Cleansing is a powerful tool to reboot our systems and can have a huge impact on our gut health by reducing gut inflammation. use these effective cleansing tips to reset your system and allow your gut and body to begin to heal.
Spring is a great time to clean out our cobwebs, internally and externally. This is the time when so many people do their spring house cleaning and clean up the garden. Cleaning up our bodies is just as (or I believe even more) important!
Spring is a great time to cleanse after the long and cozy winter filled with yummy treats and comfort foods. A simple gentle cleanse with a focus on adding in lots of green and colorful veggies and removing processed foods and refined sugars can be profound!
Here are a few tips to help you set up and follow through with your cleanse:
- Pick a date and choose the number of days you want to commit to. Then schedule it in your calendar with a reminder a couple of days before. Once it is scheduled in your calendar, you are much more likely to follow through.
- Remove temptations from your kitchen as much as possible. If you are anything like me, I have to clean out or eat up any chocolate, open wine, or chips that may be around. If they are there, I will want to eat them and it makes it that much harder to choose a healthy snack.
- A few days before your start day, meal plan for the amount of time you will be cleansing and prepare a grocery list. Get detailed meals down on paper or in text and include snacks. Of course, you can always choose something different based on what you are feeling that day, but having a plan and the ingredients on hand for healthy meals and snacks allows you to make good food choices.
- Stock up on fruits, veggies, and healthy snacks so you are ready on your selected start date. Fruit is an easy and delicious go-to snack, yummy in smoothies, and a great side for many breakfasts in place of toast. I also like to keep raw or lightly salted nuts and seeds around to satisfy salty and crunchy cravings.
- The day before, prep dishes or snacks that can be made in advance for easy access. Chop veggies, hard -boil eggs, make hummus or protein balls, and any other dishes you want to have ready for quick meals and snacks.This step can be really helpful for those moments when you just want to grab something quick. If you have healthy snacks ready, you’re much more likely to grab those than if you don’t. Keep in mind that some things taste better and are better for you when made fresh including smoothies, juices, and guacamole.
- Drink lots of filtered water during your cleanse. This is super important! For our bodies to clean out and do all the repair work that we are asking it to do, we need lots and lots of clean water. I suggest taking a glass or stainless steel water bottle with you when you go out and keep a full glass around the house.
- Eat organic, whole food as much as possible. Eating organic food while cleansing is a great tool to allow your body to maximize cleanup and repair. If you are on a budget and would like to incorporate organic food into your cleanse or genral diet I suggest making organic meat, dairy, and eggs the priority (if you are including those).You can check out the Dirty Dozen 2020 and prioritize these as they have been identified as the top 12 foods that when grown conventionally have the highest level of chemical residues on them. The EWG also puts out the Clean Fifteen and these are crops that typically have far less chemical residue and may be considered a safer option if you can’t buy organic.
Your cleanse is specific to you and can be any version that you like. If you’re new to this, start with simple changes and listen to your body as you go.
Simply adding in lots of veggies and taking out sugar and alcohol might be a great place to start. You may be surprised at the difference these seemingly simple (but not always easy!) changes can make in your life. You might feel cruddy for a couple of days as your body gets used to not having certain things.
Changing your diet is not an easy thing to do. Be compassionate with yourself and remember if you slip up, the party ain’t over! Just get up and pick up where you left off. We all have those moments.
Remind yourself that any change is a positive change and try to view this experience as a step in the direction of your goals. Things often don’t go the way we think they will, but in the big picture maybe we are 1 step closer to where we want to be… and that is a win!
An Important Note:
If you’re feeling uncertain, have a medical condition or are pregnant or nursing, check-in with your doctor to make sure that cleansing is safe for you. What we’re talking about here is simply cleaning up daily food choices to allow our body time and space to repair.
If you’re interested in in-depth detox practices ~ I highly recommend checking in with your doctor first. It’s important to work with a practitioner to set your body up for detoxification and monitoring as your body rids itself of harmful toxins.
The seasons offer a defined opportunity to propel you forward as you work towards living and loving as you desire. I invite you to take advantage during the transition seasons of fall and spring. Let’s take part in and leverage this beautiful transformation together. You are amazing! And I’m so honored to be part of your incredible journey.
Check out my recipes for some fresh dishes and ideas to include in your spring cleanse.
Happy Cleansing!
