The January Cleanse
January is the perfect time to reassess your life and the direction you’d like to be taking. Physical and emotional health can play a big part in how well you cope with other areas of life including relationships, work, home life and on your ability to fulfill your hopes and dreams. Feeling physically well can make everything else that life throws at you a lot easier to handle.
This month we will look at some ways to improve your physical health with potentially far reaching consequences.
The January Cleanse
Many people will have an intention, after the indulgences of the festive season, to clean up their diets, start exercising and get back on the road to health. Some will kick off with a “detox”. For millennia cultures and religions across the world have recognised that periods where food intake is limited can improve physical and spiritual well being.
Look out for our series of blog posts to help you this Janaury. We will be covering topics such as taking on and maintaining a healthy diet, creating a positive atttitude and various cleansing techniques which are perfect to get some much needed ‘me’ time but first of all we will start with cleansing through your diet.
Cleansing Through Diet
Nowadays, a cleanse or detox generally involves avoiding challenging or low nutrient foods whilst increasing the intake of nutrient rich foods in order to support detoxification and healing. Here are some examples of cleansing, nourishing foods to include:
Sea vegetables
These are fantastically rich in minerals including iodine needed for thyroid function and metabolism. Use nori sheets to make sushi by wrapping up rice or vegetables with almond butter. Sprinkle kelp flakes onto soups, salads and grains. Add wakame or kombu to pulses while cooking to aid digestion.
Green vegetables
Green vegetables are rich in minerals including calcium, magnesium and potassium as well as being a good source of cleansing chlorophyll. There are many to choose from including kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, lettuce, rocket, spinach and chard.
Herbs and spices
Herbs and spices can enhance digestion and provide antioxidants for the immune system as well as having antibacteral and antifungal properties. Include turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, fenugreek, basil, mint, fennel, dill, cinnamon, cloves, garlic and star anise.
Super foods
Whilst all whole, natural foods could be called super foods there are some that are worth a mention: blueberries, goji berries, cacao, maca, mulberries and slippery elm powder are all worth including for their beneficial properties.
Herbal teas
Green tea is rich in antioxidants that help prevent cell damage. Fennel, peppermint and ginger aid digestion. Chamomile and lemon balm are relaxing. Nettle and dandelion are cleansing.
Herbal Tonics
Milk Thistle and Dandelion Root are commonly used liver cleansing tonics. Burdock and Yellow Dock purify the blood. Slippery Elm aids bowel health. Nettle and Dandelion leaf are cleansing to the urinary tract.