It’s that time of year, spring cleaning doesn’t just apply to dust bunnies and rearranging furniture.
Cleansing our bodies come spring is a rejuvenating practice that sets us up for more energy and more summer fun in the sun.
And there’s no better way to do that than incorporating fresh, raw enzyme rich juices. As the seasons change it becomes easier to seek out locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Some seasonal spring vegetables includes:
- peas
- radishes
- sunflower sprouts
- asparagus
- delicate young greens
- garlic scapes
These delights don’t last long, so utilizing their nutritional prowess while they’re here is crucial.
Stock up at your local farmers market, or better yet, grow your own. You’ll have a full kitchen arsenal for cleansing spring time juices in no time.
For me, spring beckons action, the slumber of winter subsides and we’re left with a long to do list. It can be hard to summon the energy needed to complete all of springs pressing tasks.
That’s why doing a gentle juice cleanse is so helpful, not just for increasing energy but also shedding some of the extra winter weight that’s been keeping us warm.
Reasons to Juice
Why is juicing one of the best ways to cleanse the body?
Why is it an optimal addition to any healthy lifestyle?
Well long story short, most of us don’t eat enough vegetables, over time we become nutritionally starved and this is usually when illness takes root.
It can be a long road to wellness if we take the long way, in fact sometimes that road doesn’t even take us there. I’m talking about conventional medicine and all of it’s gaping holes when it comes to addressing truly holistic health.
When we look at the bigger picture there are clear reasons why we as a culture have become so unhealthy.
So what can we do to address that?
We could just simply eat more fruits and vegetables…
But considering the practices of modern agriculture deplete the soil of essential minerals, we aren’t getting nearly as much nutrition from the foods grow in these soils as we should.
There are even key soil nutrients that are almost completely missing, such as selenium, an important trace mineral.
We may not be able to get everything we need from eating one carrot, but make a juice with 4 or 5 fresh organic carrots and our needs will surely be met.
Added benefits of juicing stem from the amazing effects live enzymes have on healing our tissues.
Enzymes are destroyed when foods are heated and this just means our bodily systems have to work harder to process them. We relieve a huge digestive burden when we consume live enzymes.
Fresh juices, unlike smoothies, are incredibly easy to digest, assimilate and absorb. We basically get all the nutrients of fruits and vegetables without the digestive struggle inherent in their fibers.
Healing from the Inside Out
There’s no shortage of media messages trying to sell us more products to make us more beautiful and desirable. The truth is external products will never work to make us glow and shine with radiance.
What is beauty if one doesn’t feel beautiful and vibrant?
Chief among them are getting rid of toxic junk food which offers no nutritional value and replacing those foods with nutrient dense whole foods.
Instead of investing in more beauty products holding empty promises, invest in building up long term health. A juicer and a fridge full of vegetables is a great place to start, and if that’s not accessible there are many wonderful green foods supplements with comparable benefits to fresh juice.
Fresh is Best
Once we’ve made the choice to rebuild our health from the inside out, its really important to replace old habits with new ones. Firstly stocking up on an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Try to stick to organic and preferably locally grown produce for optimal levels of nutrients. Some fantastic choices for starting off your juicing regime include plenty of greens.
The problem with juices that use a lot of fruit is that they’re still high in sugar and cause a rapid increase in blood sugar. This just perpetuates the cycles of sugar addiction which we’re trying to break. Balance is key so adjusting your juice to suit your lifestyle over time will just come naturally.
Grow Your Own Vegetables and Herbs
Growing your own nutrient dense additions isn’t really that complicated, and you don’t have to go all out.
There are so many ways to grow food in small spaces, from embracing the potential of a rooftop garden on your building, to having a small windowsill filled with edible plants.
Growing your own produce is cheap but its also inspiring, its amazing to watch the little plants grow into their own and empowering to know you saw them every step of the way.
Start small, plant a few of your favorite, easy to grow herbs in a good organic soil. Some ideas would be fresh mint, cilantro, chives and basil. You can buy plants that are already started and transfer them to a larger growing space, or you can start them from seed.
For a more detailed guide on growing your own food in small spaces look here.
When starting plants from seed you want to start them in a small space and gradually increase the size of their growing space as they get bigger.
For example, you might start a seed in an eggshell filled with organic soil. Once the seed germinates and begins to take root you can transplant to a larger pot. Baby seedlings love sunny and warm spaces.
