Think your house is the only thing that needs spring cleaning? Think again.
Your body is your home too and it needs a good cleaning to stay fit, with all systems running optimally.
You know that feeling of opening all the windows in your house, letting the fresh air in as you remove the buildup from the previous season, making room for new beginnings?
It feels spacious, fresh and full of possibility.
Imagine that uplifting feeling in your body too.
Health is wealth so why wouldn’t you want to give your body the cleaning it needs?
It will thank you immensely with greater energy, less bulk and a clearer mind.
Here are my 4 Tips for Body Spring Cleaning
1.Lighten up your diet
Avoid heavy foods such as meat, dairy, wheat and sugar. Winter is the time to enjoy heavier foods, spring is the time eat light. Enjoy clear broth soups, lots of veggies, smoothies (80% veggie/20% fruit) and juices (mostly veggie). Look around at what veggies are in season: lettuces, bitter green, especially dandelion greens are wonderful for spring.
2.If you’re not hungry, then do not eat
Give your body time to process what you’ve already consumed and any excess metabolic waste in your body. Stop snacking and leave at least 3-4 hours between meals and 12 – 14 hours between your last meal/drink at night and your first drink/food in the morning. Learn to enjoy being a little hungry, and to discern between true hunger and the craving for emotional pacification.
3. Support your liver and digestion with herbal teas
The liver is our blood cleanser and we want to give it love in the spring. Dandelion root and dandelion greens support the liver and therefore the cleansing process. Cumin, coriander and fennel tea with fresh ginger is another great option. Warming spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and clove still work well in spring to help circulation and movement and avoid stagnation. Recipe for cumin, coriander and fennel tea: 1/2 teaspoon of each seed (it’s important that you use seeds, not ground spices). Put in a quart of water, bring to a boil, turn heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool, strain and enjoy. Add a few pieces of fresh ginger and you can also add dandelion root and/or leaf too!
4. Try a day of kitchari mono-diet.
Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic meal of basmati rice, yellow mung beans and ghee (clarified butter) with a spice mixture that stimulates digestion. A day of kitchari resets your digestion by revving it up so that it processes excess metabolic waste in the body. Pick a day where you eat kitchari for breakfast, lunch and dinner without snacking in between. Drink CCF tea (above) and water. If you like it, you can do 3-5 days of a kitchari mono-diet cleanse.
Ready to do some internal spring cleaning with a supportive group of like-minded women? Join my Guided Spring Cleanse. Click Here for info and registration.
