5 Tips For a Spring Detox
Our bodies are smart. They have efficient pathways for regularly detoxifying the body, through the skin, liver, kidneys, lungs and colon. But, sometimes, our modern lifestyles, foods and environmental stressors can make it harder for the body to do what it knows how to do, in the most efficient way.
Spring is a great time to give the body’s natural detoxification process a bit of a boost. Here are a few tips to support your body, increase your energy and come out of hibernation feeling vibrant.
Focus on clean eating.
What is clean eating? While some people may have a more personal definition for what clean eating means to them, it focuses on eating whole foods, grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides and GMOs. Clean eating avoids refined, processed foods and added sugar, as well as dietary stressors that can cause inflammation. Clean eating includes incorporating foods into your diet that support the body and its detoxification processes, creating a more vital body.
What are a few clean eating guidelines you can easily incoporate?
Load up on fresh greens, including bitter greens like dandelion leaf and arugula. These bitter greens naturally get the process of digestion flowing, after the long winter months.
Drink plenty of water to hydrate the body. Try making fruit infused waters to add some variety.
Eliminate packaged and processed foods, as well as foods with added sugar.
Try to choose organic produce, when possible. Follow the Environmental Working Group’s list of The Dirty Dozen - the 12 top produce items that are treated with the most pesticides/herbicides - to know which produce is best to buy organically grown. They also have guidelines for the 15 produce items that are fine to buy conventionally grown (non-organic) - The Clean 15.
Cut back on dietary stressors like caffeine and alcohol.
2. Move your body with yoga.
Moving the body gets the lymphatic system moving, which helps the body to flush out toxins more effectively. Yoga is a great choice, as the stretching, poses and twists help support the body in its natural detoxification process.
Yoga also has the added benefit of helping support the body in removing energetic and spiritual blocks.
3. Try dry brushing.
Dry Brushing is a simple way to detoxify the body, boost circulation and has skin health benefits. It is a great practice year-round, but it is especially beneficial in the transition from winter to spring.
You can find out all about what dry brushing is and how to do it in our blog post.
4. Take an Epsom salt bath.
Epsom salt baths are a relaxing treat that also encourage detoxification. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate - an important mineral compound that helps support the body’s natural processes in releasing toxins.
Try adding a cup of Epsom salts with 5-6 drops of lavender essential oil to a warm bath and soak for 30-minutes. This will leave you feeling refreshed, as well as help the body with aches and muscle soreness/recovery.
If you don’t have a bathtub, you can soak your feet in a bin of warm water and Epsom salts.
5. Don’t forget your energy.
Energetic, emotional and spiritual detoxification are just as important as supporting our body through its physical detoxification process. Stuck emotions and energy can cause disruptions in our physical bodies. Find ways to release stuck emotions and energy that resonate with you.
Here are some ideas:
Taking walks in nature
Yoga
Praying
Creating art
Meditation
Want to know more about how you can support detoxification? Check out this blog post on 3 Detoxifying Healing Technologies.
As with any change to your diet, activity or lifestyle, always check with your doctor or a qualified practitioner before incorporating these suggestions.