Thinking of doing a cleanse, heres how to save some money.

Its spring time and what do we naturally do in the spring we clean ! We pull out toys from storage we declutter and “spring clean” , and just as we do this to our houses it's actually the best time to detox the body and cleanse. While some of us rush to cleanse right after the holidays in January after we have indulged on rich foods, sugar and alcohol this isn't the best time to do a big cleanse. The biggest complaint I hear as a nutritionist is I feel tired, sluggish and “guilty” for overdoing it. It's a pattern hard to get out of … and on top of our own feelings we are told over and over by fitness magazines and media that we need to detox from the holidays. I am not disagreeing with the fact that it's important to get back to mindful eating habits but performing a full blown detox at the beginning of the year is considered counterintuitive to the seasonal rhythms of our bodies. Winter is a time when we are meant to slow down , reduce activity, and conserve energy , our bodies whether we want them to go or not into a form of hibernation, we eat more warming and comforting foods. This helps us stay warmer ( little winter cushioning is healthy ) ward off illness and recover. But Spring is the season to attend to the liver and gallbladder , in Spring we naturally eat less , fasting is common in spring for religious holidays like Easter, this is all beneficial to help cleanse the body of the rich fats and heavy foods that we consume in the winter. One may fast by eating nothing, eating a single food , or by eliminating one or more foods from the diet. Many of our primitive ancestors fasted, in the spring when supplies ran low. So knowing now that spring it the ideal time to cleanse what kind of cleanse do we do ?? Is it necessary to spend tons of money of supplements and cleanses sold at the health food store? The answer is no, adding certain supplements to help support a nutritional cleanse can be a waste of money if you are already a fairy healthy human being. Which is good news if your on a budget … knowing nature has your back yet again. So how do we know our liver needs a cleanse …Traditional chinese medicine correlates all organs with emotions and when the liver is healthy and harmonious there is never stress or tension. Symptoms of a liver imbalance on a emotional level is difficulty related to anger, impatience, frustration, resentment, roundness, stubbornness and impulsiveness. Liver stagnation happens with conditions that involve excess of one kind such as when to much food is eaten especially rich and greasy foods along with sugar. Physical signs are fatigue, chronic indigestion and certain acne are the most common.

The best foods to help get that liver out of stagnancy are foods readily available in the spring .. go figure !

Raw food consumption should increase gradually in the spring, foods should be lightly cooked or steamed if there are bowel issues. Beets and garlic both support the liver and if you are in relativity good health and not ‘overloading’ your system with toxic substances then the liver can cleanse itself very well. Try light fasting, cutting back on sugar and greasy and fatty foods the sluggishness you feel after the winter shouldn't take long to disappear.

If you are seeking a “cleanse” for other health issues or looking for supplements to add to this regime speak to a qualified practitioner for advice, milk thistle and dandelion root may be the most common but if you suffer from pollen or ragweed allergies these will just make matters worse.

All that Spring talk let's hope that is shows up soon !!