Spring is finally here and while I love to do a good spring clean around the house I want to make sure we talk about how we can do a spring clean or spring detox for our bodies. As the seasons change our bodies can take a minute to adjust, spring allergies anyone? Which is why spring detoxing is so important to give our bodies some extra tlc this time of year.
Why Detox Our Bodies
I don’t know about you but during the winter, especially during the holidays, I eat heavier foods and tend to partake in sweets and alcohol a little more than usual. That’s why when spring arrives I take a closer look at how I’m feeling and what my body needs as we move into a new season. Spring detoxing for your body is all about resetting, detoxing and refreshing your health.
Nourish With Whole Foods
I tend to eat intuitively most of the time and when the weather warms my body craves more light, fresh water based foods. It makes sense when you think about it. During the winter I crave hearty soups and warm meals to get me through the cold. As we move into a warmer season my body wants to be hydrated and likes foods that are cooling.
Nourishing with whole foods is a great way to detox those heavier meals from the winter. I like to look at the things we can add in versus what we should “cut” out. The more nourishing foods you add in the less processed, refined sugar foods you will crave. During your spring detox you’ll want to focus on fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies. Adding detoxing foods like lemon, garlic, tumeric and ginger is also another great way to detox gently. Think warm lemon water when you wake up or a tumeric latte in the afternoon.
Herbal teas like dandelion, green and peppermint help support digestion and can be a great addition to your spring detox plan.
Hydrate and Detoxify
I suggest you drink 1/2 your weight in water per day anyway (*wink *wink) but if you haven’t been doing that then during your spring detoxing is a great time to make that a non negotiable habit. Water is so important to help flush toxins out of our body amongst other things! This year I started drinking warm water with half a lemon every morning. It’s such a nice belly rub first thing in the morning and the lemon is not only detoxifying but also extra hydrating. To help you get all of your water intake for the day try adding lemon and/or cucumber to your glass.
Move your body
While moving your body is so important for cardiovascular and mental health it is also detoxifying. Much like water, sweating is a detoxing pathway which is a nice way of saying it releases toxins.
Walking, strength training, yoga, running; you can choose any movement you like best. It’s important to aim for 30 minutes a day however any amount of movement is good. I love going for long walks this time of year when all the flowers start to emerge. Yoga is another great detoxifying exercise because it is relaxing, doesn’t stress your body, and the deep breathing helps to improve circulation. Checkout one of my yoga routines here.
support your gut and digestion
If I had to tell you one thing to do this spring it would be to support your gut. Your gut health impacts so much of your wellbeing from mental health to seasonal allergies.
My favorite way to support my gut health is with SAKARA. I am in love with their Signature Nutrition Program and like to use it seasonally to detox and support my gut. However, their Complete Probiotics are my absolute favorite. I take two everynight before bed and I think I will until the end of time.
Other ways to support your gut are to add probiotic rich foods like kombucha and a organic grass-fed yogurt. Fiber-rich foods like those found in the SAKARA Signature Nutrition Plan aid in digestion and elimination (another VERY important detox pathway).
get enough rest and sleep
Aiming for 7-9 hours of good quality sleep allows your brain and body time to recover from the day and prepare for the next. Ever notice how you can’t think straight when you go to bed way too late, that’s because your brain didn’t have enough time to recover.
If you’re having trouble sleeping pay attention to your sleep habits. Are you falling asleep while looking at a device? Is your room dark enough? Are you too hot or cold while you sleep? I take sleep very seriously and I love these melatonin free supplements to help me fall asleep at night. You can also find my go-to sleep essentials here.
If you’re a high achieving person like me then the rest part might have you rolling your eyes. Trust me I get it, but I am working (work in progress here) on allowing myself to rest during the day.
Rest can look like pausing to read a book for pleasure for 30 minutes, working on a craft project, whatever you like to do that brings you joy and doesn’t make you feel stressed.
reduce toxins
While you’re eliminating toxins it’s a good idea not to be actively putting them in your body, that kind of negates the point. In order to create a clean slate and allow your body to heal cut back on alcohol and caffeine.
Now is also a good time to check your skincare to make sure you’re not putting chemicals on your body. Chemicals in products get absorbed into our skin and have to be processed out through our liver. With all the toxins in our environment that are out of our control it’s best to keep them out of products that we buy.
7 Day Detox Plan
If you need a little extra help with detoxing this spring click the button below for my 7-Day Gentle Detox Meal Plan which includes a meal plan, grocery list and a sample workout plan.
I’ll be doing this through the month of April so lets do it together, reach out to me either on instagram or email and let me know how it’s going for you!
Can’t wait to hear from you!
-Amanda
Leave a Reply