Spring cleaning isn’t just for your house. It can be for your body too. “Cleanse” seems to be a word that is thrown around a lot these days. Here are a few tips for cleansing naturally to help you feel like your best self!
You see products on the market advertising 2 or 3-day cleanses, you see tea cleanses, and you even see juice cleanses! Cleanses are a great way to rid your body of toxins and unwanted guck to make you feel better, healthier, and overall clean. From food to the environment, and even in beauty products, we are constantly surrounded by toxins without even realizing they are there. However, a lot of commercial cleanses are fast fixes, only ridding your body of water weight or even stripping out good bacteria. All-natural cleanses may take longer, but have far more benefits.
These are 7 simple lifestyle adjustments you can make to do some spring cleaning on your health.
Reduce Dairy
As more and more people become lactose intolerant or find issues with dairy, it comes as no surprise that cutting dairy out of your diet could be the most important part of cleansing. Dairy can cause a variety of issues, such as bloating, skin issues, stomachaches and cramps, and even excessive mucus production. Getting rid of dairy will help to alleviate your body of unwanted inflammation and stress on the digestive system. Try swapping your regular milk for almond or coconut milk—something you can get in a shelf-stable Coconut Milk Powder from Sunwarrior, so it’s ready and available any time you need it! Even dairy-free ice cream is available and delicious.
Liquid Cleanse
Not all forms of liquid are good for us. Drinking alcohol, sodas, and juices from concentrate are among the fastest ways to ingest calories, sodium, sugars, and other unwanted things into our bodies. Drink water, as it not only keeps you hydrated but also provides your body with a lot of benefits! Water flushes out toxins, improves your skin, can boost your immune system, and even help to get rid of headaches! Need flavor to your drinks? Add some fresh fruits or cucumbers, brew some unsweetened herbal tea, or mix in plant-based, calorie-free, natural flavoring like Sunwarrior’s Hydration that comes in Coconut Berry or Strawberry-Lemon Twist.
Also try juicing a couple times a week. Fresh pressed juice can be amazing for your body while cleansing! Think about this – every day it seems like our whole day is based around food. Wake up, eat. Lunch time, eat. Snack time, eat. Dinner, eat. We are constantly surrounded by food and can choose to eat at the drop of a dime! However, taking some time to give your digestion a break can really help to promote detoxing and cleansing. Fresh-pressed juices feed your body on a cellular level providing tons of nutrients in a short amount of time. By giving your digestion a break and not having to break down food, your body has more energy to thrive!
Apple Cider Vinegar
You’ve probably heard of all the many health benefits of apple cider vinegar. By taking just a tablespoon a day before you eat or even in some tea, you are not only helping to improve digestion but also contributing to killing bad bacteria, boosting your immune system, and reducing bloating/inflammation. Some supplements also include apple cider vinegar like Sunwarrior’s plant-based Superfood Protein + Mushrooms.
Probiotics
Probiotics pack in some huge benefits! Try drinking some kombucha or adding sauerkraut to your meals. Probiotics can Increase native gut flora 10x, restore your gut-brain connection, aids digestion, supports normal bowel function, reaches the intestines alive, supports immune function. Probiotics are a great way to aid in digestion to flush out toxins, and they can also help with bloating by aiding the good bacteria in your gut. Some products like Sunwarrior's Core Cleanser has probiotics and prebiotics to aid in your digestive cleanse.
Avoid Processed Sugar
Trust me, you can live without sweets for a while. Often, sugar can be one of the most addicting foods and something that we don’t even realize we are ingesting. Things like healthy yogurts, pasta sauce, and even granola bars are riddled with added sugars which can lead to weight gain, increased blood sugar levels, and can even give you headaches. Try eating a piece of fruit or munching on some cacao nibs when those cravings hit, and be sure to read labels when at the store!
Eat the Rainbow!
Peppers, oranges, carrots, kale, swiss chard, blueberries, beets – all these foods (and more) provide nutrients and antioxidants to the body that are invaluable when it comes to cleansing. Stick to whole foods wherever possible to make sure that you are getting the most beneficial food for your body. Take a stroll through your local farmers market to pick some seasonal produce.
Get Enough Sleep
We tend to think of cleansing as things that we put into our bodies but often ignores the things we do to our bodies. Sleep allows your body to repair itself, rest, and recharge. If you are having trouble sleeping, it could be one of the reasons why you aren’t feeling the best on your cleanse! Stop drinking water 1 hour before bedtime to prevent yourself from waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Limiting your screen time from cell phones and TV can also help to get your body ready for sleep in order to maximize your cleansing benefits! If sleep seems elusive, you might want to try Magnesium, which promotes restful sleep.
Your body does a lot to detox itself, but the things you do can increase its effectiveness. The bottom line is that detoxing is easy to do naturally. And there’s no time like the present to get started with your spring cleaning.
