spring cleanse

So you've been cooped up all winter. Your diet has been limited to a handful of root vegetables, carbs and cheese. You haven't been moving as much, and you're ready for a detox. Cleanses are more and more popular these days, but I thought I'd take a minute to share a couple techniques that don't involve juice. There are plenty of ways to help remove toxins from your body aside from a liquid diet. Either use these in conjunction with a cleanse or on their own. Either way you'll be wringing out the bad, and welcoming in the new. Spring is a time to restart, so why not help your body out a little and give it a clean slate.

(image sources: 1, 2)

1. Take a cold shower: cold water causes your cells to expand and open up. You might not be able to stand cold water for an entire shower, but try just turning down the heat right at the end. You'll get an invigorating rush, and your cells will open wide making it easy for them to release guck that's been trapped inside.

2. Get or give yourself a good massage: follow a traditional Ayurvedic routine, and it will tell you to give yourself an oil massage every morning before you hop in the shower. Not only does it relax the muscles, but it removes the knots, pushes oxygen to the surface, and encourages your tissues to release toxins they've been holding on to. Frequent massages are known to improve cellulite as well as muscle-related issues. If you're doing it on yourself, a rule of thumb is to use linear motions between joints, and circular on the joints themselves (elbows, shoulders, knees, etc.).

3. Load up on antioxidant rich foods: sometimes cleansing isn't about what you don't eat, but rather what you do eat. Try subbing in antioxidant rich foods more than usual. Add blueberries to your morning yogurt,  minced garlic to sauteed veggies, or chia seeds to stirfry. They'll work to remove free radicals in the body and restart your body for spring.

4. Sweat: we all know one of the best ways to push things out of our body is with some good old sweating. Go for a run or switch it up with a body cleansing yoga routine. I love the detox yoga flow from Seane Corn which offers 30 and 60 minute detox routines. Lots of twists are great for your liver and colon. Having the two in good shape is key in cleansing the system and absorbing the last of those life sustaining nutrients. Keep the two running smoothly, and you'll be ready for feel good spring. 

5. Try 20 minutes of oil pulling: I recently just found out about oil pulling. It's a way to keep the mouth clean by pulling bacteria and debris out of your teeth and gums. Warm some coconut oil and add a drop of oregano oil which has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Swish a spoonful of the mixture for 20 minutes - do not swallow!- and spit out all the bad at the end. The mouth is the main entryway to the body, so why not start there in keeping it clean.