You’ve heard the old phrase “spring cleaning.” When the trees begin to green and the flowers start to bloom, the energy in the air becomes electric and we may find ourselves motivated to take on the projects we’ve been putting off all winter. It’s a good time to open all the windows, sweep out the dust bunnies from under the bed, and make space for the new.
Spring is also the perfect time to refresh and detoxify our bodies.
Our bodies are our most valuable possessions! They stay with us throughout our lives, but we don’t always give them the attention they need. With a little extra care as the seasons change, we can experience more vibrant health. Spring is the perfect time to cleanse toxins we may have accumulated in our bodies during the winter from the air, water and food we eat. The many greens and herbs emerging at this time of year provide a natural way to detoxify.
Nutrition experts universally agree that we need to eat more greens.
Plants (especially vegetables) are the most important component of a healthy diet. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and essential phytonutrients, plants contain so much of what our bodies need to thrive. They help boost all our systems and detoxify our cells. Our bodies adore them — the more plants we eat, the better we feel!
I try to incorporate lots of greens into my own diet, but it’s not always easy to get enough. I can only eat so much salad! My friends and patients often encounter the same problem. We all want to eat more plants, but how to do it?
A green smoothie is one of the best ways I’ve found to get a really concentrated dose of plant based power into my body. I recommend using a Vitamix or another high powered blender (a smooth, even consistency makes this much more fun). You can throw in romaine lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, parsley — whatever floats your boat. When you add some fruit, it’ll take the bite away. You can use water for the base, but almond or coconut milk work too. Explore! Mix and match until you get a flavor you love. I also suggest adding a spoonful of unrefined coconut oil or coconut butter to the mix. It helps you digest the greens better and adds healthy fat and a rich depth of flavor.
Glowing Green Smoothie
For those of you who are new to the green smoothie world, I highly recommend trying this Glowing Green Smoothie recipe from Kimberly Snyder, a nutritionist and writer.
(Serves 4-6)
1 ½ cups water
1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped
2 stalks organic celery
4-5 small handfuls of spinach
1 organic apple, cored and chopped
1 organic pear, cored and chopped
1 organic banana
Juice of ½ fresh organic lemon
Optional
1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems okay)
1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay)
Add the water and romaine lettuce to the blender. Starting the blender at low speed, mix until
smooth. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple and pear. Add the cilantro and parsley, if you are choosing to add them. Add the banana and lemon juice last. The fruit and
lemon cut right through the grass taste. Feel free to mix and match different greens and fruits, as these two specific food groups combine well.
To your health!