Spring has long been symbolic of a fresh start. With warmer weather, more sunlight, and longer days, it represents a season of renewal and growth.
Just as your outdoor garden begins to grow and flourish with the arrival of spring, it’s a chance to help your indoor ‘gut garden’ grow and flourish too.
Why spring feels like a gut reset
Food choices and portion sizes change
People typically report eating different foods at different times of the year. Observational studies have shown that vegetable and cereal consumption is higher in spring.
Seasonal availability also influences food choices - for example, strawberries and raspberries are more commonly eaten as the weather becomes warmer.
Spring’s milder temperatures might naturally cause a slight decrease in appetite as well, as people tend to eat less in warmer weather.
Energy needs differ over the year too. A small study spanning the different seasons showed that resting metabolic rate - the amount of energy (calories) your body uses at rest to maintain essential functions - was highest in winter and lower in spring.
Support your spring gut reset:
-
Spring marks the arrival of berry season, so try and include more strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and redcurrants.
-
Root vegetables are also abundant in spring. Think carrots, parsnips, and turnips…
-
Focus on wholegrains, like oats, brown rice and corn, as well as ‘pseudo grains’ like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.
Physical activity levels pick up
Unsurprisingly, physical activity tends to increase in spring with studies showing that step counts are higher during this season than at other times of the year.
Staying active is thought to benefit your gut microbiome by increasing microbial diversity, encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production.
Keeping active brings about other benefits too, including stress resilience (i.e. the body’s capacity to manage and adapt to different types of stress).
Regular movement also challenges the body - which, over time, strengthens systems such as the immune system – 70% of which resides along the gut.
Support your spring gut reset:
-
Getting active in spring is a simple way to ease back into movement after a slower-paced winter. Start with lighter, shorter sessions and gradually increase to reduce the risk of injury and support sustainable progress.
-
Pick an activity you enjoy – it might be jogging, a dance or yoga class, a swim session, or a YouTube workout video in your living room.
-
Gardening and spring naturally go together. It’s an easy way to stay active, and research suggests that families who garden tend to have different gut microbiomes compared with those who don’t.
Days get longer and lighter
Daylight, especially in the first hour of waking up, is the strongest signal for helping reset the master clock, which in turn synchronises all of the other ‘little clocks’ throughout the body. It’s also linked to better sleep quality and quantity.
Your gut microbiome follows the same 24-hour cycle, likely driven by the master clock in your brain.
Daylight affects vitamin D production, which in turn impacts immune function, and triggers changes in the gut microbiome.
Support your spring gut reset:
-
Get outside (especially first thing in the morning) to help reset your body clock.
-
If there is no sun, keep the lights bright or use a light therapy lamp.
-
Have a read of our 20 science-backed tips on how to sleep better.
Summary
As the season of renewal and growth takes hold, it’s also a chance for a gut reset by aligning your daily habits with the arrival of spring.
Shifting food choices at this time of year can encourage focus on seasonal produce - such as berries and root vegetables.
Warmer weather creates more opportunities to stay active whilst making the most of lighter mornings by getting outside early is one of the best ways to reset your body clock.
To learn more about other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.
Sources
Seasonality of food groups and total energy intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2016). Link.
Warm ambient temperature decreases food intake in a simulated office setting: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Frontiers. (2015). Link.
Relationship between seasonal changes in food intake and energy metabolism, physical activity, and body composition in young Japanese women. Nutrients. (2022). Link.
Physical exercise and the gut microbiome: a bidirectional relationship influencing health and performance. Nutrients. (2024). Link.
Fecal and soil microbiota composition of gardening and non-gardening families. Scientific Reports. (2022). Link.
The role of sunlight in sleep regulation: analysis of morning, evening and late exposure. BMC Public Health. (2025). Link.
The influence of seasonal variations in clinical trials based on gut microbiota studies. Microorganisms. (2025). Link.
