FEATURE: 10 tips for a mind and body spring clean

SPRING is here and if the season finally delivers with warmer weather and sunnier days, it will naturally encourage us to feel brighter and more energetic.

But to truly shake off winter blues, many experts believe a mind and body ‘spring clean’ is the answer.

“A cleanse in the spring can optimise your health and is, in my view, a far better time and way to reboot your health than a traditional new year detox,” says Henrietta Norton, nutritional therapist.

“Far from being a starvation diet, a spring cleanse is simply a way of lightening the load on the body. It’s a gentle but powerful and enjoyable way to get the mind and body in balance.

“As the darker, colder days wane, it can make us feel physically and emotionally lighter, which is partly to do with the greater hours of daylight but also to do with our natural synergy with the seasons,” she points out.

Follow Norton’s 10-point plan for a spring cleanse, which she advises should last a minimum of 28 days:

1. Avoid non-nourishing foods which contain sugar and white flour products. Replace with wholegrains (barley, wholegrain rice, wholemeal flour, quinoa, spelt) and natural sugars (local or manuka honey)

2. Drink filtered water, at least eight glasses daily, although not with meals as this dilutes the digestive juices.

3. Use a body brush every morning before you step into the shower. Start either at the top of the body or at the feet, but make sure you are always brushing in the direction of the heart to encourage correct circulation.

4. To kick-start the metabolism, start the day with a mug of hot water flavoured with the juice of half a lemon. The drink will help provide an alkaline balance in the body.

5. An ideal breakfast is warm, unsweetened stewed fruit with added spices such as ginger or cinnamon. Add crushed linseeds and a drizzle of organic pouring yoghurt.

6. Healthy juices, homemade or shop bought, can boost the rejuvenation of the body and you should aim for at least one daily.

7. Aim for a rainbow of colour in your diet every day, which can be easily achieved with soups and generous portions of fresh vegetables. Tap into spring energy by choosing seasonal vegetables such as green leafy kale and celeriac.

8. Enjoy the outdoors and make sure you take long walks to help boost your stores of essential vitamin D, which is derived from exposure to sunlight.

9. Spring clean your thoughts as well by vetting them and deciding which are merely habitual, nagging worries and which are of genuine concern.

10. Maximise the benefits of a cleanse with a digestive cleanse supplement.