The Two Step ‘Easy’ Spring Cleanse
Most of us start out with good intentions to improve their health; a perfect time for a spring cleanse.Most products are generic and following an aggressive approach is too harsh for many people. If we set ourselves up for a brutal experience, and we end up feeling like crap. Once we have a bad experience, we are less likely to finish what we started.
Two Mistakes Most People Make
Not having a personal and adjustable plan:
It is important to be strategic when you are doing a detox. Start gently and progressively. You need to be able to intuitively adjust what you are doing to keep in balance with yourself and with the day. Do your cleanse moderately over a longer period of time.
Cleansing too fast:
I have two chums who went into the Master Cleanse (full fasting – lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup) last year. They came out of it exhausted in a deep and lasting way. Not results they were hoping for.
Doing one day of the Master cleanse might be a great plan when the weather is hot, and you don’t really feel like eating much anyway. But unless you are robust, it may be too aggressive overall.
This is a 10 week plan. Each week you have two steps. You are going to add one thing and take away one thing each week. Easy-peasy!
Week 1
Add: Flor.essence Tea (by Flora) 1 ounce on an empty stomach morning and evening (increase your water intake too).
Option: If you have urinary issues in your past
Add: Cranberry Capsules
Take Away: Junk food, condiments, sugar and fats (includes eggs and fried foods)
Week 2
Add: Vege Greens at 1 teaspoon in water and take 1/2 hour before lunch or supper (or blend fresh greens in water)
How do I know when to kick off my spring cleanse every year?
Take Away: dairy foods and condiments
Week 3
Add: Fibre product or try making Flax tea.
Flax Tea is a gentle and easy way to:
- Lubricate the bowel
- Heal the bowel wall
- Reduce inflammation in the bowel
- Relieve constipation even if it is chronic
- Increase hydration of the bowel
- Improve elimination
- Improve absorption
It is Safe for:
- Elderly people
- Children 2 years old or over
- Anyone with sensitive digestion
Flax Tea
- Grind 1 Tablespoon of organic golden flaxseed in a small coffee grinder
- Or buy pre-ground flaxseed and to store, squeeze the air out of the pack and keep in fridge freezer
- Put ground flaxseed into a mug
- Bring a cup of water to the near boil
- Pour the water into the mug and stir
- Let it cool a bit
- Add 1 ounce of Aloe Vera Juice – food grade
- Add 2 teaspoons of slippery elm powder (or just take 3 capsules)
Voila!
If your digestion is too cold and you need a little fire – add some grated fresh ginger root.
If you are trying to clear yeast from your GI tract, you can add a couple drops of: grapefruit Seed Extract, oil of oregano, or echinacea or Vitamin C in ascorbic acid.
If your digestion is a little too hot – add marshmallow root herb or more slippery elm.
Take Away: Grains/carbohydrates
Week 4
Add: Probiotics
Take Away: meat and heavy proteins
Focus on vegetables, salads lighter meals. If you need something more substantial, try quinoa grain or millet.
Quinoa Tabouli,
(1 Cup) of the largest, whitest Quinoa you can find (organic Bolivian)
Quinoa has a resin on the outside which will be bitter is you don’t rinse like mad
- Put the one cup of grain in a large measuring cup add cool water.
- Whisk vigorously and drain carefully
- Repeat this rinse at least 5 times and cover with clean water to the 4 cup mark
- Soak for at least 2 to 8 hours on counter.
If you are not ready to cook it right away you can put grain and water and all in the fridge. What you are looking for is that the quinoa grain will almost triple in size
- Before cooking drain carefully and rinse and whisk the Quinoa another 5 times.
- Transfer to a good rice pot and add (1 cup) of water
- Bring to a full boil and stir well.
- Put lid on and turn heat to lowest setting
- Time for 15 minutes then take pot off heat and let rest for another 5 minutes.
- You want an el dente grain. Don’t overcook!
- Take off the lid right away and fluff with a fork.
For a side grain, serve as is. As a salad grain, let it cool.
