7 ideas for spring cleansing

We are close to leaving the dark and cosy days of winter behind and welcoming Spring in all its sun and blossom filled glory. Spring brings a fresh sense of possibility. It is time to step out into the sunshine and light, the perfect opportunity to sync with nature and cleanse ourselves of anything we are carrying that is no longer serving us - physically, emotionally and, possessions in our homes.

I started a spring cleanse on Monday, nothing drastic just a few doable changes that I will stick to for the next 3 weeks and am already feeling the benefits of after 3 days. 'Doable' is the key word in that sentence. Most mamas I know have enough on their plate without stretching themselves to go through a drastic cleanse. Also, it is important to consider the season of motherhood you are in, for example if you are in the season of having a newborn baby and are breastfeeding then doing a juice fast wouldn't be suitable but perhaps if you have teenagers and therefore have less demands on you physically then a juice fast might be doable. Before we go on, remember I am not a health practitioner what I write here is from my own research and personal experience if you'd like to embark on a cleanse or detox and haven't done so before you may want to seek professional advice first.

I wrote on Monday that I don't believe in all or nothing approaches to eating, I do though think there is benefit in abstaining from certain foods in your diet for a period of time particularly ones that may have a hold over you. It gives you a chance to regain perspective on the role they play in your life and how you feel when you eat them and it gives your digestive system a well earned rest.

Below are some ideas to get you started. Feel free to share some of your ideas in the comments.

1. Take a break from caffeine. I love my daily coffee, it punctuates my day. I enjoy whichever cafe I visit to have a coffee and I enjoy a rare moment of solitude if I escape by myself and just as much I enjoy the company of whoever I may be with. In place of my morning coffee I have been loving - carrot, apple, lemon and ginger juice. I only ever have one coffee a day usually in the morning, if I am looking for a lift in the afternoon I make a dandelion 'coffee' which is caffeine free, liver cleansing and satisfying.

2. Start your day with a glass of warm water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon. I have started my day with this drink for a number of years now. This too is liver cleansing and a great way to wake up. I also like it because it kicks starts my water drinking for the day, drinking enough water throughout the day is a challenge for me so starting the day with a big glass has become a good habit.

3. Drink 2 litres of water per day. This is such a simple step that can have a huge impact on the way you feel and how your body functions. Every cell on your body relies on water to function at its best. My Chinese doctor suggested every time I go into the kitchen or walk past the water filter to drink some water, it is about making it a habit. My aunty sets the alarm on her phone to ring every hour to remind her to drink some water.

4. Jump on the green smoothie train. I think most of us would benefit from eating more leafy greens and green smoothies are a delicious way to up your intake and your family's too. Freeze some bananas so you have them on hand whenever you feel like making one, grow or buy some leafy greens such as kale, spinach, parsley and mint, you will need a blender for this. If you don't have a high powered blender I find it best to use a soft leafy green such as baby spinach because it blends to a smooth texture, I don't enjoy pulpy green smoothies but you might! My usual recipe is: one banana, a good handful of baby spinach, as much parsley and mint as I feel like, filtered water and whatever other fruit I have perhaps berries in summer, or mandarines or orange in winter. Blend and serve. Meg at My Wholefood Romance has written a really helpful post on making green smoothies for beginners. (while you're over at Wholefood Romance check out the 21 day wholefood cleanse Meg has on her sidebar I haven't done it but it looks like a good place to start if you are looking for something detailed).

5. Drink liquid chlorophyll. If you haven't tried liquid chlorophyll this is a simple addition to your day that your body will love you for. It gives me an instant lift when I drink it. Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants. Liquid chlorophyll concentrates the benefits, it is an antioxidant, aids digestion and is alkalising. (I buy the Swisse brand it has a spearmint flavour, each brand tastes slightly different).

6. Try these Spring eating tips inspired by Chinese medicine 

7. I recommend Cyndi O'Maera's 21 day program. It is titled as a weight loss, get healthy program but even if weight loss is not your goal it is a good program to do because it helps to focus your awareness on how the foods you eat make you feel, plus it contains lots of great, easy, family-friendly recipes. Cyndi has a very balanced approach to health and nutrition.

So, how does all that sound? Doable? I hope it kick starts you into some good new habits or revives some you had forgotten about. Happy, healthy day to all of you. Thanks for reading xx

Join me on facebook for some September spring cleansing encouragement.

back to the stone age

From now until Christmas, week on week off, I am following Dr Zenon Gruba's version of the Stone Age Elimination Diet. I have written here before about Dr Gruba and the 12 week guided detox program that Pete and I undertook with him last year. We did it because we really subscribe to the theory of - 'why wait to get sick to be well?!' 

