Spring Detox for Body, Mind and Spirit

Yoga with Heidi Pfleger

Spring is here and I’ve been getting down to some serious spring cleaning I’ve been purging my closets and cleaning my house from top to bottom. It feels good to get rid of the things. Clearing out the toxins in my body is another way to ‘spring clean’ and doing so has become an annual ritual for me

While our bodies are designed to get rid of toxins, the winter months take toll on us. We tend to eat differently by loading up on carb-based comfort foods We also tend to be much more sedentary and, during cold weather, metabolic waste and toxins tend to accumulate in our joints, organs, and tissues. All of this leads us to welcome the warmer weather in a sluggish mode.

A spring detox program can boost your health in many ways that make you feel energized and good all over.

By stimulating your liver, you will be better able to process toxins more efficiently. Giving your digestive organs a rest enables your digestive system to operate more efficiently and better absorb nutrients. There are many ways to do a detox Some programs are more extreme. Juice fasting for 3 to 5 days or the doing what is known as the Master Cleanse where one drinks a concoction of lemon juice and maple syrup with a dash of cayenne pepper for a minimum of 10 days can be a bit intense. Other programs, available at our local Health Food store downtown, provide an eating plan, along with supplements, for anywhere between seven and 30 days. There is also a veritable smorgasbord of detox programs available on the internet. Having so many options can be daunting To help decide what program is best for you, it is good to keep a few things in mind:

1. Set an intention for what you want to achieve from your detox. One purpose of doing a detox might be to ‘reset’ in your body in a way that will enable it to function better. Other reasons might include clarity of mind, increased energy and reduced cravings of foods.

2. A detox program is not a weight loss program. There really is no ‘quick fix’ for weight loss. Some programs will result in some weight loss but, if the follow-up after a detox does not promote healthy, moderate eating, the weight typically comes back

3. A detox program should be manageable. Doing a 10 day juice fast when you are working full time and have family commitments isn’t going to be attainable. A 30 day cleanse with supplements and an eating guide might be more realistic. Choose what works best for you.

4. Consult your physician if you have existing health issues before doing a detox. It is important that your GP is on board if you have conditions like diabetes, if you are either extremely overweight or underweight, or if you have low or high blood pressure.

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It’s detox time! Give your body and mind a proper spring cleanse as well!