Spring! This is the season of renewal and rebirth. Spring is not only a time to clean out your home, but also your body. Mother nature provides us with naturally detoxifying foods in the springtime, so it is a perfect time to try a detoxifying cleanse. The best programs are the ones that include self-care and nutrition education as part of the detox - a detox of the whole body, rather than just diet.

8 tips for a successful spring detox

1. Prepare your body 

Take 3-5 days to prepare your body for a detox. That means eliminating toxins from your diet, like dairy, sugar, chemical sweeteners, alcohol. The more you can eliminate ahead of time, the less likely you will experience headaches and fatigue during your detox program.

2. Pick the right detox or cleanse

Not all programs are created equally - do your research on who is running it and what is included. Most detoxes are between 1 and 5 weeks long. There are detoxes that are food-based only, and others that include coaching, self-care, and nutrition education. It is extremely helpful if you are able to find a holistic health coach who runs a detox program and can actually provide you with a consultation beforehand to help you decide what length is best for you.

3. Get support

You’ll need to get support from your family, co-workers, and friends. If you can join a group detox program, even better! Holistic health coaches’ programs include the recipes and how-to’s, but also a lot of coaching and support! In fact, many holistic health coaches will provide a meal plan for your family who is not detoxing just to make things a little easier for you.

4. Add whole foods

Springtime is such a great time to cleanse and detox because of all of the wonderful fruits and veggies available to us. Adding in whole foods that have natural anti-inflammatory properties will make the cleanse program delicious!

5. Eat + drink

A cleanse or detox is not a deprivation diet. You should not be hungry and should not be skipping meals. Real, whole foods, should be part of the program - detoxing does not equate to a liquid diet. And drink lots of fresh, filtered water!

6. Exercise

Remember to keep moving! Sweat is a wonderful way to detox your body and skin. Breathe in the fresh air and sweat each day.

7. Relax

Take time to unplug - literally. Relax your mind with meditation, journaling, and plenty of sleep! Your body’s cells rejuvenate and rebuild overnight, so getting enough zzzz’s is important to proper detox.

8. Self-care

Learn the art of self-care and use this detox period to practice extreme self-care.

For more information on detoxing, here is a free guide. (Available until Monday, April 30th 2012)

Happy detoxing!

Tara Hantske has been a health advocate & wellness maven most of her life. She writes for Naturally Savvy and her own blog, Tara Hantske Wellness.

Tara Hantske