Spring Reset - Support Your Liver
Spring Reset - Support Your Liver
Check out nutritionist, Courtney Jones’ top five tips for supporting your body this spring without dieting or cleansing.
Spring has sprung, and with it a lot of talk of cleansing, detoxing and dieting - all for the sake of getting that bikini body ready by summer.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring is the best time of year to support your detoxification systems and eliminate stagnation (mentally and physically) after the winter months. And I completely agree. Spring is a great time to support your detoxification and elimination channels. Support, being the key word!
However, the terms “detoxification” and “cleansing” are often used to sell products or fad diets. The beautiful thing is that the body already does a great job of detoxifying and eliminating toxins naturally. The liver and kidneys filter out toxins while wastes are eliminated through breathing, the skin, urination, and regular bowel movements.
To ensure the body can perform as its best, we can focus on certain foods, nutrients and lifestyle practices to really support the body’s natural processes. Here are a few of my favourite ways to support the detoxification:
Stay hydrated! Water helps flush out wastes preventing build up in the body. Enjoy pure water, soups, stews, fruits and veggies to help boost hydration. Herbal teas are also a great way to hydrate. Teas with dandelion root, milk thistle, globe artichoke, burdock root, and astragulus are especially supportive to the liver.
Consume bitter leafy greens such as dandelion greens, beet greens, mustard greens, arugula, swiss chard, chicory, parsley and cilantro to promote food bile flow. Grated beets, carrots and green apple are also very supportive.
Enjoy 1-2 servings of cruciferous vegetables per day including: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, collard greens and bok choy to provide critical nutrients for liver function.
Eat plenty of fibre (whole grains, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils) to allow for regular bowel movements. Eat prebiotic foods such as asparagus, garlic, onions, leeks, green bananas, jicama, oats, apples, and ground flax to nourish the bacteria in your gut (help keep you regular).
Move your body! Moving your body helps move your lymph and reduces stagnation and swelling. Book a lymphatic drainage massage at Wolsley Wellness Centre this spring as a seasonal tune-up.
Courtney Rae Jones is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) in Winnipeg specializing in women’s reproductive health and digestion. She believes in supporting the body naturally with diet and lifestyle changes to address the root cause of symptoms. She can be found at www.crjnutrition.com.