Should You Do A Spring Cleanse?
By Nikki Doering, RD, LD
April 15, 2024
As spring arrives, we open our homes to fresh air and refresh our wardrobes, moving from winter wear to lighter clothes. This season often brings a desire to shed any extra winter weight.
While quick-fix diets like juice cleanses, a spring detox, or fasting may seem tempting for rapid weight loss before summer gatherings, they can do more harm than good. Fortunately, we've got the key steps to get your body on track safely, without resorting to a harmful detox.
Why You Should Avoid A Spring Detox
You don't actually need to attempt to release toxins with a detox plan, which usually causes extra stress rather than supporting the body especially if the plan for detox is super restrictive. Your liver, lymph system, kidneys, digestive tract, lungs, and skin all have their own abilities to provide detoxification to your body naturally just in the way they were built to function.
The body stores toxins in fat cells, which might make weight loss challenging, but there are several holistic steps you can take to help support your body's natural detoxification process.
For example, fiber helps support liver function, so eating plenty of whole foods in the form of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains help your liver with its detoxification duties. No need to go hungry or extreme for liver detoxification!
Let's walk through some ways you can gift your body the benefits of a spring detox in a natural, healthy way.
10 Steps To "Spring Cleaning" Your Health Habits & Your Home
Rather than focusing on the scale and on the calories, let's look to some of those basic foundational habits that can truly help you to accomplish those health goals, like losing weight and having better energy, without the need for extreme methods like a spring detox.
When you're feeling the itch to spring clean with a spring detox, here are some of those basic principles to come back to for nourishing your body and cleaning up those health habits you've maybe lost sight of:
Step 1: Eat Real Food
And by real food we are talking about quality animal proteins, healthy fats, and whole, nutrient dense carbohydrates in the form of whole grains (like brown rice, quinoa, wild rice), vegetables, and fruit.
Real, whole foods are ones you recognize as foods that have ingredients you can actually pronounce and have a limited number of ingredients on the label. Anything you can find on the farm and get from the garden.
Reduce the amount of fried foods and fast food as these are typically made with inflammatory ingredients that wreak havoc on your health.
Think fresh fruit, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and all of that yummy organic produce. This is what we consider a whole food diet rich in nutrients for optimal health.
Learn More: Real Food Nutrition Podcast Episode and Getting Ultra Processed Foods Out & Why.
Step 2: Eat ENOUGH Real Food CONSISTENTLY
You don't need to starve yourself to be healthy! Isn't that good news? In order to have a healthy metabolism (and lose weight), you need to feed yourself enough so you have fuel to burn. Without enough food and nutrients, you'll have low energy and possibly low blood sugar.
Eating enough typically means 4-6 oz of animal protein at meals paired with healthy fat and some starchy and non-starchy vegetables and/or fruit.
Eating ENOUGH is really important but eating CONSISTENLY is also important. Prioritize consistent meals with plenty of good, quality nutrients. Most people need to eat a meal or snack every 3-5 hours to keep blood sugar stable and to prevent energy dips. This will also help eliminate cravings and eating real food consistently over a long period of time will give your body that vibrant health.
Learn More: How To Get Enough Protein Podcast Episode
Learn More: Why Animal Proteins Podcast Episode
Step 3: Sleep 7-9 Hours Most Nights
Getting enough sleep can be one of the most challenging things as adults, so spring is a great time to re-evaluate your sleep hygiene.
Lack of sleep can lead to sugar cravings and overeating some of those high sugar processed foods and refined carbohydrates that can disrupt your blood sugar, which is very stressful on the body.
Sleep helps reduce your stress levels, decreases inflammation, boosts the immune system, and revs your metabolism because it gives the body time to rest and repair.
Think of sleep as the time your organ systems can do their detoxification! For example, according to the body clock theory in Chinese Medicine, the liver does it's cleaning from 1 am to 3 am and it's important for our body to be sleeping at that time, so it can repair.
