According to Ayurveda, Spring is the season to detox. How timely then that the world received the great gift of the movie Hungry For Change this Spring!
Without ever mentioning it by name, the movie outlines an Ayurvedic approach to health and wellness, specifically in terms of nourishing and detoxifying your body, and those good souls at Hungry for Change just sent out 4 simple Detox Tips from Dr. Alejandro Junger, a featured expert on their documentary, that I want to pass along. It echoes themes and tips in our Spring Clean Challenge, also every bit as easy to incorporate.
Do you feel ready for a Detox? We are offering our Spring Clean Detox Challenge again because it was so much fun, so successful and so easy. It begins this Sunday, April 22nd, on Earth Day ~ a perfect day to commit to honoring your body temple with Mother Earth’s nourishing, sacred bounty. Check out the details here.
1. Drink More Water
Too often we misinterpret thirst for hunger. Our signal for thirst may cause us to eat as we mistake it for hunger pains. Reach for water first and make sure you are well hydrated before eating any meal throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.Where possible make sure to drink your water at least 30 minutes before eating as this will allow time for the water to properly penetrate the cells of your body and hydrate your stomach lining in preparation for proper digestion. I like to add lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to my water or green it up with barley grass powder, wheatgrass powder, spirulina or chlorella.
2. Add A Green Juice To Your Day 
Green juices are an amazing way to add life giving and detoxifying plant chlorophyll to your bloodstream.
*
Green Juice Recipe ideas:
– Celery, lemon and pear (or apple)
– Celery, cucumber, lemon (leave the skin on) and pear (or apple)
– Celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and pear (or apple)
– Celery, cucumber, lemon, parsley and pear (or apple)
You can also stir in whatever green powders you have laying around to green them up even more! Try barley grass, wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella powder.
*
3. Add More Parsley and Cilantro To Your Diet Parsley and cilantro are very powerful natural green plant foods for detoxing heavy metals out of your body.
Parsley is a diuretic. Its hot and dry qualities help draining excess Kapha in the spring when your body is naturally letting go of winter weight. Its volatile oils help balance blood sugar, boost immunity, defend against unhealthy bacteria in the gut like candida, and protect against chemical damage in the liver, digestive tract and cells.
*
Recipes
4. Breathe Deep Into Your Abdomen 
Deep breathing, where you fill your belly and expand your diaphragm downwards, is one of the most powerful exercise you can do to activate your lymph system which helps to detoxify your body. Think of your lymph system as your own personal garbage removal system. Practise 10 deep slow breaths counting 4 seconds in, 8 seconds hold and 8 seconds out. Breathe long slow and deep in a mindful state as often as possible.
*
Up to 70% of our body’s waste products are eliminated via our lungs and the rest through the urine, skin and feces. When the efficiency of our lungs is reduced due to poor breathing, less oxygen is available to our cells, and it slows down the flow of blood which carries wastes from the kidneys and lungs. Our lymphatic system which fights off viral and bacterial invaders is weakened along with a slower digestive process.
*
My note: Deep breathing also massages the organs of digestion and elimination, stimulating peristaltic action, and deeply cleaning the internal organs. It is an important part of our Spring Clean Detox Challenge. I encourage you to watch this 5 minute video to learn how and why. I also like this one.
What about you? What is your favorite way to detox? What tips have you learned that are most helpful to you?
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
According to Ayurveda, Spring is the season to detox. How timely then that the world received the great gift of the movie Hungry For Change this Spring!
Love the recipes for the green drinks Laura!! Your the best : ) Damon
Thank you, Damon. How’s your new, more Paleo, life going?
The drinks look great and I’m definitely in need of detox. Thanks for the ideas.
Thanks, Angela. Your Blog is looking great these days!