Summer is here, I can feel it in my bones! Actually I can feel it in my food cravings. Yup, I am craving everything GREEN. What exactly does that look like in my nutritious food world? Pretty much anything fresh, green, bright, colourful and RAW. Think herbs, fresh salads and green smoothies. For the last two weeks I have been doing some spring tidying and cleaning not in my home, but in my body.
The body will naturally start to cleanse or detoxify with the change of season from winter to spring (and also fall to winter) and as such we will need to make some adjustments to our daily diets and food intake to keep up. Spring is the perfect time of year to DETOX if you have been considering lightening your load— toxins, dead energy and fat.
As my friend Jill Boadway, holistic culinary coach & owner of Conscious Table explains:
“In the spring there is a general shift towards lightening/cleansing of any ama accumulation during the winter months.”
“Ama” in AYURVEDA medicine is undigested food residue that lodges itself within the organs and channels of the body—rotten sludge, also known as toxic waste/accumulation.
Detoxing comes Naturally in Spring
The body wants to naturally rid itself of these prolonged winter accumulated toxins, purging and detoxifying to prepare itself for the spring/summer season ahead.
A typical simple and easy detox I adhere to at this time of year in preparation for the spring/summer months ahead includes cutting out the following:
- Refined sugars
- Dairy
- Wheat
- Soy
- Coffee
- Alcohol
- Fried/greasy foods
Actually, I won’t lie to you: because I am a HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST and know & have experienced the first-hand effects of consuming crappy, fast, processed food on my beautiful body, hormones, health and mind, I pretty much eat like this 95% of the time.
Not because I’m a goody-goody trying-to-be perfect nutritionist, but simply because when I EAT like this, I feel & look my BEST. When I eat crappy food, I feel like crap. Pretty simple math.
What’s LEFT?
So what the heck do I eat then if I don’t eat that garbage? A whole boat-load of fresh vegetables, some fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds, some gluten-free grains and lean protein such as fish, chicken and eggs.
I also lighten my meat load (but not complete as my body sincerely requires it or I get exhausted and don’t feel my best. I’m a runner, weight-lifter and a yoga gal and my lean muscle tone requires meat as part of my main source of protein).
Did I tell you about the time when I as a VEGETARIAN for almost an entire two years and felt my WORST ever? I was constantly sick, fatigued, a basket case/ball of emotional highs and lows and my iron was nearly zero— NOT FUN! Yet, this is another reason to work with an expert nutritionist to help you find the right NUTRITION PROGRAM for you as an individual.
Let’s Get FRESH!
Fresh raw & colourful veggies, arugula, spinach, kale, lemons, garlic, walnuts, flaxseeds, etc – this is what my body is CRAVING to support it as it goes through this seasonal transition. All of these foods support and nourish the LIVER, the seat of ANGER and primitive emotions. According to CHINESE medicine, spring time is when “CHI” or energy is in the liver meridian more than any other time of the year.
As we spring into the new season I leave you with one of my favourite ultimate green smoothie recipes from my new Smoothie E-Guide, Smoothie Magic.
Happy Spring CLEANING, nutrition lovers!
All Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 cup spinach
2-3 stalks celery
1 bunch parsley
1 granny smith apple
¼ cup cilantro
½ cup avocado
2-3 tbsp ginger, minced
½ tsp spirulina, alfalfa or favourite greens powder
Instructions:
- Blend in a high-speed blender (I LOVE the Vitamix for this) until mixed evenly and smooth. Enjoy in your favourite smoothie drinking cup!
This recipe was contributed by Jacquie Robertson. At The Naked Label we are head-over-heels in love with Jacquie’s passion and inspiration for self-healing! Check out her site by clicking here. She’ll blow you out of the water with her scrumptious recipes and health articles.
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