ImageYour body comes with its own detox system: the liver and the kidneys. Many people will go on a spring fast or cleanse to reduce the daily load on these organs, but you don’t have a do a mystery cleanse or live off of lemon juice and cayenne pepper for weeks to clean out your body.  Simply cut back on the foods that harm your body like sugar and soda, and incorporate more whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and vegetarian proteins.   Here are some more specific tips to gently cleanse your body this spring.

 

Concentrate on foods that help the liver cleanse like:

  • Dark green vegetables – kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, dandelion greens
  • Seaweed
  • Onions and garlic
  • Green  and chamomile tea
  • Flaxseed, coconut, olive and fish oils – all other oils should be shelved during a cleanse
  • Juices  – from carrots, beets, apples and ginger
  • Ginger – Make yourself tea from fresh ginger root during your detox.
  • Other good detoxing foods include–lemons, watercress, dandelion greens, cilantro, artichokes, citrus peels, pomegranate, and even cocoa

Stay away from heavy meats & dairy

As spring comes, we want to move towards lighter proteins like lean meat, beans, nuts, seeds and legumes.Dairy, in the form of cheese, ice cream and milk is best avoided in the spring, but plain yogurt is okay in moderation.

Other things to do:

  • First thing in the morning, drink one lemon squeezed in 12 ounces of warm filtered water. Lemon activates your liver to release toxins and helps to cleanse and move the roughage that stays behind in your intestines
  • Avoid toxic foods such as high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, tobacco, and alcohol. Cutting back even a little bit can make a huge difference in your body’s ability to handle toxins
  • Drink Twig Tea instead of coffee or regular tea. A Japanese tea called Kukicha is made from the twigs of the tealeaf plant and can be purchased in tea bag form in a health food store.  This is lower in caffeine than coffee, has a hearty, woody taste and is great for springtime.
  • Be conscious of your anger and work to release it. Anger is held in the liver. Releasing any anger or resentment will assist detoxification.
  • Take a probiotic supplement to balance intestinal functions, helping to break down food and control the “bad” bacteria that are also in your system—all of which optimizes the detoxification process. Always take probiotics on an empty stomach.
  • Eating smaller meals so that you don’t overwhelm your digestion and interfere with the detoxification process 
  • Supplement Your Detox with Dandelion and Milk Thistle – both protect and restore the liver. (Check with your Dr. before taking any herbal supplements)
  • Take an Invigorating Herbal Soak
    Soak for 20 minutes in a revitalizing herbal bath. Help draw out toxins by infusing your bath water with eucalyptus, wintergreen, peppermint, fennel, cinnamon, and Epsom salts. 
  • Eat Organic Whole Foods: Eating organic foods limits your exposure to pesticides and other harmful chemicals. If you cannot afford all organic products, stick to the dirty dozen list on http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Dirty_Dozen_Organic_Foods
  • Add Cilantro to your Diet:  Cilantro is one of the only food sources that effectively remove heavy metals from the body in a short amount of time.  Added to salsa, soup, or made into a great pesto, it can bind with the heavy metals–such as mercury, aluminum, and lead, in our body and allow them to be excreted in as little as two weeks