The Spring energy is building with the longer days and, ahem, the lack of snow! With it comes the desire to do some cleansing – but what is appropriate? The weather is still cold so lots of fruit smoothies would be too cooling for our bodies. Save the longer deeper cleanse for when it’s hot during the summer. In the meantime, do a couple shorter cleanses.
Late winter cleanse:
Eat lots of green leafy vegetables, roasted root vegetables, cooked whole grains, beans and legumes and a little meat and fish.
Avoid: Alcohol, sugar, dairy & even flour products.
Max one cup of tea or, if you must, coffee, without milk
Drink a glass of warm water with lemon every morning upon rising. Try to make your dinner early and light. Don’t have any snacks after dinner – just herbal tea.Go to bed early before you get too hungry!
Choose the amount of time that feels right for you. I would recommend 7-10 days on average. If you find it easy then go for a whole month or perhaps 3 days is enough for you. You could always repeat it again next month.
Exercise – move your body – get your Qi and blood circulating! Yoga – walking -dancing – skating…
Meditate.
Do the best you can and if you “fall off” just get right back on.
Keep one of the new habits after the cleanse period is over.
Sample meals:
Oatmeal with almond milk, nuts and raisons, Scrambled eggs and sautéed collard greens, Kale and white bean soup, Buckwheat noodles with stir-fried vegetables, ginger and chicken, Poached fish with roasted roots and steamed vegetables, Short grain brown rice with avocado, carrot slivers and lox served with seaweed sheets – everyone can roll their own nori roll.
Spring cleanse:
Follow the above plan, including more raw vegetables and fruit, lighter meals, less meat and root vegetables. Still continue to have lots of warm foods such as soup and steamed vegetables. If you want to have more liquid meals, puree whatever soup you are making.
Try to balance the sweetness of the fruits in smoothies with fruits with lower glycemic index fruits such as cherries, blueberries and especially avocados. Also add some protein and fats – almond butter, walnuts, coconut or protein powder. Warming foods such as ginger, cinnamon and raw cacao.
Savory liquid meals may even contain onion and chills as in Pineapple Avocado Gazpacho.
Increase your exercise – step it up. Bike – run – martial arts.
Summer cleanse:
Follow a program such as Clean for the full 3 weeks and see how little food you really need. When the weather is hot, smoothies and juices are so refreshing.