresh, springtime vegetables, and beginning to incorporate some gentle movement into our daily rituals.

Our body is always naturally detoxing, but eating bitter greens (like kale, stinging nettles, or dandelion greens) is a great way to stimulate digestion and wake our bodies up for spring. And so is sweating! Finding a way to take a forest walk or get a little sweat on is a wonderful way to help your body transition for spring.

Allison: Bitter things...so like a digestif spritz?

Dr. van Poelgeest: Yeah! Gin and tonics, digestifs...these are all bitter herbals people would drink before a meal to get their systems to naturally begin to detox.

You can also make a nettle or dandelion leaf tea and mix it with seltzer or honey for a non-alcoholic version.

Allison: What are some changes you like to make to bring your skin out of winter hibernation?

Dr. van Poelgeest: For skincare, I always start on the inside, with natural detoxification and sweating, like we just talked about. So bitter greens, and incorporating movement or a sauna into your ritual.

Topically, I opt for anything light and non-toxic. Skincare is notoriously chemically, so sticking to clean ingredients and lots of mists and gentle invigorators. I sometimes like to start my day by dipping my face in ice water to wake up my skin and regulate the nervous system.

Allison: How can we awaken our senses for spring?

Dr. van Poelgeest: I love to get outside for a walk through the forest or work in my garden—anything that allows me to really feel nature. But, if you don’t have access to that, you can use scents and aromas that help your senses wake up. Things like rosemary, lavender, cedar, and fir are great things to diffuse or put in a spray bottle or tea to invigorate your senses for spring.