Just like the turn of a new year, making resolutions and getting a fresh start, spring time is the season of new beginnings. Flowers are blooming, the days are getting a little longer and the temperatures are starting to rise. Animals begin to shed their winter coats and we’re no different. The heavier foods we were eating during the cold winter months and indulgent holidays are behind us, it’s time to feel lighter and brighter just like it is outside. Our bodies do a pretty good job naturally detoxing, especially in the spring, but here are 5 ways to detox daily yourself, without any crazy dieting or restrictions!
Warm water with lemon. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but it really is a great way to start the day. If you’re one of those people that wakes up super hungry (like me), you’ll be surprised how well this can suppress your appetite and make you feel less ravenous and more calm. It’s really soothing and helps detoxify the liver. Simply have a steamy but not-too-hot cup of filtered water and add a half to whole squeezed lemon. I like to add a slice of the rind too since it gives off the natural oils of the lemon. And if you want to upgrade your lemon water, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV) and/or the famous ginger juice.
I started on the daily water with lemon back in 2008 because of a book I read called the The Liver Cleansing Diet by Dr. Sandra Cabot, an Australian naturopath. It’s an oldie but goodie that one! The book just really resonated with me and I believe it helped get me to where I am today.
Sweat. Every time we sweat we’re allowing toxins to be released through our pores. There are even bacteria and viruses that are unable to survive about our normal body temperature! So in turn you’re also helping to boost your immune system and can also help excrete heavy metals that seem inevitable now in our body (think mercury and lead for example). It can also help keep our largest organ, our skin, in tip top shape cleansing out those pores naturally. Plus, maybe it’s just me, but it feels really good. I find showers much more rewarding, and when my head hits the pillow, which is an added bonus as you’ll see below!
Get green. Greens also have loads of fiber, which if you remember this post, it’ll fill you up not out. It gets everything moving along so your body becomes super efficient digesting everything. Chlorophyll, the same thing that gives leafy greens their gorgeous green hue, also aids our liver and digestive tract. It too helps rid the body of harmful environmental toxins from heavy metals, herbicides, and pesticides. Plus, why wouldn’t you want to eat something that looks like this on the daily?! I basically put everything I had that was green in my kitchen into this. Or you could go ahead and make my favorite kale salad recipe!
ZZZZ’s. It’s not just about feeling rested or not, it’s about allowing the body to repair every night. The less sleep we get, the less our body can heal itself during that 7 to 9 hour period. We fight germs left and right, but often times we won’t get sick if we are well rested. Our body has the proper tools and has had the time to tackle it if we got our Z’s! It’s easier said than done (trust me, I’m a new mom, I get it!), but making sleep a priority just like anything else will have major payoffs.
Break fast. I’m not actually referring to what you eat in the a.m., but the time in between the last bite of food before bed and when you eat the next morning. Just like sleep is crucial for our body to repair and prepare us for the day ahead, fasting for at least 12 hours helps the body do it best. If we are still digesting food while we sleep, it’s not allowing our other organs to do their job as efficiently because it’s focused on the digestive system.
Do you have any daily rituals that keep you feeling your best?
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