By Alyssa Boddicker

March 20th is the official date of the Spring Equinox, aka the first day of Spring. The equinox is when the sun hits directly above the equator and when the days and nights have equal lengths. This movement also creates a shift of energy, which combined with Spring (the season of renewal) is a great time to renew your body as well. Our bodies view this natural shift in energy as a transition period from our lengthy winter hibernations, so why not ease the process in the right direction and liven up your body with a detox?

Why Should You Detox Anyway?

Detoxes are great because they cleanse the body of the everyday toxins that leave us feeling tired, sluggish, and just plain unhealthy. Toxins are an evil that we come in contact with all the time, but if not taken care of, they can build up to create an excess and cause serious health issues. This is where cleanses, or detoxes come in. Done right, detoxes can flush out the build up of toxins and balance our bodies out. Now comes the question of why you should detox in the spring. Winter is a time full of holidays and celebrations that provide bountiful amounts of indulgent foods that we just can’t resist (We’re looking at you Christmas and New Year). With all this heavy food, as well as the early evenings and cold weather of winter, Jan might seem like a good time to detox but stick to a dry January and save the detox until spring when it is not so hard to contemplate less food. Now, with the sense of renewal in the air and Spring Equinox’s natural shift in energy, it’s the perfect time to crawl out from underneath those blankets and detox your life.

Spring Cleanse Options

Fruit and Veg Cleanse

A three day cleanse can expel toxins and load your body with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. A Fruit and Veg Cleanse uses simply natural and fresh foods – ideal for those who don’t want to spend loads on pre-pressed juices. As for fruits, the only types you are supposed to eat during this cleanse are kiwis, lemons, grapefruits, limes, apples and oranges and can eaten or drank as juices. On the veg front, the allotted garlic, beets, sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, parsley, dandelion leaves and olive oil. The fruits are meant to be eaten at the beginning of the day and vegetables during the evening. The only beverages allowed for this cleanse are water and herbal tea to help the cleansing come along. Simple yet effective, the Fruit and Veg detox does wonders for cleansing out your body without cleaning out your wallet.

Juicing

We had a day of juices from Plenish Cleanse to kick start a juice cleanse, they recommend to do a 3 day cleanse as a minimum. Plenish offers eight different juices with rich in nutritious ingredients like cashew milk, kale, apples, lemon, ginger, mint, lime, and cucumber to name a few. Each juice is aimed for a specific goal such as ‘invigorate and propel’ or ‘power and protect’. The cool thing about this cleanse is that you can pick and mix which juices you choose in order to meet your specific cleansing needs. For the cleanse, Plenish recommends you have 6 juices throughout the day, while also mixing in hot lemon water to wake up your digestive system and boost immune defenses. Plenish offers 1-7 day cleanses, as well as individual juices to sip on and fill you stomach with healthy goodness.

There are plenty of great juice cleanses out there, and a simple trip to Whole Foods will provide you endless possibilities, we wish you luck in choosing just one!

Tea-Tox

Whether it’s sipping a cup of matcha or making sure you clear out toxins with a full ‘tea-tox’ routine, the cleansing properties of tea are ideal for any spring detox. Caffeine in tea increases energy and burns calories, while dandelion root regulates appetite and promotes good digestion, fennel is high in essential oils that provides anti-inflammatory effects which help to remove toxins through regulated digestive and urinary systems, thanks fennel! One of our favorite tea brands, especially for detoxing teas, is the organic tea brand Pukka. Pukka Tea offers three different cleansing teas, Detox, Detox Lemon, and Cleanse featuring detoxifying nettle leaf, dandelion root and fennel seed, and cooling ingredients like peppermint and aloe vera, we love.

Looking for the benefits of matcha tea? Check out this article with everything you need to know here.

Tips

Mild Exercise: Because your body isn’t getting it’s normal calorie intake, don’t expect to be running any marathons while you are completing a detox. Instead, turn to mild exercises like yoga, outdoor walks, or simple stretches that keep your body moving but don’t burn off the good calories you are putting in your body.

Shower: A seemingly simple request, showering is especially important when on a cleanse as the hot water opens up your pores and allows for even more toxins to be released. Dry skin brushing will also help to stimulate circulation, which all helps to flush away toxins. Indulge in some of your favourite oils post shower as a treat to the skin and we love any excuse for extra long, hot showers to relax and recharge the mind as well as body.

Ease Back into Food: Specifically for the juice cleanses, it’s really important to not overwhelm your system and eat heavy carbs and fats right away. Instead, ease back into the foods you eat by adding whole grains and proteins first, then after a few days if you a really some cheeky treats, your body won’t betray you and react poorly.

Good luck with yours and we will check back with some healthy salads and juices to keep your healthy habits going!

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