Rest and recovery is an important aspect of overall health and stress reduction. A digital detox every night by putting those devices down for plenty of zzzz's is a good practice to get back to as part of your spring detox.
Learn More: The Answers To Your Sleep Questions, Revealed!
Step 4: Drink Water
Our bodies are more than half water and it functions best when we're well hydrated. We want to drink enough water in order for our bodily detoxification process to happen and for our metabolism to run better.
When we're drinking enough water, our kidneys are supported and that relieves some of the stress on your liver detoxification, so that the liver is free to burn fat.
Digestive disorders, like constipation, can be helped with getting enough water and regular bowel movements can assist the body in detoxification. It's a win-win!
If drinking straight up water is a challenge, try herbal teas, warm water and lemon, and in warmer temperatures you might love that herbal tea or green tea on ice. Dandelion root tea can be a yummy coffee-flavored alternative that doesn't have the caffeine (plus has additional liver support benefits).
Online Class: Make A Habit Of Staying Hydrated
Step 5: Move Your Body
To boost metabolism, you've got to move your body. Choosing exercise and movements that can build muscle are especially important, because muscle is critical to metabolic rate.
But it's important to find daily exercise you enjoy, like walking your dog, going on a bike ride, dancing, hiking, gardening, yoga, tai chi so that it becomes a habit you like doing regularly. Use your body in a way that builds some muscle and that brings some joy.
The bonus benefit to regular exercise is it also helps with stress reduction for overall health as well as helping detoxification with releasing toxins in your sweat.
Learn More: Move Your Body For Better Health
Step 6: Spruce Up Your Fridge and Pantry
Now is a great time to clean out the refrigerator and pantry shelves by looking at expiration dates and ingredient labels.
Get rid of any expired products and check the labels for items that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, refined oils, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, or ingredients you can't pronounce. Don't forget to check your spices!
Make a list of things to stock up on when you're shopping next to help you get excited for what's coming into season. Healthy fats to keep on hand for cooking would be extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil, so choose these natural fats when replacing your refined oils.
Learn More: Choosing Non-Toxic Cookware-spring detox your kitchen by choosing safe cookware
Learn More: Detox Your Kitchen in 2024.
Step 7: Clear Out Household Toxins to Help Your Hormones
Here's something you won't see on most spring detox lists: throw out your cleaning products to support detoxification! Our modern world is full of harmful chemicals, but one area we can have a little control over is our home.
Commercial products (think Windex, Pledge, etc.) are full of harsh endocrine disrupting chemicals that are best avoided entirely. This can also be described as body burden or the harmful chemical burden our body is placed under when exposed to toxic synthetic chemicals.
These harsh cleaning chemicals can create a hormone imbalance within your body which can have many negative effects such as weight gain, mood changes, thyroid imbalances, and increased heart disease and cancer risk.
Skip the risk and use vinegar with water instead, add some essential oils (if you have them on hand) and you'll have the fresh smell without those lingering chemicals. A citrus oil or lavender oil adds a nice natural scent without the toxic load.
If you prefer to buy cleaning products, look for natural lines, such as Mrs. Meyer's or others that specifically state free from phosphates, parabens, phthalates, chlorine bleach, petroleum distillates, ammonia, fragrances (again, essential oils are ok), optical brighteners, sulfates, dyes, and fillers.
Learn More: Estrogeneration – How Estrogenics Are Making You Fat, Sick and Infertile
-Spring Detox Toxins In Beauty Products Too!
Beyond cleaning products, the lotions or makeup you apply in the morning gets into your system and bloodstream faster than if you put it in your mouth (it only takes 26 seconds!).
Your skin is your largest organ, and many people are shocked to learn that products they've been using on their bodies may be contributing to health issues like those listed above.
Toss or recycle products that list parabens, phthalates, PEGs, BPA, EDTA, or Formaldehyde in the ingredient list.
Going forward, https://www.ewg.org/ is a great resource for safe products.
