Spring Cleanse
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Did you ever wonder why we always seem to get that urge to 'spring clean'? Whether it's the garage, basement, closets, or kitchen cupboards, there seems to be some biological impulse pushing us to give everything a good going over once winter passes. But what about your body? Isn't spring a time for it to be cleaned out too?
Chinese medicine has been thinking about this for some 2000 years or more. In classical Chinese medicine each organ in the body is associated with a particular season. The liver, for example, is associated with the spring, a time for clearing out the old and making room for the new. From a metabolic point of view, the liver is the most important cleansing organ in the body. So maybe there is an underlying biological reason that has us thinking about cleaning each spring.
The easiest and simplest cleanse is a gentle routine to eliminate processed foods and most building foods - anything in a wrapper or package, anything that makes you feel strong, heavy, grounded and full such as nuts, meats, eggs, dairy, fats, oils, chicken, etc
Move to cleansing food that makes you feel light, clear and clean: raw veggies, sprouts, fresh fruit and cooked leafy greens.
Your cleanse needs to be realistic and doable. It may push you beyond your typical comfort zone and that's okay but it should not stress you out and make you feel totally deprived.
Here are my Top 5 Things to Do Today for Easy Spring Cleansing:
#1 - Lemony Fresh
One of the easiest things you can do to keep your liver running smoothly (or make up for one too many nights on the town) is to drink hot water with lemon. Ann Louise Gitleman, author of the Fat Flush Plan, explains that "hot water with lemon benefits bile formation, which is essential for optimal fat metabolism and helps regenerate the liver. It also promotes peristalisis, the movement in the bowels that keeps waste moving along the digestive tract and out of the body for elimination." Now that's cleansing!
To Try: Drink a glass of hot water with half of a lemon about a half hour before meals.
#2 - Brush, Brush, Brush Your Way to Healthy Skin
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and one of the top organs of elimination. Kinda cool, huh? Treat your skin to a cleansing treat by using a skin brush before your shower. The stimulation of the skin brush helps on the surface by removing dead cells and beneath the surface by stimulating blood and lymphatic circulation, which has been said to help with cellulite reduction.
To Try: Start at your feet and brush up towards your heart using short circular strokes. Continue at your hands and up your arms to your heart. Enjoy!
#3 - Eat Your Greens
In the spring, we see the return of green. Bring it to the table and up your consumption of greens, too. Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and blemish free. Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, nappa cabbage, red or green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.
To Try: Experiment with a green you haven't tried or bring in more of an old favorite (see the recipe below.) Fresh greens from the farmer's market are delicious sauteed with a little olive oil and garlic.
#4 - Write It Out
Sometimes the most toxic thing we put in our bodies doesn't come from food or even chemicals; it comes from our heads. This spring, take some time to evaluate the thoughts that fill your head and throw out the ones that are no longer serving you. Do you beat yourself up if you eat a "bad" food instead of snacking on veggies? Are you constantly picking on yourself for not being pretty enough, thin enough, smart enough or just enough? Use your journal to help you weed through the negative thoughts that weigh you down.
To Try: Begin by writing down all negative thoughts that swirl in your head. Then, write down all of the things you're grateful for and an affirmation that makes you feel powerful, calm and strong. Check out Louise Hay's website for ideas.
#5 - DeClutter
As we're cleaning out our minds and bodies, it's important to pay attention to our living environments. Let's make the outside match our inside and take some time to declutter. Think you don't have time? Think again! The smart women at Flylady.net have some great advice: 15 minute cleaning binges! We all have 15 minutes a day to clean, right? You'll be amazed at how much you can get done when you dedicate 15 minutes to cleaning. This is a fun website!
To Try: Get yourself a kitchen timer and set it for 15 minutes. Then spend those 15 minutes cleaning or decluttering one room in your house. When the bell dings, you're done!
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Food Focus: Liver Cleansing Food
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Raw fruits and vegetables such as: beets, artichokes, peas, parsnips, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, squash, yams, beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, okra, onion, and parsley are great choices to support a Liver Cleanse. Choose organically grown produce as often as possible to avoid pesticides and lighten your body's toxic load.
Juicing is a convenient way to get the many micronutrients often lost in the cooking process.
Here are some inspiring combinations you might like to try!
1. Beet, carrot, apple, celery, alfalfa
2. Cabbage, celery, apple
3. Cabbage, cucumber, celery, tomato, spinach, basil
4. Tomato, carrot, mint
5. Grapefruit, orange, lemon
6. Carrot, and coconut milk
7. Grapes, apple
8. Leafy greens, broccoli, apple
9. Apple, papaya, grapes
10. Apple, pineapple, mint
11. Apple, carrot, radish, ginger
12. Asparagus, carrot, mint
13.Cucumber, parsley, carrot
14. Watercress, celery, garlic, carrot, wheatgrass
15. Cabbage, garlic, mustard greens, carrot, celery, beets, parsley!
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Recipes of the Month:
Spring Ephemeral Salad
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· ½ cup sunflower seeds
· 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
· 1 clove garlic, minced
· 3 tablespoons lemon juice
· 3 tablespoons organic, extra-virgin olive oil
· 2 cups spinach leaves
· 2 cups dandelion greens, picked before flowers open
· 1 raw, medium beet, grated
· 1 medium carrot grated
· 2 scallions thinly sliced
· 1 cup alfalfa sprouts*
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