Spring Cleaning
By Chris Helmstetter, LAc
Just as the beginning of Spring signals many people to think about cleaning out their house, it also is a good time to consider a cleanse for our bodies. We can clean out some unwanted debris that may have accumulated over the year in both instances. March and April are months in NC where the weather gets more reliably warmer, flowers and trees bud and bloom and the days get longer. Our bodies respond to this natural rhythm and can be supported to shift from a slower conserving pace of Winter to the faster transforming tempo of Spring.
Cleaning out the interference of this transition does not need to be difficult or painful. There are two simple approaches to cleanses. The first is to limit and modify what we put in our bodies and the second is to proactively try and remove accumulations, toxins and congestion from our bodies. The safest and easiest method is to start with decreasing or eliminating processed white flour and sugar along with highly processed foods for a period of two weeks. At the same time it is helpful to increase the amount of water and vegetables we consume. White flour and sugar contain some of the emptiest calories available (and along with processed foods) also trigger many inflammatory chains once ingested. Water comes in contact with every cell of the body and acts as a carrier back out to the exterior while the fiber in vegetables helps to remove matter clinging in the gastro-intestinal tract. The combination reduces future irritants as it gently removes some of what is clogging the system now.
It is best to start with a gentle cleanse based on food choices because it does not require special supplements or products, reveals how much our daily diet affects us and gives good clues as to how our body responds to a “cleaning out” process. Most people experience an increase in energy, a decrease in stress and emotional tension and an improvement in digestion. This positive feedback commonly inspires a deeper and more targeted cleanse next time that can target specific organs that may be under stress and/or the removal of cellular toxins and heavy metals. These intensive cleanses usually require some supervision and support and take a longer period of time. But just like the Spring cleaning at home, once you start, you know how good it will feel if you stick with it and get it all done.