Spring cleanse tips for body, spirit and mind

Absorb - Just for Tummies

Hello, spring! The daffodils are out, the birds are singing, and the days are getting longer – time for us to come out of our winter hibernation and raise our energy levels for the bright days ahead.

I always say that March is the perfect time for a spring cleanse of body, mind, and spirit to get our health and wellbeing in the best possible shape. Spring is about new beginnings, cleaning your body and your home; it’s about elimination, getting outside, exercising, being creative and enthusiastic, so get rid of the old stuff, the bad habits, the excesses, the congestion, laziness, drugs and overeating – and cultivate some healthier habits.

The body has five major cleansing systems: the kidneys, the liver, the bowels, the skin, and the lungs. Our bodies work tirelessly to process, absorb, and eliminate what is coming in through our skin, lungs, and digestive system to maintain a state of balance, whilst fuelling, regenerating, and healing themselves. Physical toxicity occurs when we absorb toxic chemicals through our skin, lungs, or digestive system. We also become toxic through excess and imbalance if eating or drinking too much of one kind or food or drink, or by consuming too much altogether.

When toxicity builds up in the body, it can be experienced as excess weight, achy muscles, low energy, fatigue, brain fog and spotty or itchy skin. Psychologically we feel weighed down and demotivated. When toxicity becomes extreme, our organs can no longer achieve homoeostasis and they start to fail, producing conditions like type 2 diabetes when the pancreas can no longer metabolise away excess sugar; or liver failure when the liver becomes poisoned as it can no longer detox the toxic chemicals in the bloodstream; or constipation and inflammatory bowel disorders when the gut is not balanced properly and the gut wall is reacting; or inflammatory conditions of the lungs and skin as well.

So, when we are thinking about a spring cleanse, much is about developing a far kinder, gentler, and more conscious relationship with our bodies.

Let me share some steps you can take for a spring cleanse:

Carry out my 5-day Charcoal cleanse – I recommend doing this four times a year, when the seasons change, so this is a great time to follow the steps outlined below and give your stomach and gut a good ‘deep-clean’ and help support your digestive and immune health.

Spring Cleanse Activated Charcoal
  • Take two of my activated Charcoal capsules half an hour before lunch and two more capsules half an hour after eating.
  • Repeat the same dosage at dinner time.
  • Continue for 5 days.
  • Your stools may go very dark, black even, but this is normal during the cleanse.
  • When you receive your pot of Charcoal capsules, follow the instructions listed above if you are planning to carry out the 5-day cleanse, not what is printed on the back of the pot of Charcoal capsules.

It’s perfectly fine to take my activated Charcoal capsules when taking other supplements and medications. However, not at the same time. If you’re not sure about this, please get in touch: feelgood@justfortummies.co.uk and we will advise accordingly.

Hydrate well – ensure that you are adequately hydrated with 2.5 litres of water every day. This will help excrete toxins from your entire system, and keep your organs of detoxification functioning optimally, and give you clearer, plumper skin too!

Avoid taking in chemical toxins – it’s hard to do this as they are present in many skincare products, food additives, preservatives or colourings, household, and garden products. Our lungs, skin and digestive systems are highly absorbent and any chemicals around you will find their way into your bloodstream, tissues, and cells. Try eating organic as much as possible, growing your own food, and wearing a mask if working around chemicals.

Avoid excess with food and drink – think about your portion sizes and seek emotional support if you know that you are comfort eating or drinking to excess. Pay attention to acidity levels – for most of us, this means cutting back on acidic drinks like wine, beer, lager, cider, fruit juices, tonic water, and fizzy drinks, all of which have an acidic pH, and acid fruits like lemons, grapefruit, sour berries and tomatoes. This is not for ever! Just until we have regained our balance.

Healthy eating

Try a gentle fast – this could be eating purely fruit, vegetables, salads and grains, juices and smoothies. Have a rest from heavier foods such as meat, fats, sugar, dairy, fried food, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and alcohol. It is not advisable to fast heavily if your health is challenged. For weight management, try an intermittent fasting approach, eating all your food within an eight-hour period. This means that your body has 16 hours for homoeostasis. It has been proven as an effective method to reduce weight, even if eating the same amount as you might previously have done over 12 hours. A good time interval is eating between 11 am and 7 pm, starting your mornings with cleansing herbal teas.

Exercise – Aim for an hour of aerobic exercise every single day, ideally outdoors in the fresh air, to get the blood pumping around your body, bringing oxygen to your tissues and removing waste products. Getting hot allows us to sweat and eliminate toxins through our skin. Breathing more deeply and rapidly allows us to excrete toxins through our lungs.

Stretch it out – deepen the cleansing of your tissues with yoga postures which are designed to stretch and tone every single organ and tissue of the body. In Oriental medicine all illness is seen as stagnation of energy or chi. Establishing a daily practice will detox your energy system.

Support your detox organs – support your bowel with plenty of fibre from whole grains, fruit such as prunes and figs and fibrous vegetables to get things moving. Support your liver by taking a break from alcohol, coffee and black tea and fatty foods. Support your kidneys with good hydration and low salt intake. Support your skin with skin brushing with a loofah and pumice stone in the bath, an exfoliating skin rub, or dry skin brushing. Support your lungs with deep breathing exercises. Milk thistle can support and disinfect the liver. Take one of our Milk Thistle tablets daily with food.

Milk Thistle to support your liver

Cleansing and detoxing can come with some side effects, such as headaches, low energy levels, skin breakouts, and mood swings. This is to be expected, so please don’t let these temporary symptoms stop you from clearing out the old. Always ensure that your bowels are emptying regularly and if not, take steps to ensure they are. When you’re cleansing and detoxing, the last thing you need is a backed-up bowel. This will only affect the outcome of your detox and amplify side effects. If you are drinking plenty of fluids and eating plenty of soluble fibre, good fats, and whole foods, there shouldn’t be a problem, but if you have a lazy bowel, consider having colon hydrotherapy to help flush out the wastes. Consider having colon hydrotherapy anyway, even if you don’t suffer with a lazy bowel or constipation, or perhaps try acupuncture or reflexology to help stimulate your meridian lines and get a boost of energy.

Making contact with your creative self is vital to spring harmony. Who are you? What do you need to do to feel like you, to feel free? You are continually creating your life, be aware of this, and dance and play the tune that you are!

Remember, it’s important to clear out the past and create spaces for the future to come into being. If there’s no room for the new energy, your system will get clogged up.

If you have any questions about a digestive and gut health issue, please get in touch.