“Spring Cleaning” For Your Body

“Spring Cleaning” – By Leigh – Anne Franklin, Nutritionist

You might not have given this much thought, but are you aware of all the amazing things your liver does for your health? Your liver is the super hero of detoxification. It works by both filtering toxins directly and by altering toxins so that they can be removed at other stages of detoxification process.          

After a long winter of processed foods, the fresh fruit and vegetables of spring are a welcome support for your liver in its job of detoxification. A few positive diet changes coupled with some simple lifestyle changes can make all the difference in having an efficiently operating and happy self! By balancing physical, emotional and spiritual health we pave the way to a better life.

Below are some simple steps you can follow to gently detox your body and give your old friend your liver a little bit of a break:

1. Ban the barcodes:  This means avoiding foods that come in a can or box. You should avoid processed foods like the plague. Also, stick to organic fruits and veggies. You don’t want to add any toxins into your body during your detox. 
2. Go for the greens:  Spring foods consist of dandelion greens, spinach, parsley, watercress, asparagus, peas, fennel, and mustard greens. You can also add in additional dark leafy greens such as kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens. The chlorophyll from these leaves have a great antioxidant capacity that helps neutralize free radicals and limit oxidative damage within the body.
3. Sample some strawberries: Strawberries are not only delicious, but they’re also full of fibre which helps keep things moving also, and antioxidants like vitamin C and phenols which have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
4. Abstain from all of these:  Eliminate added sugar, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, wheat/gluten, eggs, animal protein, corn, and soy. These substances can be allergens and need to be eliminated while you’re doing a detox. Remember this is not a forever thing—just for a little while.
5. Move your body:  Of course eating foods that nourish and detoxify are necessary but you also need to incorporate some exercise. Try gentle yoga, walking in nature and stretching, but nothing more taxing than that. Your body is working hard to get rid of toxins, and it needs to rest to restore itself during the detox period.  
6. Take time to breathe and meditate:  Studies show that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level. Meditation helps lower blood pressure, relieve stress, reduce anxiety and increase concentration. You can experience these benefits with as little as 10 minutes a day.