Get Squeaky Clean and Fresh! How to Uplift your Body, Mind and Spirit with Nature’s Annual Detox Cycle

Ever notice that around the equinox at the end of March, you may feel a little “off,” fatigued, less hungry, or even feel a subtle “flow” in your system? Good! Ayurveda describes that ama or impurities deep in the body begin to loosen and “flow” out this time of year, not unlike the snow on a mountain melts and begins to trickle down towards the plains.

It’s spring and your body knows it! According to timeless Ayurvedic wisdom, these bodily shifts are Nature’s version of “spring cleaning,” and we can take advantage of this innate cycle by adjusting our diet and lifestyle during this time.

More than simply an interesting idea, a landmark study published in Nature Communications last May validates that our genes themselves change expression depending on the season, with over 5000, nearly 25% of those tested, varying seasonally.

As a result, for example, inflammatory tendencies are greater in the winter, while immunity is stronger in the summer (notice how rarely we get a July cold?!)

And very likely we are now only a few years away from “learning” in a future study that every spring, genes that enhance detoxification and elimination are especially active, validating the Ayurvedic wisdom yet again.

So what should you do now in light of this fascinating and important fact of your seismic seasonal genomic shift?? Take advantage of it!

Here are your Quick Detox Tips for 2016 (Do now! Your detox genes are up and ready. A 6-week course is ideal, but even a week or two will help.)

• Drink ½ c. of boiled warm-hot spring water every hour until 6 PM
• Add fresh ginger root to your daily diet. A thin slice with a dash rock salt and lemon before the meal will stoke your detox fire.
• Avoid cheese, yogurt (except as lassi, a fresh yogurt drink), cold foods and drinks, including ice cream and other frozen desserts, red meat, chocolate, sugar and alcohol.
• Include in your daily diet, ideally each meal: turmeric powder (an amazing detox enhancer,) coriander (supports liver detox enzymes,) fresh probiotic sources such as homemade lassi or kefir, hot water, fresh steamed or sautéed greens (chard, kale, dandelion, mustard, etc)

And finally, follow your body’s inclination for more rest, which itself aids detox. Go to bed early and spend time with family, friends and hobbies—which will also mellow out any accompanying emotional detox — and take some time to laze around. After all, Spring has sprung!

Photos by Jeff Kubina and Sue Sailsbury