Spring Cleanse - Spring Clean your Health
The Ayurvedic Approach To Spring
In Ayurveda, spring is the junction between two seasons – winter and summer. Due to change of season, our bodies need a cleanse with the movement in nature and environment.
Ayurveda says it’s easiest to eliminate excess toxins while they are mobile. Therefore spring is one of the best times for an Ayurvedic spring cleanse or detox. The aim of such a cleanse is to regulate your digestion so that you are summer – ready! Which also helps to boost your immunity all year round.
As the season of spring begins, it’s important to support our bodies with the right diet, herbs, and lifestyle to stay healthy and energised. Ayurveda, the ancient system of natural healing, offers a variety of holistic tips for doing just that.
Creating new structures to support your ongoing health and wellness goals and structuring your days for self-reflection; focus on rejuvenation, walks in nature and deep rest with daily self care massage with essential oils are key to find this version of ourselves. Spring is a time to move towards lighter meals and fewer sweets whilst increasing your intake of foods that are pungent, bitter, astringent, dry, and light. These include bitter green leafy vegetables such as rocket, chicory, endive and watercress.
Eating seasonally is not only better for the environment but the produce you eat is fresher and often tastier too as you’re enjoying it at its best!
In season Vegetables
March:
Onions, artichokes, rhubarb, parsnips, spring greens, spring onions, broccoli, leeks, carrots, watercress, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, beetroot, winter cauliflower
April:
Asparagus, lettuce/ salad leaves, rocket, spinach, samphire, wild nettles, radishes, watercress, broccoli, purple sprouting broccoli, jersey royal new potatoes, spring onions, winter cauliflower
May:
Asparagus, artichoke, beetroot, broccoli, sweetheart cabbage, carrots, wild garlic, jersey royal potatoes, lettuce, wild nettles, new potatoes, peas, peppers, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, samphire, spinach, spring greens, spring onions and watercress, winter cauliflower
What is a Spring Cleanse?
- A gentle, restorative and balancing reset for your body, mind and spirit.
- Discover more ease in your days with simple, quick meals and more chill-time
- Enjoy natural local produce and wholefood recipes that nourish and rejuvenate, no processed food or snacking just 3 meals a day. Rhythmic eating (set meal times in your phone calendar to remind you)
- Simplifying food intake allows for lightness, easy digestion and release of toxins.
- Focus on self-care practices that bolster the five senses and support a healthy transition between the seasons
When to do a Spring Cleanse?
By using the moon cycle we can set our body in balance. (start to full moon ritual) A spring cleanse renews us in energy, clarity and vitality of mind and body, to manifest and celebrate the new version of ourselves 🌕
Full moons in spring this year: 6th April (pink moon) and 5th May (flower moon) the perfect time to set your ten day cleanse up for success!
What is a typical cleanse day?
- Up early to appreciate the dawning of a new day
- Release toxins with a tongue scraper and dry body brush, oil your nostrils with sweet almond oil with your choice of essential (I enjoy peppermint, Eucalyptus or tea tree for the opening of airways) our pure undiluted organic oils to choose from here
- 2 drops of this oil in each nostril every morning will help keep all seasonal allergies at bay. We use our sweet almond oil carrier and immunity boost oil set. The ratio if you want to make up in advance. 20 drops essential oils per 100ml carrier oil. (80% - 20 %)
- Taking time to connect with the bigger picture, sitting in silence to set an intentional day
- Morning movement or walk in nature alone and just listening to the beautiful world around you
- Sipping hot water throughout the day (every twenty minutes) having a slice of ginger with lemon juice and salt twenty minutes before a meal.
- Breakfast of a smoothie & chia porridge, stewed apples, kitchadi Kitchadi – Deepa Apte, oatmeal all with a sprinkle of mixed spice.
- A filling, whole food lunch. A larger portion at this time of day to give you the energy to get through the day without stimulants. (Example could be a soup with a veggie side or veggie stew and basmati rice) no diary, gluten or meat, cook in ghee to help remove toxins and use spices in your cooking to aid digestion. (zesty spice recipe below)
- A smaller version of the same meal for dinner, to save time on cooking more. And to save waste. Although, if you are up for cooking again, you could make a yummy soup and have it again tomorrow.
- Evening fun time with the family, a walk, play games, read a book, journal, take a bath, anything that feels fun to you
- Screens off by 8pm, wind down with a bath or reading, a meditation, some self-care with essential oils (Frankincense for grounding) massage with carrier oil and diffusing our night scent. Be in bed by 9pm, winding down ready to sleep before 10pm.
Zetsy spice recipe to add to your meals to aid digestion:
- 1⁄2 tsp mineral salt
- 1⁄3 tsp dried oregano
- 1⁄3 tsp dried basil
- 1 pinch rosemary
- 1⁄2 tsp coriander powder
- 1⁄4 tsp fenugreek powder
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Grind dried herbs to a uniform consistency using a
spice grinder of pestle and mortar. Combine with other ingredients together in a bowl and transfer to a small glass shaker jar with an airtight lid.
Kitchari is an Ayurvedic dish that makes an excellent foundation for a detox. It consists of rice, yellow split mung beans, various spices and herbs, and can be made quickly and easily. Eating only Kitchari for 3-5 days or even up to two weeks provides a gentle mono-diet that can help rid your body of toxins, kick start weight loss, and rejuvenate your system. Click here for a delicious easy to make Kitchari recipe Kitchadi – Deepa Apte
Why not start even by a simple shift in your routine to create pockets of you time?My go to is releasing toxins with a dry brush and LOVE daily self-care exercise body balance with my diffuser and massage with essential oils.
Spring is a time of renewal and what a better way to honour the change in season than creating some small changes in your daily routine. Lastly, consider exploring Ayurveda more through Samantha Ford - methrive.com course details here she has been such an amazing coach to help me thrive! Live well and be happy!
Healthy Wishes
Becky x
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