Spring Cleaning for the Body

As the transition to spring begins, clients' bodies naturally convert and adapt to the new environment. People are going from a contracted and inward state of mind and body to an expansive and awakened state. Chicagohealers.com practitioner Jaena Stanley-Gonzaga, DC, says that this is a natural process that many are already experiencing as they begin releasing toxins at the most cellular level.

“Many people ask why it is important to cleanse your body, and I tell them it’s like asking why it is important to clean your house? When you see a dirty home, it’s irritating and most people feel more calm and at peace when it is clean,” says Stanley-Gonzaga. By doing a body cleanse, all nervous system irritants are flushed away, allowing for less symptoms to express themselves. Cleansing opens you up to more creativity and spontaneity, as well as eases emotions and mood. Cleansing creates more space for healing, regeneration and self regulation to occur.”

Stanley-Gonzaga provides the following tips for a spring cleanse:

  • Hydrate. Most people drink less water during the cold season and forget that there is less moisture in the air during winter, which can cause dehydration. The mind and body relies on water for its survival. Rule of thumb: You must drink at least half your weight in ounces. For example, if you way 180 pounds, your water consumption should be at least 90 oz. It is best to drink most of your water by 4 p.m. to prevent evening trips to the bathroom.
  • Alkalize. The mind and body are most healthy and at optimal performance in an alkaline environment. Alkalinity means that you have enough mineral reserve to create a solution in your body that is not acidic. An acidic body is corrosion, degeneration and oxidation from the inside out. Great sources for this include consuming organic or farm-grown fruits and vegetables. It is suggested that people eat more from the vegetable side, especially the green, leafy vegetables, such as kale, swiss chard, spinach and arugula.
  • Vitalize. Many people overcook their foods. Eating more raw foods that are properly prepared and seasoned with herbs and spices, such as parsley, tumeric, cayenne pepper, curry powder and Himalayan salt, revitalizes and nourishes the mind and body. There is a liveliness and energetic aspect of raw foods. The body naturally registers whole, fresh food and utilizes them more efficiently.
  • Nutritional support. You can help your body out with additional nutritional support. Probiotics help rebalance the good flora in your gut; digestive enzymes help give more attention in breaking down food for greater assimilation (this will also put less stress on the digestive system); chlorophyll helps remove toxins, alkalizes the body and heal the colon; and plant-based trace minerals help create a more alkaline environment and provide the trace minerals for cells to go about their metabolic processes.
  • Don't overstimulate. Nicotine, caffeine, simple carbohydrates, processed sugar and animal protein are foods and substances that are stimulants to your body and should be cut down or eliminated completely to enhance the effects of cleansing.
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