Spring "Cleansing"

Enough with the snow and wind chill. Bring on the warm weather. Its time for tulips, warm sun and...well, spring! And, with spring comes that urge to clean. Windows, closets and gardens aren't the only places many of you may be cleaning. Ever wondered about doing a spring "cleanse"?  Here's the 101 on spring cleansing.

Cleansing generally means you're allowing your body a chance to clean up. It's like slowing down to clean off your desk at work. Every day your body has to deal with toxins in our air, food and cosmetics. Your skin, liver, kidneys and blood can't really keep up, so toxins build up in our body (similar to the pile of papers that continues to grow beside me on the desk).

First time cleansers may want to try a cleansing kit. Look for ones with milk thistle extract (silymarin 80%), as this liver supporting herb is key to a happy cleanse (note: the liver takes the toxins in your blood and puts them into your bile for excretion from your body).

Make sure there is lots of fibre in the kit (or in your diet) to help trap the toxin-filled bile. And, look for a cleanse with a colon-mover like cascara sagrada (or I perfer magnesium hydroxide as its less aggressive).

Meanwhile, try to eat a clean diet for the duration of the cleanse. Skip the lattes with whipped cream, and drive past the drive-thru. Try to eat organic. Drink lots of water. And, get lots of rest. And, don't worry, a good cleanse kit will not strap you to the porcelain thrown, or ask you to stand on your head.

My confession - I know the benefits of cleansing can include fewer headaches, a happier digestive system, more energy, clearer skin and more...but, I am terrible at remebering to do them twice a year (spring and fall) as most holistic folks suggest. Now, if there was only a "cleansing kit" for closets - that would be fantastic!