The GPnutrition Guide To Spring Clean & Cleanse Gabriela Peacock 16 March, 2015 Health & Fitness, Living Spring Clean Your Diet & Reassess Your Nutritional Needs With the days getting a little bit longer and brighter, spring is the best time of year to do a quick, natural clean to both home and health. Gabriela has come up with the following ideas to help you clean up your diet and reassess your personal nutritional goals. Lose the Junk! Get rid of all the junk that has been bogging you down over winter. Reduce or, better still, remove the processed items fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, packets of biscuits all need to go! Instead opt for whole foods that are fresh and not in packaging such as grains, nuts, seeds and fruit and vegetables. Make gradual changes that you are more likely to stick to so if you’re used to drinking 4 coffees a day, why not have 1-2? Cook from Fresh This helps achieve the first goal and enables you to have healthy homemade meals at home to prevent the consumption of convenience meals which can be high in unhealthy fats, calories, sugar and salt. Home cooking puts you in control of what you are eating, and gives you a chance to add healthy spices such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, which promote detoxification. Increase Veggies and Fruits Fruits and vegetables are a source of key vitamins and minerals which play a role in immune health and glowing hair, skin and nails. Make sure you eat a variety and a rainbow of colours and make 1/2 your plate vegetables at every meal. Fruits and veggies help keep our bodies alkaline instead of acidic, which promotes cleansing. Increase Physical Activity From pilates to running, there’s something out there for everyone no excuses for being a couch potato when the sun is shining! Maximising more daylight hours will help lift your mood too. Aerobic exercise pumps the blood, moves lymphatic fluid, increases the amount of oxygen in the lungs, and promotes sweating, all of which remove toxins from our bodies. Sleep Tight Make sure to get plenty of rest, as this is a time for your body to heal. As plants start to grow in the spring, incorporate them into your cleanse. Don’t kill your dandelions! They are super cleansing food, and can used a variety of ways. Drink Plenty of Fluids This will help keep cells hydrated enough to properly get rid of waste products. Juicing organic fruits and veg, such as, citrus, apples, grapes, seaweed, cucumbers, beets, parsley, carrots, and ginger helps stimulate digestive enzymes, detox the liver and kidneys and balance blood sugar. Decaffeinated green, ginger, detox teas, coconut water and hot water with lemon all help flush the liver and kidneys, improve circulation and promote healthy digestion. Exfoliate Use a dry brush all over the body in circular motions, starting at the toes and moving towards the heart. Use an exfoliating scrub to remove toxins in the shower or prepare a bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil. Mentally Detox It’s a shame to have a clean body polluted with negative emotions and thoughts. Journal writing is a good way to release regrets, worries and fears. Mindful meditation trains you to focus your mind on the present and appreciate where you are and what you have. It can improve mood, decrease stress and boost immune function. Gabriela and team For more GPnutrition news and features, why not visit our website or connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn by clicking the links below.
