Many people on the UK are seeking “detox diets” at this time of year when they feel groggy, tired, congested, fed up, sun deprived, and have reached for one too many glasses of wine or cookies over the holidays. They ask what products they should take, what foods to eat and if a liquid diet is the answer to get rid of the yucky feeling and the holiday “bloat.”
Though nutrition is key to a proper detox, what is equally important is whether you are digesting your life or not. Is life nourishing you or eating you alive? Are you satisfied and fulfilled with the life you have created? If the answer is a repeated negative, then perhaps it’s time for deeper type of detox diet.
Advices to start a good spring detox diet
Fresh spring greens such as watercress, baby spinach, and spring onions. Leafy greens contain several crucial nutrients, like pyridoxine, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin, and raw watercress leaves’ digestive enzymes help the body absorb nutrients during digestion. The vitamin K in spinach may contribute to a healthy nervous system and brain function, and spring onions are plentiful in B-complex vitamins as well as essential minerals like copper, iron, manganese, and calcium.
Whole grains like quinoa or millet. Quinoa “contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains,” according to Wikipedia; and fiber relieves constipation, lowers cholesterol and glucose levels, and aids weight loss. According to Donna Gates, nutritional consultant and author of The Body Ecology Diet, millet doesn’t feed pathogenic yeast like candida, and it acts as a prebiotic to promote important microflora in our inner ecosystems, provides serotonin to calm and soothe moods, and helps hydrate the colon.
Morning liver tonic of warm water, lemon juice, and a touch of cayenne and turmeric. Lemon is alkaline (good); some evidence suggests that in moderation, tumeric is a powerful liver cleanser; and cayenne helps speed up metabolism.
Plenty of spring water (un-chlorinated, un-fluoridated). Clean water has a vast array of health benefits, and may help digestion.
Take five minutes each day to do nothing but sit and breathe deeply. Good, deep breathing is key to a healthy immune and digestive system.
