Spring Cleanse Diet
Spring is almost here! In Chinese medicine, spring is the beginning of yang energy. Yang is described as light, dry, directed, focused, logical, and action oriented. That means it's time to get up and get moving!
Most of us are busy planning our spring cleaning activities around the house and the garden. Have you thought about how to spring clean your mind and body, too? It's a well known fact that our physical wellbeing directly influences our mental and emotional wellbeing. Just think about how short-tempered you are when you are hungry or are in pain.
Spring is also associated with the wood element and it's associated organs, the liver and gallbladder. The liver and the gallblader work together to get rid of toxins from the body. The liver is also capable of natural regeneration. Chinese medicine teaches that the liver is the organ that is most susceptible to congestion. Eating fatty, comfort food during winter congests the liver. Winter illnesses such as colds, the flu, and tummy bugs leave toxins in your body.
A congested liver throws your body into disharmony, thus slowing the detoxification process. The basis of a spring detox diet is to clean the liver and gallbladder and get them working optimally again. This diet focuses on digestion and getting rid of accumulated wastes so that your body can start functioning well again.
Start by eating less. Yes, this is the most common and simplest advice you hear but it's also the most difficult to follow, isn't it? Eat smaller portions, and limit your intake of highly processed foods. Eat plenty of greens such as kale, collards, watercress, mustard and chard. Eat these with some lemon juice - it makes iron from these greens more available to the body. Good oils such as fish oil, flaxseed oil, and olive oil helps the liver function optimally. Stick to white meat (except turkey), and a small amount of whole grains provide fibre to aid digestion. Limit the intake of caffeine and alcohol.
The best way to kick-start your spring cleansing diet is by dedicating one long weekend early in spring to a modified fast to cleanse the liver. This will also help you break bad diet habits and help relieve dependencies on habit-forming caffeine, sugars, and nicotine. Please remember, if you have any medical conditions, eating disorder, take any medication/pills or need to limit fluid intake for any reason then ask your doctor or physician to approve your diet plan first.
Here's a sample meal plan for the modified fast that you can customise to your tastes.
Friday
Supper - Spinach Soup (See below for recipe)
Saturday
Breakfast - Drink a glass of warm water with some lemon juice first thing in the morning. Your choice of vegetable juice.
Mid-morning - a glass of fresh apple juice or herbal tea such as dandelion or mint tea
Lunch - Light salad of greens, steamed chicken breast slices, with a light dressing of flaxseed oil. (See below for recipe) Drink some green tea.
Mid-afternoon - a glass of fresh apple juice or herbal tea such as dandelion or mint tea
Supper - Miso soup with sliced spring onions or dried sea vegetables such as nori and wakame.
Sunday
Breakfast - Drink a glass of warm water with some lemon juice first thing in the morning. Have a fruit such as papaya or apple.
Mid-morning - a glass of fresh apple juice or herbal tea such as dandelion or mint tea
Lunch - A small bowl of chicken soup (See below for recipe) amd chamomile tea
Mid-afternoon - a glass of fresh apple juice or herbal tea such as dandelion or mint tea
Supper - Steamed vegetables (corn and any green, leafy vegetable you can find)
Monday
Breakfast - Drink a glass of warm water with some lemon juice first thing in the morning. Eat a serving of cooked whole grain cereal (See below for recipe)
Recipes
Spinach Soup
Ingredients: 1 pound of spinach; 1/2 cup diced onion; 1/2 cup diced carrots; 1/2 cup diced celery; 1/2 cup diced leek; 3 cups water; 1/2 teaspoon Thyme; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, leek in a pot with the oil and garlic. Add the water and Thyme, simmer for one hour then leave to cool for one hour. Puree in a blender, then put back in the pot on medium heat. Add the spinach, cook until it wilts, and serve hot! (Source: Just Cleansing)
Chicken Soup
Boil 1 whole skinless chicken in water with salt and a few vegetables such as carrots, onion, and celery. until cooked through (around 30 - 40 minutes). Take the chicken out from the pot and place in a bowl. Wait for chicken to cool. Meanwhile, strain the broth and bring to a simmer again. Add diced carrots and celery, 5 whole black peppercorns, 2 fresh or dried bay leaves, and 1 gram of dried parsley, basil and thyme. Bone chicken when cool and cut up the meat into bite-sized pieces, then add to the broth. Adjust seasoning and simmer for up to 90 minutes.
Flaxseed Oil Dressing
Mix ½ cup flax oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 3 Tbsp water, 2-3 garlic cloves, ½ tsp sugar (or other sweetener), 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp light miso (optional), 5 ml Bragg's Aminos or tamari sauce and 2 Tbsp fresh herbs (or 1 tsp dried). Place everything in a blender. Puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate up to one week. (Source: Veg Family Magazine)
Whole Grain Cereal
Mix 1/4 cup millet, 1/4 cup toasted cracked rye and 1 tablespoon buckwheat with 1 cup cold water. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat. Stir in dried fruits or nuts just before serving if desired. Serves two.