Cleansing and abundance
We are now in the early beginnings of spring. With Imbolc just passed, new life is gently stirring. One of the lesser known festivals of the ancient Celts but still one of great importance, Imbolc was traditionally a celebration of the end of winter and the arrival of spring. A time of clearing out the old and making space for new beginnings.
We can work with the rhythms of nature and enhance this process of making space by doing some internal cleansing. Bring in those foods that will help the body shift the winter excess - leafy greens, celery, apples, ginger, garlic, artichokes, wild blueberries, sea vegetables, red cabbage, figs, dates and so many more.
You might be surprised to see fruit on this list but I want you to see it and know that it’s real. Fruit is one of the most detoxifying foods on planet earth. Bananas, wild blueberries, apples and papayas are the most powerful destroyers of viruses. Fruit is vital to gut health and a healthy immune system. Fruit protects the liver by providing highly-bioavailable glucose needed to stave off illness and stabilise blood sugar. Fruit is a critical part of how you overcome illness. It has been my healing ally.
Sadly, we’ve entered an era of fruit fear but mistakenly so. Eat fruit alone or with leafy greens and you will optimise your body’s ability to process glucose, the body’s primary source of fuel. By denying this goodness that fruit has to offer, we are doing ourselves a great dis-service.
And remember that cleansing doesn’t have to be about starving yourself, cleansing is about ABUNDANCE. We can eat abundantly and still cleanse at the same time. How? By filling up on those foods that nourish every part of our being - fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and wild foods. These are the foods that fight the bugs and eliminate the heavy metals, radiation and toxins that we’re exposed to on a daily basis. These are the foods that help us handle stress, boost our immune systems and give us the strength to thrive. Cleansing and abundance hand in hand. Who would have thought it!
So, I urge you this February to look at how you can bring in more cleansing and abundance on a daily basis. Can you work with your body to let go of the winter excess and simultaneously find enjoyment and satisfaction in your food? Here are some tips to get you started…
1. Start your day with 32 ounzes of warm lemon water with a dollop of raw honey.
Your liver has been working hard overnight to gather the junk and the lemon helps to flush it out, whilst the raw honey replenishes the liver glucose stores.
2. Focus on cutting out fat until lunchtime by filling up on fruit and greens.
Make a beautiful big smoothie and give your organs an entire morning of rest without the hard work of dealing with dense proteins or fat. Have as much smoothie as you need to feel full. And if you're worried about protein, just remember that greens are packed with the most bio-available and assimilable proteins you can find.
3. Whatever your dietary approach, reduce your fat intake from all sources throughout the day.
Be it meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds or avocadoes. Healthy fats are great in small amounts but in order to clear out, we must reduce the load on the organs. Fill up instead on healthy carbohydrates including potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, lentils, and fruits.