Spring Detox: Seasonal Eating Guide

Springtime is the best time to detox as it allows us access to fresh air, sunshine, lighter and fresher seasonal fruits and vegetables, and is the perfect time for our bodies and minds to emerge from the slumber of winter’s dreary and cold.

It is that time of year again… the bees are buzzing, the flowers are blooming, and the nights are turning from chilly to mild as the weather weaves its way back toward summer. As the jumpers go back into the closet and the heaters are stowed away, boots and jeans make way for summer frocks and breezy t-shirts – and our diets turn away from soups, stews and one too many sweet treats to salads, juices and smoothies.

Eating with the seasons

During the wintertime, your body benefits from eating slow-cooked, easy to digest, carbohydrate and protein-dense meals, as keeping the heat in your muscles and fat on your bones is beneficial for keeping your body warm and protected against the elements. As the weather changes, so too do your body’s need for warmth, meaning cooling foods and drinks are required the closer we get to the height of summer (1).

Why is springtime the best time to detox?

Detoxing is a tradition based on naturopathic healing that has come from the movement of using cleansing foods, filtered water, fresh air, sunshine and gentle exercise to assist the body in a return to health following a major health crisis. This process of convalescence prescribed by early European naturopaths – based recovery on giving the body a break from harsh environments, unhealthy foods, and sedentary lives – has become the gold standard for giving our bodies a break from our modern, high stress, toxic, physically and mentally challenging existence (2).  Springtime is the best time to detox as it allows us access to fresh air, sunshine, lighter and fresher seasonal fruits and vegetables, and is the perfect time for our bodies and minds to emerge from the slumber of winter’s dreary and cold.

What happens during a naturopathic detox?

Detoxification programs are commonly as short as 7-10 days or can be as long as 6 weeks. Taken once to twice a year, a detox program classically includes a dietary plan, herbal and nutritional support, and can extend to include acupuncture and therapeutic massage, to assist with relaxation and toxin release from the body.

Toxins store in fatty tissues, arrest the proper function of the digestive tract and can contribute to poor skin, hormonal imbalances, stress and fatigue (1,2). A detox will assist your body by supplying your liver, gut, skin and metabolism with nutrient-dense cleansing foods in order to encourage the healthy elimination of toxins, healthy circulation, and as a behavioural and physical nudge to return to more healthy eating habits.

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