Spring Detox Your Body! - 5 Foods To Thrive on This Spring

As the cool spring breeze blows in through the newly opened windows, our homes get all the attention when it comes to spring cleaning. So how about our own bodies? Finding ways to really move toxins through our body will help us welcome the season with more vibrance and energy. So where can we find this magical product? Mother nature...of course. She has provided us with an abundance for thousands of years that gives our bodies nourishment, healing and the ability to detoxify.

Spring cleaning our bodies not only brings a feeling of lightness, but true health from the inside out. Our digestive system stands to gain everything. And by the nature of our physiology, our immune and endocrine systems will benefit from the cyclical relationship between them. Did you know that roughly 2/3 of our immune system's receptor sites reside within the lining of the digestive tract? The interrelationship of the body's organ systems is much more complex than the scope of this blog, but certainly we know that what we ingest is a huge determinant of our overall health. So let's start with some quick points about what to restrict or eliminate and challenge yourself to make this a habit that continues on in the summer, fall and winter.

We all know that refined flours, sugars and artificial sweeteners are tough on our bodies, so that's a great place to start. For sweetness, enjoy the abundance of fresh fruits that are in season and use the herb stevia for coffee, tea, yogurt, etc. Use fats and oils sparingly and choose the good fats like avocado, extra virgin expeller-pressed olive and coconut oils, raw almonds and walnuts, omega-3 fatty acids from fish and flaxseed and butter from pastuerized cows. Keep your cooking temperatures low to preserve the fats and oils and resist the spring temptation to grill which is one of the most fat damaging cooking methods. In short, use the healthy oils, avoid added sugars and stay away from processed foods that contain any "unrecongnizables" on the label.

Now for the good stuff. According to Megan Forbes, Healthlinks Clinic dietician, the following are 5 of the most detoxifying foods you can eat. They boost your liver enzymes and effectively facilitate the liver's phase 2 detoxification function. This will lighten the load on your liver and allow it to perform better.

Nature's Detox Foods:

• Dandelion greens
• Mustard greens
• Parsley
• Watercress
• Beets

Try this one recipe for tasty dandelion greens!

1 tbls butter from pasteurized cows

2 tbls cooking sherry

1 clove garlic

1 tsp honey

1 tsp lemon

1 bunch dandelion greens (tough stems removed and cut into1 inch lengths)

On medium-low heat, melt butter and immediately add the cooking sherry. After 5 minutes add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Turn heat up to medium and add honey and lemon and blend for about 2 minutes. Add dandelion greens and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!