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We hear a lot about spring cleaning for our homes, but spring is also a good time to do a cleansing for our bodies. With the ending of winter we emerge from hibernation-mode and feel the new energy of spring.
When we connect our bodies to the rhythm of nature, we naturally feel a desire to clean out anything old and unwanted.
Why would we cleanse or detox?
Never before in history have humans been exposed to so many toxins. These include pesticides, plastics, heavy metals, air pollution, chemicals in all the products that we bring into our homes and put in/on our bodies. The list goes on.
More than 85,000 chemicals have been introduced since the 1940’s and almost 90% of those haven’t been tested for human safety. Companies have been known to put their products on the market without safety testing and then we all deal with the consequences later.
I have a whole course on reducing the toxic load in our homes. Today I’m focusing on what we can do to detox our bodies.
It’s impossible to avoid all toxins, so let’s learn a few quick ways that we can help our bodies to naturally release these toxins. Remember, we’re not going for perfection. Just doing the best we can every day.
LEMON WATER
Drinking 20-32oz of water with fresh squeezed lemon juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning does wonders for detoxing your body. This stimulates your liver, which is the main organ for detoxing.
Lemon water helps to hydrate your body which flushes out any toxins. Ideally, after you drink this, give your liver 1/2 hour to do it’s work before you eat breakfast.
INFRARED SAUNA
Saunas and sweat lodges have been used for centuries. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and sweat glands are a way of cleansing your skin and releasing toxins.
According to Dr. Mercola, an infrared sauna “works by penetrating your tissues with infrared rays using lower temperatures. You get hotter, faster and deeper in your tissue than with a traditional dry sauna, but the room does not get as hot.”
Personally, I really enjoy the infrared sauna. It’s relaxing and not too hot.
When you sweat, you eliminate toxins which also boosts your immune system and increases blood flow and oxygenation of the blood.
Saunas are also used by athletes for faster recovery and have shown to reduce pain in patients with fibromyalgia.
Look for a sauna near you at a gym. They are also getting more popular and popping up as independent businesses. I have one just down the street from me.
MASSAGE
Besides relaxation, massage can help promote circulation which aids in drawing out toxins and increasing immunity by stimulating lymph flow.
To further boost the benefits of your massage, drink lemon water right after. This will help release the toxins more quickly.
Not to mention, massage feels amazing and is a wonderful mood booster.
JUICE FAST
Our bodies work hard all day digesting our food. If we are eating a lot of processed or hard to digest food our bodies have to work even harder.
Doing a juice fast allows our bodies to rest because they are so easy to digest, while also providing key nutrients and live enzymes so that our bodies can repair and detox.
A juice fast is also a great way to break the cycle of sugar cravings and give your body a reset if you haven’t been eating the best.
Here’s an easy juice fast from Anthony William, best-selling author of Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal. It’s simple.
Just juice celery, cucumber and apples. Make 16-20 oz. of juice and drink this every 2 hours. He recommends to start with a one-day juice cleanse because the toxins it brings out can make you feel uncomfortable.
You can move to a two-day juice cleanse as you feel up to it and do it as often as every 2 weeks if you like.
Personally, I do a cleanse with each change of the seasons.
DRY BRUSHING
This is another easy, inexpensive way to detox. Dry brushing is gaining popularity recently. I have even seen it on spa menus as an add-on to a massage.
To do this at home use a good quality natural brush and brush your skin towards your heart. There are some good videos out there on this.
Dry brushing stimulates your lymphatic system which is responsible for eliminating cellular waste. It also exfoliates your skin, increases circulation and may help reduce cellulite.
Add it to your routine daily or even twice a day. A great time to do this is right before you shower.
These are some of my favorite things that I do to love my body year round but especially with the change of the seasons. I hope this inspires you to do a little spring cleaning for yourself!
With so much love & gratitude,
R
What are your favorite spring rituals? Have you tried any of the above? Tell me in the comments below. I love to hear from you!
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