The transition from winter to spring is one of our favourite times of the year. We love this seasonal shift in our diet with salads returning to our plates and new options to grow in our veggie garden. It brings an exciting energy of growth and renewal after the long winter months and it’s also a great time for some spring cleaning and clearing.
Our flourishing Spring garden
Many of us may have overindulged in comfort foods, less exercise or fought the chill with more than a tipple or two over the winter months. And let’s not deny that the additional stresses and restrictions of the past couple of years may mean these short term comforting habits have been turned to for longer than the winter just passed.
The good news? Healthy habits are always there to be reclaimed.
While personally our general diet and lifestyle supports our natural detox processes we found ourselves indulging in sugary treats more and our exercise routines definitely lagged over winter. The added limitation of both of us dealing with physical injuries hasn’t helped!
On top of a commitment to bring our exercise routines back (with injury adjustments!) we find that a gentle spring detox kickstarts the process of reclaiming our healthy habits and dropping the less supportive ones too.
Do you engage in cleanses and detoxes as part of your health routine? Do you have a preferred approach/ How does it work for you?
Have you used our bone broth products as part of your detox routines?
While bone broth may tend to come to mind as an important dietary inclusion over the winter months, it is a constant in our daily diet all year round and we utilise the nutrient density and healing compounds as an important part of any cleanses we do.
Do we really need to detox?
You might be asking whether detox cleanses are really necessary or you might feel apprehensive as there seem to be so many different versions out there that it is difficult to know which one would be right for you.
I totally hear you.
While our bodies are marvellously equipped to manage day to day detoxification these processes work optimally if we eating the cleanest wholefoods (berries, leafy greens, wild-caught meat and fish), sweating daily through exercise or saunas, sleeping 8 hours every night, drinking plenty of filtered water and avoiding exposure to synthetic chemicals and heavy metals. Unfortunately, as I’m sure you can relate, this isn’t always easy in our modern world!
The concept of detoxification has been around for centuries and is based on the core principles of natural medicine: nourishing whole food, gentle exercise and clean water. So while you might eat well, manage your daily stresses, get plenty of sleep and avoid chemicals as much as possible it can still be supportive to opt for a cleanse or detox once or twice a year.
Utilising the energy of Spring and support of bone broth
We tend to use the energy of spring each year as a bit of a check in and cleanse. You can think of a spring cleanse for your body as you think of spring cleaning in your home. Treating yourself to an annual “spring clean” is a health practice that will keep you feeling light, energised and vibrant throughout the year. Plus you can incorporate several changes that you can easily incorporate into your everyday lifestyle to support elimination too.
We have found gentle and gradual detoxification processes leave us feeling energised more than other extreme options. If you have done a detox program in the past where you have experienced diarrhoea, headaches, fatigue and irritability, it’s likely that you were pushing your body too hard and not providing it with the support that it required throughout the process.
This is why bone broth is an excellent inclusion in any detox program. These symptoms can be caused due to a lack of certain nutrients and vitamins as well as the elimination of toxins. Bone broth provides support for liver detoxification processes as well as essential vitamins and nutrients that are in an easily absorbed form.
And our organic bone broth powders make it so easy to incorporate them into your detox routine and life! Check out our range here.
Timing is also an important factor when preparing yourself for a detox. You may have an extra busy week at work or have extra of factors vying for your attention. If it is possible, we find it is best to time a cleanse or detox week when things may be a little quieter or you are able to shave off some commitments to create a bit more space for yourself. Having said that, all of the processes are easy to do around your life commitments too!
The other thing to remember is that you know your body and can totally create your own approach that may include aspects of different methods. If you haven’t been through a detox before we definitely recommend opting for a gently approach.
Our approach
We embarked on a 7 day spring detox just after the school holidays so I thought I would share with you how we go about it.
We continue to follow our usual “clean food” diet (I have included some important guidelines below that we follow) and assess where we feel we need to make some adjustments or reclaim some healthy habits. The biggest changes for us during our detox week are:
o Increase our bone broth consumption to 2/day (we opt for this whenever we need the support but definitely during a detox)
o Adding in a daily green juice as compared to our usual 3 times per week
o Dropping sugary treats (we are generally pretty strict about this but it has been a bit loose this winter!)
o Dropping our daily coffee
o Dropping the glass of wine we tend to have with dinner a few times per week
o Increasing our sauna visits to 3 in a detox to assist the elimination processes
o Daily cold water therapy (morning ocean swim)
o Strict bedtime of 9pm
o 30 min of daily exercise and/or movement.
We love a green juice and celery is always the main ingredient.
Our current spring combo includes celery, kale (because we have loads in the garden), cucumber and mint. We like to steer clear of any natural sugars but if you feel the need for a bit of sweetness, add in an apple too.
Some extra guidance
If you are feeling like you need more guidance on a detox here are some dietary guidelines that you may find helpful which provide your body with support to metabolize toxins while also decreasing your exposure to chemicals and inflammatory foods.
Consume a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients that support detoxification.
o Your diet during a spring cleanse should be rich in colour and nutrients that support and replenish your body on a cellular level. Your meal plan should consist of plenty of brightly coloured vegetables, nutrient-dense leafy greens, cancer-fighting cruciferous veggies, juicy berries, nourishing seeds, free-range lean meats and wild fish.
o Select organic produce and grass fed organic meats as much as possible to avoid pesticide and herbicide exposure.
Avoid inflammatory foods, which include:
o Added sugars and artificial sweeteners.
o Trans-fats (margarine, fried foods, packaged foods)
o Genetically modified foods
o Potential food sensitivities like gluten, dairy, corn and soy.
Choose fibre-rich foods that will bind to toxins in the digestive tract and help them to be excreted from the body effectively.
Drink at least 2-3 litres of filtered water per day to clear water-soluble toxins via the kidneys.
o Herbal teas are also great options!
Avoid alcohol and caffeine during your cleanse, both of which produce additional stress on your liver.
Ensure that you are sweating daily via exercise, hot baths or saunas to help excrete fat soluble toxins though the skin.
Enjoy at least 8 hours of sleep per night so that your body has adequate time for cellular renewal and repair.
Decrease your environmental exposure to synthetic chemicals and pesticides by choosing organic produce and choosing natural cosmetics and cleaning supplies.
Optional Boost: Nutrient and herbal supplementation to further support liver function and the elimination of toxins. We increase our bone broth for this purpose but you may like to consulting with a naturopathic doctor for a safe, personalized and targeted treatment plan