Salad:
- Soak ¼ Cup Sunflower seeds and ¼ Cup pumpkin seeds in filtered water for 1 hour (I use a mason jar)
- Mix basic white wine vinaigrette, in a medium salad bowl,
½ Cup light tasting oil, like organic Grapeseed oil
¼ Cup white wine vinegar
Herbamere/Sea Salt
1 Cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 Cup Cucumber diced
½ Cup Green onions chopped
1 Cup Red pepper diced
1 Cup Parsley chopped
- Rinse and strain the seeds and add to vegetables
- Mix well to coat with dressing.
- Add quinoa and toss gently to mix
- Cover and marinate in fridge for 1 hour or more.
Week 5
Add: This is where I would add a customized Homeopathic Drainage program. This is deep and specific cellular drainage and I can target a specific system that is ready to clean house.
If you are feeling head-achy, here is my special recipe.
Recipe for Detox
- 1/2 oz. Gin (Juniper)
- Juice of one lemon (organic)
- Or Juice of one lime (organic)
- 1 or 2 tablespoons water
- A dash of maple syrup optional
Sip slowly on this drink to help detox.
This is more about the juniper than the alcohol. Juniper is a great detox for liver and kidneys.
More than 1/2 oz. of alcohol in a day is too much during a detox.
Take Away: As much heavy foods as possible. Choose vegetable juices, fruit juices/soups. Whatever the weather allows.
Week 6
Just stay on track. Don’t starve yourself. If you need to add a little more sustaining foods do that.
Miso and its by-product tamari sauce are a great source of Vitamin B 12.
Miso soup is the breakfast of Japanese champions
Week 7
Add: Proteins, keep it light. You could add nut butters to broth for a protein boost
Week 8
Add: organic short grain brown rice, millet or quinoa. All of these are gluten-free.
Quinoa is high in protein, low in carbohydrate.
You could also add soaked seeds and nuts. this makes them easier to digest.
Week 9
Add: Carbohydrates to the degree that you need the energy boost.
The Conscious Mindset
You are one week away from entering back into your life. Try to be hyper-aware of what you are putting into your mouth. One of my strategies is my ‘soul bowl’. This is a beautiful wooden bowl that holds about 2 cups of food. I use chop sticks. When I need to slow down and get connected with simple food, this bowl is what a build my meal in.
I try to avoid addictive foods. If my body is functioning properly, I crave carrots or spinach or kale. I like soup and salads. I love salads.
Week 10
Ease back into the world. Try to eat clean and in moderate proportions.
Our Body’s Cleansing Cycle is 12 Weeks
Our bodies are designed to work in 12 week cycles. Try to keep your eating away from the dark side.The local growing season is the time to consciously maximize your health for the rest of the year.
Keep on the Flor.essence, the Vege Greens (or juice your own fab green brew) and the cranberry (capsules or juice).
Eat more alkaline foods (raw, stir fried vegetables, millet)
It is wise to start a cleanse as the weather is warming up. All the way along you need to make adjustment for the weather, as there may be cold days. You need to pay attention to your energy levels. A low day is normal. A low week is a sign.Always adjust to your personal needs. If you have to watch your blood sugar you will need to adapt this plan to keep you level.
If you are feeling cold, you need to add some heat to your system. You might try adding ginger, garlic, cayenne, chili pepper to your food to build your internal furnace.
You could roast vegetables before adding them to soup for more inner heat for you. You may need to make a pot of warm ‘something’.
If the weather is hot, reducing your food intake makes perfect sense. Watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs such as basil and parley are perfect.
I guess you can tell I’m not hard core! I do like to see the job done though. The longer time line gives your body more chance to adjust and access deeper toxins.I like that it also sets up a habit of conscious, loving self care, which is so often lacking.
Doing a longer more moderate cleanse gives you a chance to re-calibrate, and perhaps heal your relationship with food. Spring and summer are Farmer’s Market season. Get out and make relationships with food growers.
Nelda McEwen has been practicing as a Medical Intuitive in SW Ontario for over 25 years; counselling individuals and families, as well as offering her signature ICH training to other Medical Intuitives in the health field. Nelda’s professional research has been acknowledged and published in the Professional Kinesiology Practitioners Manual. The PKP program is recognized through the International Kinesiology College of Zurich Switzerland.
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