Even with the best intentions, it can be easy to fall out of a healthy routine over the winter months. But with spring in full swing, now is the perfect time to get out of hibernation mode with our guide to an easy spring cleanse.
Before we get started, it's important to understand that this spring cleanse isn’t about going on a diet. It's about supporting you to get into a series of healthy habits that you can sustain year-round. You can think of it as a spring clean for your health - tidying up any bad habits that may have surfaced over winter, and enjoying the benefits of a refreshed mind and body, so you can refocus and feel cleansed from the inside-out.
Here are our top 7 steps for an easy spring cleanse. Keep in mind that you don’t have to try everything at once - starting small is key as you want to be able to sustain the changes you're making in the long-term.
We all know that we need to eat more greens, but it’s also important to ensure you’re eating a diet rich in the other colours of the rainbow to support your intake of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential nutrients. This means eating a wide variety of plant-based foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. However, if you don’t have time for supermarket shopping or meal planning, ticking off all the colours of the rainbow can be easier said than done. If you've got limited time on your hands, getting a Craft Smoothie box delivered to your door is an easy way to ensure you're eating every colour of the rainbow, which will help provide your body with the nutrients your immune system needs to function effectively.
Want to try it out? This is your chance to take advantage of our limited-time offer - just use the coupon code CLEANSE when you order a Superfood Smoothie Box to claim a special introductory discount and you'll also score a free Spring Cleanse Meal Plan eBook!
Going to bed at the same time each night and getting at least 7 hours sleep is key to maintaining a healthy sleep cycle. This in turn helps keeps your digestive system and metabolism in balance and supports an optimal functioning immune system. A healthy sleeping routine also can also improve your motivation levels in the morning, meaning you'll be more productive as the day progresses so you can make the most of every day. See how to wake up and feel like a million bucks for further inspiration.
To get into good bedtime habits and promote deeper sleep, limit exposure to blue light by switching off all devices at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Exposure to blue light in the evening can trick your brain into thinking it is still daytime, which is disruptive to your sleep cycle. Avoid working in bed, hold off on caffeine after 2pm, and have chamomile or lavender tea before hitting the hay.
Research shows that clutter can be detrimental for your physical and mental health so don't underestimate the power of a spring clean in the traditional sense. A cluttered environment can elevate stress levels which can have a negative flow-on effect, contributing to poor sleep, poor eating habits and general poor health.
So what are you waiting for? Set aside a weekend to dedicate to your spring clean and de-cluttering your home, or schedule 20 minutes per day to tackle one area at a time. Not only will you have a massive weight taken off your shoulders, but spring cleaning is also an opportunity to promote a healthier environment for your mental health and could double as a good workout!
To help detox your body naturally and make the job of flushing out toxins easier, make sure you’re drinking enough water each day. Water supports optimal performance of the organs of detoxification, namely the kidneys, which help the body to remove waste and toxins from the bloodstream.
Starting your day by drinking two glasses of water after rising is a quick way to rehydrate your body and flush out toxins. Adding lemon to your water can also have detoxifying benefits, as lemon enhances enzyme function, stimulating the liver and aiding in flushing out toxins. If you struggle to drink water in the morning, try making a nutritious breakfast smoothie to get hydrated, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day to continue flushing out the toxins.
Aim to achieve the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week and take your exercising outdoors to get your vitamin D fix at the same time. Our bodies produce vitamin D whenever we get the sun on our skin, and we need vitamin D to absorb calcium and support bone health. Taking a lunchtime walk is the easiest form of exercise and the optimal way to ensure you're getting sufficient vitamin D. If weight loss is a goal, try changing up your terrain - according to Berkeley Wellness, walking on grass or gravel burns more calories than walking on a track, while walking on soft sand increases caloric expenditure by almost 50 percent.
Cleansing your mind of negative thoughts and maintaining a positive outlook on life can have a powerful impact on your physical health. That’s because negative thoughts can be toxic to your emotional health, which can transcend to your physical wellbeing if not managed correctly. The easiest way to manage toxic thinking is to get into a habit of recognising negative thoughts as they enter your mind, label them as negative, and move on.
To facilitate a positive frame of mind at the start of your day, get into a habit of gratitude journaling to reflect on what you're grateful for each morning. Leading gratitude researcher, Robert A. Emmons, shared: “Preliminary findings suggest that those who regularly practice grateful thinking do reap emotional, physical, and interpersonal benefits. Adults, who keep gratitude journals on a regular basis exercise more regularly, report fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future.” His studies suggest that gratitude can support your immune system, better sleep and enhanced happiness.
Your breath is a powerful tool that can help manage your response to stressful situations and also support your body’s natural cleansing processes. "Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness," states the American Insitute of Stress. If you take time to engage in deeper, more conscious breathing, you can also aid detoxification of the body. Breathing deeply enables you to take in more nourishing oxygen which can help eliminate toxins that may have built up in the lungs, and exhaling deeply enables you to get rid of more waste in the form of carbon dioxide.
To get into the habit of more conscious breathing to support stress management and natural detoxification, try a meditation app like Headspace, or take up a yoga class.
Ready to start your own spring cleanse? This is your chance to try out a Superfood Smoothie Box and take advantage of our limited-time offer - just use the coupon code CLEANSE when you order your smoothie box and you'll get:
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, need more energy in the morning, or if you want to get summer-ready, our Spring Cleanse Challenge is designed to help you ease into a healthy routine and get a headstart on your health goals.
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