How to Renew Your Body with a Spring Detox

Spring is Here!

There are buds and green leaves coming out on the trees and our grass is very ready to mow.  I am having trouble sleeping at night because our resident sea lions and eagles are barking and chirping all night as it is officially “herring season”. It’s the perfect time for some Spring Cleaning and a Spring Detox for my body.

Personally I love this season of the year. It’s that time of the year when nature renews and restores itself.  Many people take the time as the days get lighter to ‘spring clean’ our homes, getting rid of all the clutter that’s accumulated through the winter and deep cleaning both the outside and inside of our homes.

Spring Detox

Have you considered the benefits of giving your body a good inside-out ‘spring-cleaning’ as well?  Research science has proven that during the winter, with the days are shorter and colder, we get less sunshine and therefore less Vitamin D (which is actually not a vitamin at all but an important hormone at allows us to absorb all the other vitamins and minerals our bodies need). We also tend to eat less locally grown fruits and vegetables and often rely on sugar and comfort food to cheer us up over the winter. By spring, we may notice a few extra pounds around our mid-section, not feeling so vibrant in the mornings ,a bit sluggish after lunch, a few more headaches and/or an increase in food sensitivities and  allergies.

I have just been reading that traditional Chinese Medicine associates anger and irritation with our liver.. When spring comes, the liver gets revved up wants to get on with it’s  job . As your hardest working organ, what is the liver’s job? Mainly, cleansing and detoxification !

So this spring (yes, it’s officially started March 20) , I want to give you a spring detox system that assist your liver in doing its job which is  so much a part of spring and the  renewal of everything that grows. You can support your liver by doing the following:

 

• A wonderful habit I learned as a patient at Sanoviv, a world renown holistic hospital and medical retreat center, is to have ½ a lemon in a cup of warm water as soon as you wake up in the morning. You can add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to increase this cocktail’s effect if you like.. The lemon activates the liver, which enhances digestion. Lemon also alkalizes the body .
• Have this same drink before your lunch and dinner as well to enhance your digestion and alkalize your body
• One of my favourite authors and lecturers is Dr. Libby Weaver from New Zealand.  Libby recommends eating many of our   vegetables from the Brassica family, which includes cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnip, and collards. All these vegetables contains sulfur which help to support the liver. Watch my blog for some delicious recipes this spring using these vegetables, especially in salads and green smoothies.
• Let’s get spicy! To help your digestion, add turmeric, curry, ginger, and cumin to your meals. These spices are also super anti-inflammatory-especially turmeric. The product I recommend for my clients with joint issues contains a large amount of turmeric, as well as glucosamine, born and silica. Amazing results from this combination to ease the pain of osteoarthritis and promote cartilage health.
• Take some time to let your body sweat in an infrared sauna.. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. 30-45 minutes in an infrared sauna is plenty to detoxify your body, with the added benefit of burning 600 calories while you sit there and relax with a book and a glass of water or green tea . Make sure you shower after your infrared treatment or your skin will re-absorb all those toxins you just got rid of through your skin. A word of caution here to any one with metal in your body. Please check with your doctor before enjoying a sauna.
• Another trick I learned at Sanoviv is dry brushing your body with a loofah! This is terrific for your circulation and further helps your body to detoxify through your skin.

These are just a few ideas to enhance your spring body renewal. You can try one or all of them.

Yours in health,

Carolyn

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