Happy Spring- Its Cleansing Time

Today is March 20th and the official first day of Spring. Its also known as the vernal equinox. In theory, there should be the same amount of day and night today. The days are getting  width=longer, the weather is warming, the birds are chirping, and I was successful on my daffodil hunting photo shoot this past weekend. I LOVE daffodils. They pop early in the Spring and don’t hang around long but they sure are a welcome yellow glow after a long, cold Winter.

There are many benefits to doing a cleanse in the Spring. First, your diet is changing from the heavy high-fat, high-protein foods of winter to lighter low-fat, higher carb foods of spring and summer. The winter is an acidic time of year where your body accumulates acidity, stores fat, and tries to keep warm. Toxins in your body are wrapped in fat cells– this keeps them safely tucked away for the winter.

In the spring and summer, we slowly release fat and with it goes toxicity. There are a lot of cleansing foods that grow in the springtime like leafy greens and cruciferous veggies. Broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, arugula, cauliflower, ramps, spinach, kale and lots of other greens are extremely detoxifying. Limonene-containing fruits also give your body a boost with toxic removal. These are oranges, tangerines, and lemons.

Make no mistake. . . nature’s brilliant. These detoxifying foods that naturally grow in the Spring help your body detoxify. They are green and yellow just like daffodils. These foods help to mobilize toxins in your fat cells, disarm them in your liver, and eliminate them from your body. Do as nature intended. . . eat lots of them!

There are cleansing foods and cleanses. Its important to do both. Eat lots of cleansing foods as part of a healthy spring diet and cleanse your body with a 3 to 7 day cleansing protocol. There are a huge range of cleanses, detox programs, and other programs on the market. Some of them are awesome, some of them are silly. Use your judgement and choose wisely.

If you are ready to do a cleanse, Check out the Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse here. I do this cleanse myself and highly recommend it, especially if you’re new to cleansing!

Do you have a favorite cleanse or a tip for other springtime cleansers? Leave your comments below. =)

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Erin Harner

Erin Harner is an Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), author, and speaker based in Ithaca, NY. Erin melds functional medicine and culinary nutrition to help her clients uncover their unique diet and confidently cook healthy nourishing meals that meet the needs of their whole family. Learn about Erin's services and connect on Instagram.

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