There’s a reason why we feel the urge to clean, organize and shed dead weight when spring rolls around. Spring is the season of cleansing and renewal. It’s a fresh start for our environment and our bodies as we emerge from the slow slumberous winter. While you’re busy cleaning out your closets and organizing your office and more, don’t forget to pay special attention to helping your body with it’s own spring-cleaning. It’s time to lighten up your load and flush out toxins that may have settled in while we were buried under sweaters and indulging in heavy winter meals.
Here are 3 Ayurvedic inspired tips I’m following this spring to cleanse my body after a long winter…
Drink hot water with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of cayenne and a few drops of apple cider vinegar. Include a teaspoon of honey if you need sweetness to encourage you to drink this powerful elixir. Add this spicy and sour beverage to your day to help boost your body’s natural ability to shed toxins and metabolize high-fat foods. The ACV and cayenne kick start your metabolism, stimulate digestion and get your circulation flowing—all things that help move toxins out. Lemon is naturally detoxifying, and you may already be in the good habit of drinking hot lemon water. Just add these additional boosters to the mix to help encourage optimal health.
Add bitter herbs to your diet. Dandelion greens can be found fresh in many grocery stores. Add them to your green smoothie or sauté with some ghee and garlic as a side dish. Endive is another bitter leafed vegetable that is easy to incorporate into salads and other dishes. These bitter greens are especially cleansing for the body and help support the liver and gallbladder, two essential detoxifying organs. Bonus—dandelion greens and endive are rich sources of vitamin A, which supports healthy skin among other things.
Take Epsom salt baths with ginger. While a hot bath may not feel super seasonal right now (although it can be wonderful on a chilly spring night), a 20 minute soak in Epsom salt will do wonders for the detoxification process. It will help draw out extra fluid, cellular waste and toxins, helping you look and feel lighter and slimmer, especially if you struggle with water retention. Add two cups of Epsom salt to a hot bath, and consider adding a rounded teaspoon of ginger powder to increase the detoxification process. Ginger powder in a hot bath will make you sweat, but this is a good thing! You’re helping your body eliminate toxins in an efficient and healthy way. Drink lots of water after your Epsom salt and ginger bath.
It’s the little things we do everyday to support our health that make the difference in the long run. This Ayurvedic inspired spring cleanse is a great place to start. How do you help your body get going after a long winter?
*image via Well+Good