Many people wait until they are diagnosed with a chronic illness to improve their diet and lifestyle. I believe that even for people who are in good health and eating a nutritious diet there is always room for refinement. 

It had been 12 months since I last saw Dr Gruba so I went for a follow up visit and basically he gave me the thumbs up for improving my health. To keep me on my path though he recommended I follow his version of the Stone Age Diet. With the emphasis being on eating fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meat (no pig products) no grains and no dairy there are similarities to the Paleo diet, however in contrast to Paleo ways Gruba's diet includes legumes and potato. (The baked rice in the third picture was not for me but the vegetables were). This article is a good read to cover the for and against Paleo.

Having completed my first week I can say the beauty of the one week on one week off is two fold. For me it makes it very achievable. Having gone 3 months with no sugar, salt, dairy, wheat, fruit, alcohol or caffeine, 7 days is a walk in the veggie garden. The other aspect I am enjoying is it has heightened my awareness to which foods agree with me and which don't. As much as I enjoy a bowl of porridge on a cold morning I have really noticed that if I eat too bigger a bowl I feel like Goldilocks in need of a nap.

I won't bore you too much with the intricacies of my personal observations (because given there are people in the world who only have rice or less to eat I do find bantering on about detoxing etc; to be self indulgent and the need to detox indicative of our culture of excess) but another aspect I like about this diet is the reliance on real food. I was in the veggie garden harvesting greens 3 meals a day compared to one or two meals a day where I would take a leaf or two for a salad sandwich I was picking bunches of greens to cook up and eat with an egg or some kangaroo or to mix in with chickpeas and other veggies. By the fourth day Pete asked me to please go easy on the kale plant. It made me realise that most people eat too few vegetables. 

I commenced last Saturday to coincide the ending of my 7 days with going to a birthday party where I red wine, bread and cheese were back on my menu.

Where are you all at with your real food journeys? I ask because, well because I want to know, but also because eating real food in a processed world requires a certain way of thinking, a commitment to good health and it takes planning. Share your tips and thoughts.

green is good

I drank my first green smoothie probably three years ago during one of our winters in Byron Bay. I was hooked on the sweet and cleansing drink from the first one. And I was thrilled that River liked them too. Getting green vegetables into children just became easy. I don't usually drink them in winter but Jodi's post about green monster juice reminded me of how good they are and I couldn't wait until Spring!

The smoothie pictured above is a 'cheat's' version that I blended last night when we arrived home from the first of the celebrations for River who turns six next sunday. We had spent the day at my aunt's with extended family, we had lots of fun playing in the winter sun and enjoyed ample birthday food including kangaroo pies and of course birthday cake. No one felt like dinner. Pete had a pot of ginger tea while River and I had green smoothie and played with his birthday games. (Sol fell asleep at 5.30pm in the car on the way home and I put him straight into bed when we arrived home. So yes I have been awake with him since 5.30am today :) joy)

I say the smoothie is a cheat's version because I used coconut water that is mixed with banana and instead of fossicking around in the vegie garden in the dark looking for leafy greens, I put in two heaped spoons of Supergreens powder (spirulina, barley grass, chlorella and wheat grass) and whizzed it in the blender. Dinner was served.

If you want to read up on the goodness of green smoothies I recommend Victoria Boutenko's inspiring and informative book Green for Life. You can visit her site here.

Happy Monday to you all x

ps for those who noticed my photo update on the right there it shows my new 'accidental' hair cut from shoulder length to crop top! I had a bad haircut at a hairdresser and Pete then 'fixed' it for me. He did a better job than the hairdresser. Fortunately my hair grows fast :) Thanks aunty Karen for taking the photo in your fabulous magenta bathroom.

daily detox

I've just returned home after five days at my nans in the countryside and while all the crisp, country air was refreshing and good for me, all the 'comfort' food lovingly prepared by my nan has left me feeling a little er, uncomfortable.

So, I thought I'd write today about two of my favorite simple ways to get back on the healthy digestion track.

The first one many of you may know, particularly if you have read or followed Dr Sandra Cabot's Liver Cleansing Diet, and that is to begin the day with a liver cleansing glass or two of filtered water with the juice of one lemon, lime or orange. I like to add a splash of boiling water and drink it warm. Another tip a naturopath recommended to me is to add a squeeze of citrus juice to water that you drink throughout the day, doing so aids absorption.

The second drink of the morning I follow the lemon water with is liquid chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants. So why not eat more plants? Good idea! Do that too. Liquid chlorophyll concentrates the benefits, it is an antioxidant, aids digestion and is alkalising. (I buy the Swisse brand it has a spearmint flavour).

I feel better already just writing about these drinks :)