Spring Cleaning Is Not Just for Houses!
Photo ©Janie Osborne
Springtime, with its crisp breezes and warming temperatures, inspires us to open the windows and let out the old air. With the windows open, we are inspired to go through the clutter that accumulated in our homes during winter and let go of whatever we no longer need.
So too, springtime is an excellent time to clean out your food pantry. Read ingredients and expiration dates. Know that your body is your temple, not your garbage can, and make your dietary decisions accordingly. Get rid of food that has expired and consider giving away foods that no longer fit with a new and improved diet. Consider a spring cleaning of your body. Many people “cleanse” in the springtime. Some use herbal cleansing combinations designed to assist the body in the elimination of accumulated waste. Others choose to do juice fasts. Perhaps you think to yourself, “Not for me” or “Sounds too complicated,” but there is no need to view cleansing as extreme.
Consider the “one step up” approach to spring cleaning of the body, something much simpler that can easily fit into anyone’s life. If you normally eat meat and dairy, consider taking a few days off by eliminating either one or both and attempting to eat just plant-based foods for those days. Already eating a plant based diet? Consider cutting out processed foods. If you don’t eat processed foods, take a few days and eat just raw foods.
There is no diet or cleanse that is right for every single person. We all are unique. Our bodies and minds give us signals as to what feels right. Deep down beneath the lure of food that is less than ideal is the part of us that knows wholesome food and responds positively when allowed to choose from a selection of good-for-us options. So open your windows, let in the fresh air and clean out your house, your cupboards and your body and try to “take a step up” this spring. Change is good!
Lisa Bouley, MS, is a nutritionist focused on the healing power of a plant-based diet and specializing in vegan nutrition. www.nourishdelight.com.