Step 8: Prepare For Allergy Season
It's easy for time to pass quickly and for products to expire. Just like with your pantry, spring can be a yearly reminder to look through your stash and toss/recycle outdated products. Take a few minutes to clean out the medicine cabinet and stock up on supplements.
This would be a great time to check in with your nutritionist or dietitian to do a supplement plan check. Is there anything you don't need to be taking anymore? Would there be a newer product that might suit your needs better?
If you're already starting to experience spring allergies, we and many of our clients have seen great success with these supplements as a natural solution to allergy symptoms.
Step 9: Support Your “Detox” Organs
Like mentioned earlier, our bodies come equipped with our own built-in detoxification and elimination systems: our liver, kidneys, intestinal tract, lymphatic system, skin, and lungs.
So if you're really wanting to assist your body to detox toxins, focus on making sure your detox organs are supported rather than following detox programs. Here are a few additional ideas for extra credit:
-Hydrate With Lemon Water or Bone Broth
Rather than jumping right into the caffeine in the morning with your coffee, try starting your day with some lemon juice in hot water with a pinch of salt or bone broth to get the day started on the right foot.
The lemon is a gentle stimulant for your digestive tract, and the salt helps with water absorption and is also calming to our adrenal glands.
Bone broth is chock full of collagen and other absorbable minerals, which is like a natural healing tonic for your system and a soother for your gut lining.
-Support the Gut with Probiotics & Enzymes
Finding the right probiotic for you can be another great way to make sure your digestive system is absorbing nutrients and eliminating properly.
If you've done all the tips to boost your health and your digestive tract still feels a little off, you might benefit from adding digestive enzymes with your probiotic to support your gut. How do you know if you need enzyme support? Tune in to this episode of Ask a Nutritionist all about digestive enzymes!
-Support The Liver & Digestive Tract with Fiber
To support your liver function, cruciferous vegetables are your friend. Fill up your plate with cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, Bok choy.
Getting plenty of fiber, or prebiotics, in your diet from vegetables, berries, avocado, chai seeds, ground flax, and other foods high in fiber helps with regular bowel movements, which is important for removing toxins from your liver and digestive system.
Step 10: Get Support
It's always a great time to check in with your support team and to remind yourself that you don't have to do it alone. Schedule those preventative doctor's appointments, therapist visits, and lab checks.
If you're bogged down and overwhelmed by your goals or just confused with the signals your body is sending you, that's what our nutritionists and dietitians are here for. We can help you problem-solve and get you feeling your best.
We accept most health insurance plans and offer a couple wellness packages for ongoing support in addition to group support in our classes if you're looking for a healthy community to be part of.
Spring Into Heathy Habits
Part of a spring detox for your health is about spring cleaning your thoughts and ditching the diet mentality all together. Do you find yourself getting caught up in these ideas?:
- Weighing yourself frequently – and letting the scale determine your next actions or making you feel bad about yourself
- Waiting to start your diet and weight loss journey on Monday
- Counting calories
- Skipping meals
Are these old diet ideas holding you back? If you see yourself in any of these habits and if you're feeling the buzz to do a little spring detox, ditch old cycles of restriction by focusing on how to nourish your body instead:
- Eat enough real food, consistently. Bonus points for upping your fiber intake!
- Get plenty of sleep for rest and repair.
- Hydrate for all the organs that are natural detoxifiers.
- Move your body with some of your favorite muscle-building exercises and sweat-inducing movements.
- Clean out your environment by sprucing up your pantry, your medicine and supplement cabinet, and your mindset.
Learn More: 5 Crucial Mindset Shifts for Better Weight Loss
You'll make plenty of progress towards achieving your optimal health goals, like weight loss, when you focus on getting back to the foundational basics of these 10 tips. And the best part is you can do it without the extra stress of needing to do a restrictive spring detox.
Rather than focusing on toxins and a detox diet, focus on habits of nourishing each of your cells from the inside out.
Online, self-paced class for only $25! Want to lose weight without starving and being consumed by cravings? You can rev up your metabolism by making simple changes to the foods you eat every day without doing a restrictive spring detox.
