Spring is almost here! I’m sure many of you, like me, can’t wait until the warmer weather comes our way. This winter has been a true test of patience with all the arctic blasts and polar vortices that have come our way (at least for readers on the east coast!).
Spring is a season of rebirth and renewal. It’s a time for us to challenge ourselves, as we start to regain our energy and our optimism sees new heights. In some cultures, spring is actually the beginning of the year, and it’s the time to start fresh. Keeping this in mind, here are 4 ways to detox your body, mind, and soul and start this season with your best self forward:
1 | Food Detox
Eating particular clean, hypoallergenic foods while avoiding processed foods, additives, chemicals, and drugs like caffeine and alcohol can really reset your body’s energy levels. If done properly, it can reduce inflammation in digestive tract and allow those cells to heal, it can give your liver a break from its constant load of alcohol and caffeine, and it allows you to think clearly and have better control over vices like sugar. Herbs and certain vitamins that upregulate liver detox pathways can be added to increase the effectiveness of a detox, but they shouldn’t be the only thing you do. Cutting out unhealthy foods can have a powerful impact on your body, mind, and soul. In fact, many of my patients find that when after they’ve completed a detox, they no longer crave sugars as much as they used to. I know for myself, it allows me to reignite my passion for simple healthy whole foods, because that’s all I’m allowed to eat! Those foods become a staple in my diet again, even after the detox.
2 | Mind Detox
The thoughts we think can be as toxic to our body as the toxins we eat, breathe, and absorb. Doing a thought record (a tool that analyzes negative self talk, the evidence that actually supports or contradicts that thought, and recreating a more balanced thought) can have a significant impact on your mental health. Though a thought record is best done with the help of a health care professional knowledgeable in counseling, there are tools online that can give you a start. A mind detox of at least 14 days will help you create a fertile ground for a more positive outlook on life.
3 | Sleep Detox
How many of us go to sleep later than we should? Who actually gets the coveted 7-8 hours of sleep per day? If you don’t, it can be helpful to set strict bedtime guidelines for yourself for 2-3 weeks to reset your internal clock. Having proper sleep hygiene beforehand (i.e.: not watching TV or doing homework right before bed), and gentle herbal teas for insomnia can also be added to your sleep detox to help you achieve the best sleep you can.
4 | Indifference Detox
We often get caught up in the day-to-day minutia of life, and forget about the little things that make us happy. A gratitude diary done each day for 30 days can have a significant impact on your outlook, your positivity, and the ups and downs of your mood. It’s a way to reconnect with the little things that make us happy. Each day you record 5 things that you’re grateful for – the trick is you can never repeat anything twice. Personally, I’ve found doing a gratitude diary makes me savour little things like a beautiful sunset, or getting a call from an old friend more than I used to. It reminds me not to take these things for granted.
I hope you can start the spring season with one or more of these ideas. If you’ve done any of these, I’d love to hear your experiences.
Dr. Rahim Kanji, N.D.
